09.24.05
The Terrible Announcers for the White Sox
Another thing from Jerry Crasnick’s chat yesterday:
Sean (Los Angeles): Hey Jerry, I never used to have anything against the White Sox, but now with the MLB package, I hear their announcers all the time. They are the cockiest, most biased I have ever heard, by far. I’d love for the Sox to miss the playoffs just because of them. Have you heard them? He gone!!
Jerry Crasnick: Sean,
Nothing personal against Hawk Harrelson and Darrin Jackson, but yes, they can be tough to take if you’re an impartial observer watching White Sox games. The guy who runs the heavethehawk Web site sure doesn’t like them very much.
The reason I thought of this is that I happened to catch a White Sox game on WGN today, and I noticed (again) how bad these homers are. The Sox were up 3-1, and Jermaine Dye was up with two runners on. I will now quote the announcer (I think it was Harrelson) as Dye hits the ball to right field:
That ball’s hit hard. Stretch! Stretch!!! You caaaaannnnnnn … … … put it on the board!!! Yes!!!!!!
I had told my brother a few weeks ago how bad these guys were, so after that, I actually had to rewind my TiVo, call him up, and play it for him. He and I agreed that it is the worst thing we have ever heard.
Yes, people have their patented home run calls. That is fine. If he said “Put it on the board” for every home run hit, it would be stupid but acceptable. The problem is, he only says it for the White Sox. DJ and Hawk refer to the Sox as “we” and “us,” which is one of my biggest pet peeves. Maybe I just got spoiled growing up with Vin Scully, who is undoubtedly the best in the business. There is no question that Scully loves the Dodgers, having worked for them and with them for fifty years. But when you listen to him do a game, you would never know it. He is impartial, and he is a genius. If you are a Braves fan and you watch the Braves beat the Dodgers on the Dodgers’ channel, you walk away happy because Vinny did a great job. If you are an Indians fan and you watch the Indians beat the White Sox on WGN, you walk away happy because not only did the Indians win, they also made DJ and Hawk cry.
If I wasn’t already rooting for the Indians in the AL Central, I would be just because of those two announcers. I would be physically unable to root for the Sox with those two guys around.