Friday, October 11, 2013
The Vin Scully factor
With the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series it means that baseball fans are in for a treat. The legendary Vin Scully will be calling the games on radio only during the first three innings and the last three innings. Thanks to MLB At Bat 2013 and Sirius/XM, anyone can hear the local Dodger radio broadcast. Vin has hinted that next season may be his last year. So if you're a Dodger fan or not, treasure these remaining chances to hear an absolute master at his craft.
That's what I do......
ReplyDeleteI'm able to pause TBS for about 4 seconds and time Vin on Sirius so it's all synced up. It'd almost be perfect, but I still have to see Craig Sager in those ridiculous jackets.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in LA and didn't care for Vin Scully--I thought Jerry Dogget (his broadcast partner) was better.
ReplyDeleteThen I moved away. Listening to lame-to-awful broadcasters for other markets made me appreciate what I'd had. Now the only two broadcasters I enjoy listening to are Jon Miller and Vin Scully.
So yeah--I've found myself this year listening to Scully call games because I want to enjoy it while I still can.
... and one of my favorite SIMPSONS moments was Gabbo imitating Vin Scully ("let's take a break from this triple play to talk about Farmer John hot dogs and pork sausages.")
ReplyDeleteAs a Mariner fan with a soft spot for the Giants I generally root against the Dodgers. However, this year because I will be listening to the games I have hoped the Dodgers would win just so I can continue to listen to the LA broadcasts.
ReplyDeleteAlso remember his call of the bottom of the ninth of '86 Game 6, memorialized here by the video game technology of the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb_xnCBJoKI&list=FLlALuAJ5T8kk-jm-ym-qBcw&index=99
ReplyDeleteGo Cardinals!
ReplyDeleteAfg1, I'm with you!
ReplyDeletePam aka sisterzip
Radio broadcast on, TV on but on mute, Tivo paused for a few seconds: it's the way to go.
ReplyDeleteVin Scully retire? Say it ain't so! He's the Voice of Major League Baseball!
ReplyDeleteI'm 56 and Vin Scully was a veteran broadcaster when I was little. Quite a story.
ReplyDeleteLove baseball ... but this guy bores the crapola outta me. Don't let the door hit ya in the ass vin!
ReplyDeleteKen, I have a question about commentators. I'm Australian and while I know a bit about the organisation of American sport, I don't understand where commentators fit in.
ReplyDeleteHere, commentators are employed by broadcasters, so when a TV or radio network has the broadcast rights to a sport, they supply the commentary team. Which teams are playing doesn't make a difference to who calls the game. (Which to my mind is the obvious way to do it. I expect commentary to be professional, colourful and disinterested).
My reading of your baseball notes is that commentators are employed by the Teams/Clubs, so when your team (Seattle? I'm sorry, I can't recall its name just now) is being broadcast, you are the one the audience hears call it? I'm surprised this is an expense the teams want to wear, rather than let the broadcasters pick up the bill and the the broadcasters are prepared to cede on-air talent selection to clubs.
And now I actually type that out that previous sentence, it seems obvious I've got something wrong. Ken, what am I misunderstanding about commentators?
thnaks!
d
Haha! I love the comic strip. I know what it's like to be a sports fanatic. Sometimes seeing the action on TV is not enough and you will still want to hear real-time reactions over the radio!
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