AZ Broadcast Schedule Up

by Jim McLennan on Feb 8, 2006 9:02 PM EST in Diamondbacks News

145 regular-season games will be on TV, up a little from last year - Brennaman and Grace will be doing those, both on FSN and Channel 3 in Phoenix, with Matt Williams popping in occasionally. March 14th on Fox Sports Arizona is the first chance to see our D'backs, when they take on the White Sox in Tucson. Two other spring-training games will also be televised, the 26th's against the Cubs, as is the 31st against the Yankees at Chase Field.

Radio (mostly KTAR, 620 AM in Phoenix) will have every game during the season, plus eleven pre-season games, beginning with the opener on March 2nd [three weeks tomorrow, folks! Wheeee! :-)] Greg Schulte will be the play-by-play man there, as he has been every year, while he's joined by Tom Candiotti as color commentator [I presume, though they don't say, that this is the renowned knuckleballer - albeit perhaps most "renowed" for one 1997 inning in which he hit three opposing batters and threw two passed balls] Jeff Munn does the pre- and post-game coverage. The games will also be broadcast in Spanish on Radio Fiesta 1400 AM, KSUN.

Today's question is, therefore, do we like our broadcast teams? And if so, which do we prefer, radio or TV? It's kinda hard for me to say, having very limited experience of any others: since coming to America, I've only lived in Phoenix. My only experience of other announcers has been on the occasional road-trip, and now I've got XM Radio, I get the chance to hear a broader spectrum, even on D'backs games, since they always go with the home team feed.

Still, I have little or no background in which to drop Brennaman, Schulte, etc. I feel the skill-sets necessary are different: radio, you've got to be the eyes of the audience, while on TV, you don't need to document every play as much. But am keen to hear other people's opinions, as they're likely to be more informed than mine!

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play by play

I think that Brennaman is one of the worst play by play baseball guys I've ever seen. I long for the stretch of games that Schulte does with Grace. Brennaman is constantly forgetting guys names, misstating what's gone on, and is just unreasonably prude. Not to mention that he's got some of the worst sayings ever.

If it weren't for Mark Grace, my TV would be muted and my radio on.

by nihil67 on Feb 8, 2006 9:54 PM EST reply actions

Agreed.

I live in New Jersey and so I get to listen to the Mets, Yankees, and Phillies broadcasts regularly, and then with the MLB radio package some more. Thom Brennaman is horrendous. What drives me nuts about him is his pessimistic attitude. Leave that to the fans, Thom! There's nothing worse than hearing Brennaman lament about how that was the umpteenth guy we didn't get in from scoring position with less than two outs. We know Thom. We know. I truly think Schulte is a gem. Everybody in Phoenix knows and loves Greg, but it is unfortunate he isn't better known nationally. He's a class act. Some broadcast teams I can't stand: Cubs (tv and radio), Braves (radio), Yankees (tv and radio... alright, maybe this is just because I hate the Yankees anyways). The Mets have a great radio team, and I think that the Brewers (I know, strange as it seems) have top notch radio and tv teams. Oh yeah, and the Cardinals have outstanding crews as well.
In terms of tv guys, I like Grace, but I don't think we've had a better one that Brenly. He was great.
I know all of this is subjective, but what I think makes a great announcer is his ability to bring new things to the table every game. Don't explain to me what a split finger fastball is every time Schilling takes the mound. Tell me about the new players. Tell me about the other team. And please, get behind the statistics. Sure, he's hitting 300, but what are his tendencies, etc, etc...

by johngordonma on Feb 8, 2006 10:22 PM EST reply actions

"Color Commentary/Analyst"

I live in NY and last year I had the mlb cable package. You watch whatever feed they have you, so a lot of games I watched with the "opposing" broadcast team (and had to listen to a fair number on the internet radio when that failed). I agree that as far as our play-by-play, Shulte is much better than Brenneman, though with the personnel changes in AZ, who can blame Thom for forgetting the players names. I will say the cable package is great because I get to hear Vin Scully (hey I live in Brooklyn) an awful lot.

I disagree, however, that Mark Grace makes the games "watchable." I find his attention is on personality and attempting to seem charming rather than discussing strategy, tactics, or player history. Matt Williams is not as fun a guy, but I think he's much better.

But I also think that the analyst's job must be harder, at least to judge from how uninteresting most ar. Usually it's an ex-player, and one who doesn't have as much baseball knowledge as you would guess given his playing career (Joe Morgan is here the gold standard for making-me-pull-my hair out).

The exception is Don Sutton for the Braves. I think he gives great insight, breaks down game situations clearly, and explains mistakes and reasons for mistakes intelligently.

Anyone want to speculate on the reason for poor commentary, even on the many teams that have good or great play-by-play guys?

by andrewinnewyork on Feb 8, 2006 10:42 PM EST reply actions

Matty

"Matt Williams is not as fun a guy, but I think he's much better."

While he breaks the game down a little more, he's got absolutely no personality.

by nihil67 on Feb 9, 2006 10:52 AM EST up reply actions

I don't disagree

He's certainly no genius, I guess that I just want more "analyst" and less "personality" in my side man.

by andrewinnewyork on Feb 9, 2006 1:54 PM EST up reply actions

announcers

They are company shills. Bring Joe Sr in. He was corrected two yrs ago for being critical.

by kylerkenney on Feb 9, 2006 9:35 AM EST reply actions

D-backs fans are lucky

I spent last summer listening to XM broadcasts around the league too and I think we have one of the best across-the-board broadcast teams out there. I've said this around here before, and I truly believe it: Greg Schulte compares favorably with Ernie Harwell, the HOF announcer for the Tigers when I was growing up. ("A young man from Ypsilanti catches that foul ball!") He's not a Hall of Famer yet, but he compares well, IMHO. (Do we have sabrmetrics for announcers?)

As for TV, I am fine with Brennaman and Grace, but I prefer to listen to the game on the radio. That goes back to Ernie and the Tigers too. I'd still much rather hit the AM dial than flip on the tube. We've got another great announcer in Joe, Sr. too. (Remember Monday Night Baseball? At least I think it was Monday. I was only five years old...) Anyway, we're pretty lucky.

by Louchart45 on Feb 9, 2006 5:12 PM EST reply actions

Thom's OK but I like some of the others...

I have heard many of the KTAR broadcasts over the past year (moved here in August of '04). I'm a U of A grad ('93) so I remember Schulte from some of the ASU football broadcasts (I think that's what he was doing, with the legendary Tom Dillon - correct me if I'm wrong.)

I like, in this order:

Jeff Munn (another PHX legend)
Schulte
Brenneman

The D-Backs need to platoon the TV and radio announcers the way the Atlanta Braves did in the late '90s when I was living there (I believe they still do). This means Brennaman and Grace for the first 3 innings, Schulte and Candiotti for the next three and Brennaman and Grace for the final 3.

I have lived in a few cities and heard a few announcers over the years. My all time favorites, going back to the late '80's:

the late great Bill King, A's
Lon Simmons, A's and Giants before that (I'm from the Bay Area)
Hank Greenwald, Giants
Skip Caray, Braves (but NOT on his pre-game call in show on WSB where he was always rude to the callers)
Vin Scully, Dodgers (Dodgers games were on Tucson radio in the early '90s)
Eric Nadel, Rangers (not a lot of people nationally know about him but he's pretty good and has been their play-by-play guy for at least 20 yrs)

Thanks for this great blog!

by micmac99 on Feb 10, 2006 3:23 PM EST reply actions

How about Al McCoy calling a D-Backs game!

And another thing...when there was so much buzz in the early '90s about PHX getting MLB, I wanted Al McCoy to be the play-by-play guy...

"that ball is hit into deep left center field...way back...way back...SHAZAM! What a shot, Whataburger sends $50 to Diamondbacks Charities!"

Larry Munson, the legendary football voice of the Georgia Bulldogs on WSB, filled in once for the Braves radio team when (Braves broadcaster) Don Sutton was inducted into the HOF (Skip Caray and the whole gang went to Cooperstown to be with Don). I listened to the whole game and he did an excellent job.

Al McCoy should fill in at least one or two games a season and team up with Joe Garagiola Sr. They are both tradition in this state.

by micmac99 on Feb 10, 2006 3:31 PM EST reply actions

Fascinating stuff...

Welcome aboard, micmac99! But all the comments are very much appreciated: I'm looking forward to listening to a broader spectrum of announcers this year on XM. I do enjoy listening to games on radio: the rhythm of the commentary is quite hypnotic. However, I do like to see things with my own eyes: was that great catch in centerfield simply necessary because Terrero was caught flat-footed when the ball was hit?

On the subject of color commentators, I guess they're called "color" for a reason: Williams is a little too dry for my tastes. I find Grace is good as long as he keeps restrained; he does know a lot about baseball, but he clearly does also like the sound of his own voice! I think TV commentators have to appeal to a broader spectrum of fans than radio, where they can probably presume at least a little knowledge of the game: on television, they have to keep things simple for that reason. [Though the spawn of the devil that was Scooter the animated baseball should have been strangled at birth]

I do wish they would take the time to educate viewers a little bit more though. A few lessons in the meaning of OPS, or the dangers of small sample sizes [2-for-13 is not significant!] would go a long way to making for a more-informed fanbase in Arizona.

by Jim McLennan on Feb 10, 2006 3:58 PM EST reply actions

I don't have XM but...

I wish I could get it to hear games from all the markets. And the drawback indeed to all forms of radio is that you're stuck trying to imagine what the action looks like as you listen; many a time I would look at the (Arizona) Republic website the morning after a game and see the pictures and say, "Oh, so THAT's what happened." The good radio guys can describe the action, choose their words, etc., so you can see it in your mind's eye. I hate the Dodgers but I think Vin Scully is probably the best radio and TV guy still active that I have heard.

Mark Grace does seem to love the sound of his own voice...kind of like Ron Wolfley, the Cardinals color guy, who I am not fond of. But I like Grace a heck of a lot better. Matty is indeed a very dry color guy, but I think it's more his broadcast inexperience, hopefully this season he'll be a little more colorful.

by micmac99 on Feb 10, 2006 4:54 PM EST up reply actions

I've never even heard of OPS

I had to look it up on Wikipedia. Many of the offensive-related stats outside of HR totals and RBI I pay little attention to. I follow pitching stats a little more closely - that's my Oakland A's "training".

If Thom and Mark tried to explain complicated stats I think they would get confused themselves, let alone the viewers.

by micmac99 on Feb 10, 2006 5:19 PM EST up reply actions

Announcers

I kinda wonder if Grace was maybe nervous his first season, trying to establish himself as a personality and endear himself to viewers, and if by now he's ready to settle into more of a conventional role as an analyst. We know what to expect of him by now (i.e., gratuitous shillelagh references).

Personally, I don't have a huge problem with Thom, although the comment earlier about his negativity at times is duly noted. I'm still a huge fan of Schulte, and since we have radio and not television up here in Flagstaff...I have the luxury of listening to him on a regular basis.

In my nightmares, I see Brian Bruney...make it stop...

by Azreous on Feb 10, 2006 5:50 PM EST reply actions

Tucson fans

Once again, no mention of WB58 broadcasts for Tucson. Generally, most 3TV games are on the WB but about 10-15 games a year aren't shown. Well, I guess I'll have to pick-up the season schedule from my local Bank One, err, Chase.

Speaking of the WB, it will soon cease to exist. It will merge with UPN starting in September of this year becoming "The CW televison Network". So, the 2006 broadcats will go un-affected (it will however, be the end of Charmed series, so no more NEW episodes of Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan. TNT however, airs 2 episodes every night.:)). I don't what kind of contract the WB currently has with the Diamondbacks have but I don't doubt the "fifth major broadcast network" would rather air "Smallville" or "Americas Next Top Model" rather than a baseball game. If a network jump would occur, FOX would probably be the logical choice but I have no clue.

by Otacon on Feb 11, 2006 12:37 AM EST reply actions