To: BluesDuke
You're right about Caray being so famous for being the Cubs' broadcaster while Brickhouse remained unknown--for most of the country and for those who became Cubs' fans after around 1982--that it had everything to do with Brickhouse retiring and Caray replacing him right around the time WGN went superstation. I remember the day Caray came on board and I couldn't believe it--the guy who tauntingly serenaded us back in '67 by singing, "The Cardinals are coming, tra-la, tra-la" . . . the
White Sox announcer! for cryin' out loud--now announcing my beloved Cubs?! The funny thing was, Brickhouse and Caray were about the same age--in fact, Caray was probably a few years older, but he kept his real age a mystery--and Brickhouse retired, but Caray kept going . . . and going . . . and going. In time, I kinda accepted Caray. Sorta. But Jack was like a father figure to me (my dad died when I was one). The men's voices I heard the most growing up were Jack Brickhouse, Frazier Thomas (host of "Garfield Goose"), Mayor Daley (the real one), my grandfather, my uncle, and my pastor.
BTW, Brickhouse did TV only. Vince Lloyd and Lou Boudreau did the games on the radio.
To: andysandmikesmom
See my posts 6 and 9.
To: Charles Henrickson
Then it was probably Boudreau I heard. Ah, Lou Boudreau - the only man who was ever traded for a broadcaster! ('Tis true: a year before the Cubs instituted their notorious College of Coaches, Lou Boudreau was in their broadcast booth and Charlie Grimm had been talked one more time into managing the Cubs - but Jolly Cholly's health was in question enough for that stress that the Cubs swapped him for Boudreau!)
To: Charles Henrickson; 2Trievers; NYCVirago; andysandmikesmom
What discussion of baseball broadcasting would be complete without a listing of the Best of Jerry Coleman (Yankee broadcaster and, later and most notoriously, longtime voice of the San Diego Padres)...
On the mound is Randy Jones, the lefthander with the Karl Marx hairdo.
There's a fly ball deep to center field. Winfield is going back, back...he hits his head against the wall. It's rolling toward second base.
He slides into second with a stand-up double.
Rich Folkers is now throwing up in the bullpen.
Whenever you get an inflamed tendon, you got a problem. OK, here's the first pitch to Gene Tendon. (He meant Gene Tenace - I think. - BD)
Pete Rose has three thousand hits and 3,014 overall.
Redfern won't be twenty-two until October. Hey! He's only twenty-one!
They throw Winfield out at second and he's safe.
It's swung on and Gamble sends a long fly to right, but Gamble goes back to the wall and makes the catch.
Swung on and fouled to the backstop. No - wait a minute, that was a wild pitch and the runner moved over to second.
Reggie Smith of the Dodgers and Gary Matthews of the homers hit Braves in that game.
Grubb goes back, back. He's under the warning track and he makes the play.
Young Frank Pastore has just pitched the biggest victory of 1979, maybe the biggest victory of the year.
Gaylord Perry and McCovey should know each other like a book. They've been ex-teammates for years now.
There's a hard shot to LeMaster - and he throws Madlock in the dugout.
Urrea had Owchinko in the hole, 0-2, but now the count is even at three and two.
Thomas draws a throw but it went nowhere.
Jesus Alou is in the on-deck circus.
Over the course of the season, a miscue will cost you more games than a good play.
Ron Guidry is not very big, maybe 140 pounds, but he has an arm like a lion.
From the way Denny's shaking his head, he's either got an injured shoulder or a gnat in his eye.
There's a shot up the alley...oh, it's just foul.
Royster has gone six for seven against Shirley this year, and there's a single that makes him five for eight.
Winfield is on first base and he's always a threat to grow.
Hi, folks, I'm Jerry Gross.
Hrabosky looks fierce in that Fu Manchu haircut.
Hendrick simply lost that sun-blown popup.
Sometimes big trees grow out of acorns. I think I heard that from a squirrel.
The Padres need one to tie and two to win. So going into the ninth, the score is San Francisco one, Yankees nothing.
This is the only afternoon day game in the National League.
Shortstop Ozzie Smith was so stunned with the news he lost his appetite right over the dinner plate.
We're all sad to see Glenn Beckert leave. Before he goes, though, I hope he stops by so we can kiss him goodbye. He's that kind of guy.
Yogi who? *grin*
To: Charles Henrickson
Some more classic baseball broadcast calls:
Yogi Berra on first base. Mickey Mantle at bat with the count of one ball, no strikes. Left-handed pitcher Chuck Stobbs on the mound. Mickey Mantle, a switch hitter batting right handed, digs in at the plate. Here's the pitch...Mantle swings...there's a tremendous drive going into deep left field! It's going, going, it's over the bleachers and over the sign atop the bleachers into the yards of the houses across the street! It's got to be one of the longest home runs I've ever seen hit!...We just learned that Yankee publicity director Red Patterson has gotten hold of a tape measure and he's going to go out there and see how far that ball actuall did go. Man, that's got to be one of the longest wallops I've ever seen hit. - Mel Allen, calling Mickey Mantle's ballpark-clearing blast in Griffith Stadium, 1953...a park whose left center and center field dimensions were even deeper than Yankee Stadium's notorious "Death Valley".
There's a long drive way back in center field...way, back, back! It is...oh! what a catch by Mays! The runner on second, Doby, is able to go to third. Willie Mays...just brought this crowd to its feet...with a catch which must have been an optical illusion to a lot of people. Boy!....(ten seconds pass)...Notice where that 483 foot mark is in center field? The ball itself - Russ, you know this ball park better than anyone else I know - had to go about 460, didn't it? [Hodges:] It certainly did, and I don't see how Willie did it - but he's been doing it all year. - Jack Brickhouse, calling Willie Mays's famous World Series catch, 1954.
The final out of the ninth inning was a strikeout on Lew Burdette. It was the eighth turned in by Haddix, and at that moment, he became the eighth pitcher in all the history of baseball to pitch a perfect no-hit, no-run game...He then went on to get 'em in the tenth, and the eleventh, and the twelfth - retiring thirty-six men in order and, counting the final two outs he had against the Cardinals in his last victory in Forbes Field, he retired thirty-eight men in order before a man got aboard, and then only an error...One out, batter Adcock. Here's the pitch...There's a fly ball, deep right-center. That ball may be on through and over everything. It is gone! Home run! Absolutely fantastic! - Bob Prince, voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1959, calling the dramatic destruction of Harvey Haddix's extra-inning perfect game that almost was...before Adcock passed Henry Aaron on the bases, and his three-run homer was ruled a ground-rule double and one RBI.
The count one and one on Williams. Everybody quiet now here at Fenway Park after they gave him a standing ovation of two minutes knowing that this is probably his last time at bat. One out, nobody on, last of the eighth inning. Jack Fisher into his windup, here's the pitch. Williams swings - and there's a long drive to deep right! That ball is going and it is gone! A home run for Ted Williams, in his last time at bat in the major leagues! - Need we say more? Curt Gowdy.
Lonborg is within one out of his biggest victory ever...his twenty-second of the year...and his first over the Twins. The pitch...is looped towards shortstop! Petrocelli's back, he's got it! The Red Sox win! And there's pandemonium on the field! Listen... - Ned Martin, calling the Red Sox clinching the 1967 pennant.
Two-one pitch. Fly ball, deep left field. Jones is back to the fence. Jones is on the warning track! The World Series is over! Jones makes the catch! Jones made the catch on Johnson's deep fly ball. The Mets have won it by a score of 5-3. Met fans are pouring onto the field trying to steal home plate, trying to take the rubber off the mound! - Bill O'Donnell on radio, verifying the miracle: the Amazin' Mets nail the 1969 World Series. (Sidebar: The Oriole who hit the final flyout became in due course the man who managed the Mets to their 1986 Series triumph!)
One-one pitch. He swings and a drive - a liner to left field! It is - there it is! Mr. Banks has just hit his five hundredth career homer! He is getting a standing ovation! He is trotting to third base, a handshake from Peanuts Lowrey. He hit a low liner - a fastball. Doffs his cap as he steps on home plate...waves to the fans as he jogs into that dugout! They are standing here at Wrigley giving Ernie an ovation! - Jack Brickhouse, 1970.
Sixty-five thousand on their feet at Veterans Stadium. The Tugger needs one more - one more out. Willie Wilson standing in with the bases loaded. One-two pitch. Swing and a miss! Yes, he struck him out! Yes, they did it! The Phillies are world champions! World champions of baseball!...It's pandemonium at Veterans Stadium! All the fans are on their feet. This city has come together behind a baseball team. The Philadelphia Phillies. Tug McGraw being mobbed by his teammates - who better than the Tugger to finish the 1980 World Series. Phillies are world champions! This city knows it, this city loves it! - Harry Kalas.
U.L. Washington at first represents the tying run with two out. The stretch by Gossage, the pitch. Theres a drive to deep right field. Back goes Kemp at the wall. Home run! George Brett has done it again, and the Royals have a 5-4 lead in the ninth!
the Yankees have picked up George Bretts bat and theyre going to claim that Bretts bat is illegal. Billy Martin is out of the dugout. Now the umpires are all huddled off by themselves the four of them looking at George Bretts bat. They may be talking about how much pine tar is on the bat, and they are now measuring the pine tar with home plate. Theyre using home plate as a measuring stick to measure the pine tar on the bat. Now theyve called George Brett out, and here comes an argument! Here comes an argument! George Brett at the plate oh, and is he furious! Hes trying to get to an umpire! George Brett may have already been suspended. Dick Howser is out arguing. George Brett came charging out of the dugout. The Royals have lost the home run and the ball game! - Fred White, 1983.
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