What are your all time favorite announcers' calls?

[lippy]

¡¡No, no, no, no, no, diganle que no a esa pelota!!

[legend42]

[ QUOTE ]
As for Castiglione, I recall running to grab a radio just to listen to his call at the end. I was also disappointed at the time, but after reflecting on it, I think it would have been cheesy if he tried to turn into someone else for that call.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree he shouldn't be fake, but like 34TheTruth said, if you can't generate some genuine enthusiasm after your team wins the World Series for the first time in 86 years, then you might have a problem.

[ QUOTE ]
I've tried thinking about what I would have said, and it probably would have been some sort of take on the famous SOSH "win it for..." thread, but I think it may have come off as a little fake had Castiglione done it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well if you can't be spontaneously excited, you have to at least be poetic. If you can't do either, what kind of announcer are you?

[ QUOTE ]
The fact was that game 4 and the WS in general were pretty anti-climatic and his call was in line with that.

[/ QUOTE ]

But his call shouldn't reflect the anti-climax of the game or series. The context of the moment was much much larger than that. It was the climax of a great season, and for most fans, many seasons.

Bob Miller said of his call when Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's scoring record, which Miller admittedly scripted beforehand, something like "I knew I was going to have to hear that call for the rest of my life, so I didn't want to mess it up." Castiglione should have had the same foresight. But I don't mean to be too harsh, because I like him on an everyday basis.

[legend42]

[ QUOTE ]
Thom Brennaman's call of the Boise St/OU game was bone chilling. Watching that play with the commentary still gives me chills.

[/ QUOTE ]

Me too. But it should also be noted, Brennaman also made a big mistake at a crucial time. Right before what is definitely going to be the last play of the game, Boise going for 2 in OT and Oklahoma calls the timeout, Brennaman picks *that* moment to lobby for a college playoff system. WTF?? The players are back on the field lining up, and he's still talking about it! It took Barry Alvarez to get him back on topic.

Reminds of the time he criticized Manny Ramirez for running the bases too slowly after a HUGE homer in game 5 of the 2003 ALDS. Manny hasn't touched the plate yet, and he's saying something like "Give me a break! I mean, it's a big home run, but it's the only the 6th inning." Uhh, yeah. 6th inning of a 1-1 pitcher's duel between Pedro and Zito in the deciding game of a playoff series. I'd say a 3-run homer there is an adequate spot to celebrate a little.

He can be a great game caller, but also a genuine blowhard at times.

[MicroBob]

Legend -
Absolutely about Thom Brennaman.
I thought this was 100% pathetic and inappropriate and I was absolutely disgusted with him for babbling on about that right then and there.
It made no sense at all and was completely inappropriate.

It reminded me somewhat of the end of the World Baseball Classic. It's the end of the very first one of these ever played and it was a pretty big success. Japan is on the verge of winning the first ever and it was considered a mild upset that they were in that position.
Jon Miller and Joe Morgan spent the entire situation talking about something completely different. I think they were just babbling about Ichiro and his comments about wanting to beat Korea or something completely irrelevant at that point.
Finally the final out was recorded and Jon Miller got back to the point that Japan had won the first ever World Baseball Classic.

I couldn't believe my ears as they kept babbling about this on and on in a situation where they could really try to find a bit of the drama and excitement.
Very similar to my reaction when Thom Brennaman chose the most inappropriate time possible to go on his rant.

(note, I actually like Thom Brennaman a lot. But he screwed that one up pretty badly)

[MicroBob]

also agree that Castiglione shouldn't be extraordinarily fake. I don't listen to him a whole lot but I'm guessing his generic call of a 2-run HR in the 3rd inning of a regular season game has more excitement in his voice than his call of the final out of the World Series.

FWIW - I don't think it's so bad to be 'a little bit' fake. Gary Thorne does that all the time. I'm not Thorne's biggest fanboi either but I think the yelling "MOST AMAZING FINISH EVER!!!" type style works for him. But it's clearly somewhat manufactured and not 100% genuine when you hear the same style yell over and over again.

Castiglione and Stockton both could have juiced it up a little with their significant Red Sox calls without needing to be too over-the-top about it and ruining it.

[MicroBob]

Then you go the other way into saying too much about the incredible drama and really ruining it.

Bob Costas in game 7 of the 97 World Series is a good example. Seemed he was practically parodying Scully's perfect-game call in some ways but doing it not very well imo.

Something cheesy like,
"Al Leiter collecting himeself on the mound. He feels the pressure that this is everything. This is game 7. This is drama. See that big sigh as he gets ready to offer his first pitch knowing that this is game 7.
It's the end no matter what happens and this is it.

That sweat that he's wiping off his brow is not just your run-of-the-mill regular-season game-sweat. This is game 7 and that is game 7 sweat.

It's the two most meaningful words in all of sports....Game Seven. And this is one of those World Series Game 7's that could be a history-making game 7. The kind of game that could be talked about for generations because it's a game 7. There have only been 22 of these in history.

Did I happen to mention that this is a game 7 and it's super-duper important? Just making sure in case you hadn't figured it out yet."

[dnh83]

[ QUOTE ]
Reminds of the time he criticized Manny Ramirez for running the bases too slowly after a HUGE homer in game 5 of the 2003 ALDS. Manny hasn't touched the plate yet, and he's saying something like "Give me a break! I mean, it's a big home run, but it's the only the 6th inning." Uhh, yeah. 6th inning of a 1-1 pitcher's duel between Pedro and Zito in the deciding game of a playoff series. I'd say a 3-run homer there is an adequate spot to celebrate a little.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes! I remember that, and I remember thinking at the time, jesus Thom, STFU.

Also the last 2 minutes of the UCLA/Gonzaga Sweet 16 game from 2006 where Morrison was crying. Basically the entire last minute Gus Johnson was just going nuts.

Batista with the CAAAAAAATCH!!!! (20 second vid)

Last 40 seconds of game (6 minute vid)

[legend42]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Reminds of the time he criticized Manny Ramirez for running the bases too slowly after a HUGE homer in game 5 of the 2003 ALDS. Manny hasn't touched the plate yet, and he's saying something like "Give me a break! I mean, it's a big home run, but it's the only the 6th inning." Uhh, yeah. 6th inning of a 1-1 pitcher's duel between Pedro and Zito in the deciding game of a playoff series. I'd say a 3-run homer there is an adequate spot to celebrate a little.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes! I remember that, and I remember thinking at the time, jesus Thom, STFU.

[/ QUOTE ]

Even worse was he kept harping about the Ramirez trot (which wasn't even really a showup, just a typical Manny thing) the next day when he was announcing game 1 of the CHI-FLA NLCS. Moises Alou hit a home run- in the FIRST inning of the FIRST game of a 7 game series- and did a mild fist pump rounding 1st base, and Brennaman made an explicit comparison to his "class" as opposed to Manny's supposed lack of class. It was ridiculous.

[legend42]

[ QUOTE ]
Then you go the other way into saying too much about the incredible drama and really ruining it.

Bob Costas in game 7 of the 97 World Series is a good example. Seemed he was practically parodying Scully's perfect-game call in some ways but doing it not very well imo.

[/ QUOTE ]

Microbob,

I agree Costas can definitely be overly precious at times. He strives a little too much. But he can still be great when spontaneous. I remember him in game 1 of the 1995 ALDS (a big one since it was Clemens on the road against a 100 win Indians team- knew you had to win that one).

It's the bottom of the 13th inning, and Cleveland has made two quick outs. Costas and the color guy are justifiably speculating about the Indians' pitcher in the 14th (they had already used 7 pitchers) when Tony Pena (Tony Pena!!) hits a shot into left. Costas's reaction: "Oh, man!" I've never heard any announcer ever say that. He clearly wasn't ready, but nobody else was either, and his call just seemed so appropriate.

[Victor]

down goes frazier!

wasnt there a bunch of classic boxing calls?