Gotta have shtick
Watching White Sox games on the Extra Innings package should come with a disclaimer: "You may get an incurable case of Hawk Harrelson on the brain." How else can you explain the following exchange I recently had with my wife:
Wife: "Bad news, honey. My great uncle has cancer."
Me: "Hegone!"
Yeah, I know. Brutal. You can't say something like that and not expect some hellacious karma coming your way. But I couldn't help it. I had been watching a lot of the Hawk on White Sox broadcasts and become addicted to his silly little catchphrases that are easily applicable to everyday life. For example, what if somebody gets fired from work? "Grab some bench." You sell the most cars at your dealership that month? "You can put it on the board ... YESSS!"
But it's not just the Hawk. Thanks to broadcast vehicles such as Extra Innings and XM Radio, many hardcore baseball fans have been exposed, for better or worse, to nearly every announcer catchphrase around. The shtick is being laid on pretty thick out there, folks. I'm gonna list my best and worst here, but I'll need you guys to fill in the blanks on the ones I'm missing.
Top Five
1. "Hegone!," Harrelson, White Sox. The "gone" part needs to be said with a twang to get the full effect.
2. "There's a long drive ... it ... is ... out-ta here!," Harry Kalas, Phillies. He's our latter-day John Facenda.
3. "Fly, fly away!" Dave Niehaus, Mariners. If it's a grand slam, he says, "get out the rye bread and mustard, grandma, it's grand salami time!"
4. "Get up, get outta here. Gone!" Bob Uecker, Brewers. The franchise stands for nothing if not mediocrity, but Uecker is superb.
5. "How about that!," Mel Allen, Yankees. TWIB hasn't been the same without him.
Bottom Five
5. "Back, back, back, back ... gone!" Chris Berman, ESPN. He was funny once, in 1987 I believe, but his act grew tired long ago.
4. "Yippee!" Chip Carey, Braves. I'm not sure if he really says that, but that's what everything that comes out of his mouth sounds like.
3. "It is high! It is far! It is ... gone!," John Sterling, Yankees. Announcers who can alienate both his team's fans and those of the opposition are rare, but he pulls it off.
2. "The-uhuhuhuh Yankees win!," Sterling. I work in New York and have yet to meet a Yankees fan who can stand him.
1. "It's in the win column!," Joe Angel. I'll never forgive him for killing the radio call of Craig Counsell scoring the winning run against the Indians in Game 7.
-- Jacob Luft (1:00 p.m.)
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
I always preferred Scullys simple and sweet home run call
in all honesty, though, vin scully really needn't even be mentioned in a discussion involving ranking baseball announcers, because anyone who thinks he isn't the best in the business is clearly wrong.
anyway, harrelson's calls are hilarious in an unintentional comedy sort of way. Hillbillies on parade. He did.
Bob Uecker is in the broadcaster's wing of the HOF, right? If i'm stuck in the car and there's no cubs game on, i'll see if i can get a brewers game just to hear him call it.
_________________ i was dreaming through the howzlife yawning car black when she told me "mad and meaningless as ever" and a song came on my radio like a cemetery rhyme for a million crying corpses in their tragedy of respectable existence
he's right about Sterling. Most Yankee fans can't stand him.
_________________ “You’re good kids, stay together. Trust each other and be good teammates to one another. I believe there is a championship in this room.”
-Ernie Accorsi in his final address to the NY Giants locker room before retiring as GM in January of 2007
I don't mind "giambino" as much as I can't stand it when he says, "an A-bomb, for A-Rod".
he's funny sometimes, but he makes so many mistakes, he doesn't know the rules, and you're lucky if he gives you the score once every 3 innings.
_________________ “You’re good kids, stay together. Trust each other and be good teammates to one another. I believe there is a championship in this room.”
-Ernie Accorsi in his final address to the NY Giants locker room before retiring as GM in January of 2007
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:32 pm Posts: 1061 Location: Baltimore, the Land of Pleasant Living
The Only ones who really got on my nerves are:
1) The White Sox Team, the Pirate Hawk Harrelson, and the gay sounding guy. Aleready talked about, Put it on the board- seeya. He gone. Chopper two hopper and all that. Then there are minuites of scilence and the c'mon #33, we need you here,
2) Michael Reghi (Orioles, Cavaliers TelevisionNetwork,Cleveland) - worst ever with the catchphrases.
Home Run : ex. Anderson with a BOMB, deep to right... Track... Wall..see ya later
Win: You can book this one to the Orioles.
Begining of the game: Always refered to it as a contest.
3) Tim McCarver : I like the guy, but FoX makes him say some really stupid things. Or maybe he just says stupid things I don;t know.
shutuptimmccarver.com
4. Also annoying Chip Carrey, John Sterling, and Michael Kay.
Best (current)
1. Vin Scully (Dodgers) - the best ever. Calls it objectivly like it is. Can carry a game by himself, and make it interesting.
2. John Miller (Giants, ESPN) , Still has the voice, and at times humor in calling a game. Can be annoying with Morgan at times however.
3. Joe Angel (O's): I disagree with alot SI the article abover, Joe is one of the best. Classic basebal voice.
back in 2003, the cubs' playoff games were called on radio by pat hughes with steve stone doing the color. it was baseball radio heaven.
_________________ i was dreaming through the howzlife yawning car black when she told me "mad and meaningless as ever" and a song came on my radio like a cemetery rhyme for a million crying corpses in their tragedy of respectable existence
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:43 am Posts: 18418 Location: Anytown, USA Gender: Male
warehouse21sj wrote:
corduroy_blazer wrote:
2. "There's a long drive ... it ... is ... out-ta here!," Harry Kalas, Phillies. He's our latter-day John Facenda.
couldnt have said it any better.
corduroy_blazer wrote:
Bottom Five 5. "Back, back, back, back ... gone!" Chris Berman, ESPN. He was funny once, in 1987 I believe, but his act grew tired long ago.
couldnt have said it any better.
_________________
stip wrote:
In five years, when you get laid and grow up, you should go back and read some of these posts and if you've turned into a decent person you'll realize how much of an asshole you sound like right now
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:23 am Posts: 1194 Location: Sleeping under my desk
Mariner fans may be fortunate to have Dave Niehaus, but we're also stuck with his idiot sidekick, Ron Fairly aka Mr. Overstate the Obvious. He's horrible. I can't think of any examples at the moment, but he usually just spits back out what ever Niehaus says. It's a joke.
I actually sent an email to the Mariners about this tool a couple of weeks ago. They have a little thing during the telecast where Fairly answers a letter from a viewer. The fan asked if there had ever been an ambidextrous pitcher in the majors. Fairly said, "Nope, there's never been one. Only swich hitters." I jumped out of my chair and started yelling at my TV, "What about Greg Harris jackass?" In my email I asked why the Fairly (or the M's) couldn't do a two second Google seach (ambidextrous+pitcher) and answer the question correctly. I wish I had kept the reply. It was classic. "We realize our audience has difference preferrences for the type of broadcaster they like and we try to appeal to as many of these preferences as possible." I replied, "So, you actually have a group out there that prefers inaccurate information? Interersting."
Sorry, talking about Ron Fairly gets me fired up.
_________________ If you're a blacksmith, probably the proudest day of your life is when you get your first anvil. How innocent you are, little blacksmith.
- Jack Handey
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