Jim Kelch= Curt Gowdy

[RollyInRaleigh]

Different strokes for different folks.

[Red in Chicago]

Kelch is my least favorite announcer, but I didn't like Gowdy either. Blah.

[Roy Tucker]

I don't like Gowdy because he was a Red Sox homer and barely tolerated the '75 BRM. His dislike of the Reds was thinly veiled.

But I did like him in the early days of the AFL.

[muethibp]

Jim Kelch is my favorite of the Reds announcers.

I'll agree with this. Actually, it's not close.

[WVRedsFan]

Kelch is bad. Tom Hedrick/Bob Waller bad.

Agreed. His voice is a sing-song monotone. I think a lot of folks like Kelch because he isn't a Brennaman. I'll take George over Jim anytime. And that's saying a lot,

[FlightRick]

Let me assure you: I like Kelch because he's good at his job, and whatever aesthetic/subjective issues people have with tone-of-voice or perceived personality are not things that I've registered to a degree that it annoys me. That's the sundae.

I do, however, like him even more than I otherwise would have because he's not Thom. And there's your cherry.


Rick

[Joseph]

Kelch is terrific. I'm not the biggest fan of some of todays broadcasters in general and Kelch is a bit of a throwback.

[Kc61]

Kelch is all about the ballgame. Does a very good job.

[WVPacman]

1) Marty
2) Thom
3) Cowboy
4) Welch

[WVRedsFan]

Let me assure you: I like Kelch because he's good at his job, and whatever aesthetic/subjective issues people have with tone-of-voice or perceived personality are not things that I've registered to a degree that it annoys me. That's the sundae.

I do, however, like him even more than I otherwise would have because he's not Thom. And there's your cherry.


Rick

Bingo. That says it all, but the multitudes will disagree. You like him because he is not Marty and Thom, but Marty and Thom are revered by most of Redsland.

I like Marty (but not Thom), but listening to baseball, if you're not a baseball geek (as most of us are) require a little entertainment. Marty gives you that. Riding along in a car, you need to be entertained. Most people feel this way, and that's why Hawk Harrelson and others just keep people interested. It's more than the balls and strikes and errors and pitch counts as well as the OPS and OBP to most folks. It's the whole package. Guys like Kelch just give you the Joe Friday "just the facts, man" deal. It's Ok for most of us, but listening to a little commentary keeps things interesting for some of us. A monotone voice and a strained delivery (which I think Kelch has) tells us what is going on, but the entertainment factor is about zero. I don't listen to radio so much anymore unless I'm exiled in the bowels of lower Virginia like I was this weekend. I decided that it was much better to read here than put up with the long pauses and wrong names and boring delivery. Yep, that's me and as Randy said--differnt strokes for different folks. If I wangt a monotone delivery, I'll listen to Kris Kristofferson. If you can't see, it's important to paint a picture. Jack Fleming and Vin Scully did this. Jim Kelch, as nice a guy as he is (I've met him and like him) is not.

[Spitball]

Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf_cyUlv4zk

[BurgervilleBuck]

I like Kelch just fine. In fact, I'm pretty happy with every broadcaster the Reds have save for Mr. "Now, I'm Not Saying..." (aka as Kid "Now One Could Make The Argument That...").

Keep that guy in the FOX NFL booth.

[texasdave]

Bingo. That says it all, but the multitudes will disagree. You like him because he is not Marty and Thom, but Marty and Thom are revered by most of Redsland.

I like Marty (but not Thom), but listening to baseball, if you're not a baseball geek (as most of us are) require a little entertainment. Marty gives you that. Riding along in a car, you need to be entertained. Most people feel this way, and that's why Hawk Harrelson and others just keep people interested. It's more than the balls and strikes and errors and pitch counts as well as the OPS and OBP to most folks. It's the whole package. Guys like Kelch just give you the Joe Friday "just the facts, man" deal. It's Ok for most of us, but listening to a little commentary keeps things interesting for some of us. A monotone voice and a strained delivery (which I think Kelch has) tells us what is going on, but the entertainment factor is about zero. I don't listen to radio so much anymore unless I'm exiled in the bowels of lower Virginia like I was this weekend. I decided that it was much better to read here than put up with the long pauses and wrong names and boring delivery. Yep, that's me and as Randy said--differnt strokes for different folks. If I wangt a monotone delivery, I'll listen to Kris Kristofferson. If you can't see, it's important to paint a picture. Jack Fleming and Vin Scully did this. Jim Kelch, as nice a guy as he is (I've met him and like him) is not.

How, exactly, does Marty keep you entertained? Bore me with the baseball details please.

[kbrake]

I still think Marty and Thom are the best when it comes to calling the big play. Both wear me out the rest of the game but on any big play I prefer them and Marty much more than Thom. Kelch is OK but for example his call of the final out of Homer's no hitter just did nothing for me.

[WVRedsFan]

How, exactly, does Marty keep you entertained? Bore me with the baseball details please.

I guess it's my generation. Calling balls and strikes if you are not watching can be a horrible thing when you're in the car on the road and trying to pass the time. A little story or sidebar helps keep the boredom down. Waite Hoyt was an example. He had a million stories and the same with Joe. The little kidding and jostling between the two announcers is entertaining to me. When I watch on TV, I can see the game and the same at the ballpark, so it's more than "ball one" and "strike two." Yes, Marty's arrogant and is full of himself, but I grew up with him. He was the voice of the Reds when I was a kid. I remember Hoyt because my Dad had the Reds on radio when I was in diapers.

Like someone else says, different strokes for different folks.