OT: Tigers Players Only Broadcast
I believe this is going to suck. I hate when they do an interview during a game, because they tend to miss the action on the field. This sounds like 3 games worth of interviews and talking twitter. Of course I will still watch because I'm a Tigers junkie.
“Players only baby”
I find the broadcasts this season insulting. Trying to “teach” us the game. Shep always asking his booth partner what a term means or the philosophy behind strategy.
Yes I should put the radio on, but then I’d have to listen to Jim Price. No thank you.
I love Dan Dickerson on the radio, and I respect Jim Price for his place in Tigers' history. That said, he does get a lot of eye rolls from me.
This has always intrigued me. I was born in the 70’s, so I don’t remember his specific role or accomplishments on the ‘69 team.
In his total career, he only played something like 250 games for the Tigers; had less than 20 HR (total) and hit somewhere around .200 or .220.
What exactly is “his place in Tigers history”?
This might sound like I’m being a dick. I don’t mean to. Sometimes I just can’t help it (lol).
In all seriousness, though, I can’t stand Jim Price. If I had a better understanding of what he’s done for the Tigers, I might be willing/able to cut him some slack.
Thanks.
Jim Price was on the 1968 team. He's one of those "never has to buy a drink at Nemo's" guys. It was a minute before my time, as well, but there it is.
Yes, ‘68. Sorry.
But why is he “never has to buy a drink a Nemo's” guy?
I just don’t get it. Just seems like he was “a guy” who happened to be on the team.
Wish I could appreciate him more, since it seems like we’re stuck with him.
I love Dan Dickerson, though.
I hear you - he wasn't as accomplished as McClain or Lolich, but he was on the roster. That carries a bit of juice for the extremely loyal fans.
Buggy whip!
It's a lose-lose. Shep is awful. Dickerson and Price are grating. Give me an option to switch my audio over to stadium ambient noise.
Oh come on! I love hearing about a good buggy whip and the devastating yellow hammer.
How do you feel about the "tools of intelligence"?
The art of pitching! Late action on the fastball. He dropped the yellow hammer. That is pretty much the extent of Jim Prices commentary.
Oy, I am so over him.
I don't get the impression that they will be doing interviews during the game, although it's baseball, and the only sport slower is golf, so it really wouldn't take away from the game. I just think that viewers will get more insight from "players" talking about how they see it from their experiences. I love baseball, so it won't bother me, but broadcasting in general is a tough gig. They are just trying to give a different perspective.
Has to be better than the Tigers' absolutely brutal new announcing team this season. It seems like half of each game is just spent in awkward silence.
I doubt Shep wanted this particular job, but he had to put his name in the mix and had to take it if it was offered. I think he wanted Michigan basketball and football, and that he probably should have just been offered it. It would have been a win-win-win. He would have gotten the job he coveted, Tiger baseball broadcasts would not be saddled with an ill-fitting announcer with only a casual interest in baseball, and we would not have to listen do Brady to PBP.
Yeah I'm sure making $500,000 a year sucks doing Tigers baseball, who in the hell would want to do that?
Bet doing Michigan football for around the same amount would be even better.
Except Michigan football on the radio doesn't pay that.
Football and basketball? My guess is that it is close.
The baseball announcing gig is tough. You have to basically move down to Florida in February (okay maybe that's not so bad), be on the road and working for the next 6 months April-September, doing late nights and Sunday afternoons. If you cover the Tigers, you're going to watch a lot of losing baseball (eventually). You have to find a way to make the story interesting every day without saying the same thing you said the day before (or the season before). You need to try to strike a balance between inviting to new and casual fans without talking down and over simplifying things for the long-time, die-hards. And if you're the play-by-play professional announcer, you're usually stuck with some meathead former player. No wonder Mario Impemba lost it at the end. And even if you're great, some internet moron is gonna say you suck and know nothing because you didn't play the game or because you're not Ernie Harwell or Vin Scully.
To take the job you have to really love it - the baseball, but also the lifestyle. It's definitely not for everyone. Even for $500k a year, I don't think I would do it.
To say Shep has a casual interest in baseball is a fallacy.
From a Jan. 14 Detroit News article announcing his hiring:
"A nearly lifelong Michigan resident, Shepard was born in Farmington Hills and graduated from North Farmington High. He played baseball at North Farmington and was a baseball team walk-on at Eastern Michigan before transferring to Central Michigan University for his junior and senior college years.
During his time in Mount Pleasant, he worked football, basketball, and baseball games on both the campus radio and TV stations."
Also:
"His first foray into professional baseball came in 1989 when he took vacation to attend baseball’s Winter Meetings in Nashville. Armed with 300 resumes, he handed his credentials to every baseball executive in sight and eventually got a single follow-up — from the Reds, who were looking for radio help with their Single A team, the Charleston (West Virginia) Wheelers."
It would seem he really likes the game and has been wanting a baseball PBP gig for years.
However, I agree with you that putting him on Michigan football would be a great move, and I really hope he can keep doing M basketball.
Who the hell still watches baseball on TV? Isn't baseball just an excuse to occasionally go to games and drink beer at 1pm on a weekday?
Yes, this is really the only thing baseball is anymore. It is an excuse to turn on the radio and drink in my garage while occasionally doing a random lawn-chore. The outcome of the game does not matter and simply does not factor into the experience.
Yep. It's just comforting background noise when doing yard work or drinking beer.
I like Shep as a basketball and football announcer. He should be doing Michigan football PBP on the radio. I am not sure why that has not happened yet.
With that being said, his baseball delivery is kind of stale, but I appreciate the perspective of Gibby and Jack in the booth with him.
I was hoping Shep would be better because I do like him for BBall and I think he is talented. I do find his baseball PBP kind of boring. I know it just takes time, but I've noticed when they are interviewing people in the booth -or even sometimes just during general back-and-forth, Shep has tended to interrupt or cut off, or not let a story develop without trying to get the next question in.
I don't mind Jack or Gibby. Color commentators don't move my needle much, unless they are BAD. They have to be pretty bad for me to not like them. Rod was great (wasn't a Mario guy though).
I will say I do love Dan and Jim on the radio. Dan is so good, has that great soothing summer voice, and could really do it by himself if he had to. Hes good at other sports, too. Jim is quirky but it adds a fun element. I think they are one of the better teams out there. Living in NW Ohio you get CLE/CIN TV and radio, which are all pretty bad. I wouldn't trade any of them for ours. We all know how terrible the White Sox broadcast teams have been over the years.
I don't miss Impemba but do miss Rod Allen. I hope Matt makes it but I agree with the many posters that say there is too much silence on the broadcasts. I think Matt is overreacting to the critizsem that he was to vocal in the initial game this year. Hope he makes it
Ernie Harwell then.
Bert & Ernie now.