Booooo. Reds need to move on.
Booooo. Reds need to move on.
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
Marty is 70+ years old. He is opinionated. This is rare for announcers his age. Most have just given in and go through the motions. I rank Marty along with Jack Fleming and Vin Scully as guys who kept the passion and were competent regardless of age. I've listened to the newer guys. They can call balls and strikes, all of which is devoid of opinion, but most are just looking for the next job. Marty's been here for over 40 years. He has a vested interest in the Reds.. No, he's not a disciple of the stat bunch, and calls it as he sees it, but that's one of the advantages of age. Marty is also an entertainer. Listening to the younger guys on the radio in the car on a long drive is sort of like listening to paint dry. The home run or big play is superb. Never boring, a little snarky--entertaining. That's what radio is all about. I'm a fan even though I listen less and less. Wish there was a way to synchronize the TV with the radio so I could turn off Kelch and Marty's son. His time will be up soon. I guarantee you'll muss him.
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joshua (09-20-2013)
Your wish is my command.
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I'm glad he's back on one hand. He is one of the last links to my childhood that is still actively doing what they did back then. I remember when he started with the Reds back in 1974. He still calls a good game when he doing PBP. But when he gets on one of his rants he's intolerable to listen to. He is just coming off as a bitter old man then. IMO he's better off just keeping those opinions to himself. I suspect after this contract is up he will only do home games. He will be 74 by then. He will probably keep broadcasting as long as he is able much like Scully does now.
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AtomicDumpling (09-20-2013)
Just read thru the rest of the thread. I'm hot and cold on Marty. When he's calling a game, I don't know that there are many who paint the picture much better than he does. I don't mind him "calling it like it is," but I think there are times that are just too much. He can tend to pontificate (and heck, we have a pope now who doesn't even do that!) and that gets tiresome.
Funny thing, I think there are pairings with Marty that bring out his best. He and Jeff are just their schtick and, more times than not, that works. I think Jim Kelsch brings out the best in Marty. Chris Welsh does too. Now Marty with Thom, oh please, that's just insufferable - I'm reminded of the scene in Woody Allen's movie Sleeper where the scientist shows Allen's character a film clip of Howard Cosell and says "we feel that when people committed great crimes against the state, they were forced to watch this." - yeah, that's how tough the two of them together are.
As for the vacation - the guy's 70 years old and I think it helps recharge his batteries.
I can't say I have the connection from my childhood that many have mentioned. I was 16 the year he started broadcasting Reds games, so the vast majority of my experience with him has been as an adult. But I get it - Waite Hoyt was that for me.
All in all, I think it's a good move. The club just needs to keep the right balance of broadcasters and we need to pray Thom's really not the heir apparent.
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AtomicDumpling (09-20-2013),KittyDuran (09-20-2013)
My gut feeling is that he isn't (could just be indigestion)...All in all, I think it's a good move. The club just needs to keep the right balance of broadcasters and we need to pray Thom's really not the heir apparent.
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remdog (09-21-2013)
Thom isn't going to give up his various national gigs to be the local radio voice of a mid-market team.
As for Marty? When he just calls a game, he's one of the best I've ever heard. Trouble with him is that he's lost the ability to just call a game.
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remdog (09-21-2013)
Agree. And I would say he is the heir apparent.
AtomicDumpling (09-20-2013)
Marty will retire with 40 plus years with the Reds, aside from the 66-73 era that means the Reds had 2 announcers for 70 years. That's impressive
Always Red (09-20-2013),KittyDuran (09-20-2013),reds1869 (09-21-2013)
Shoot. I was hoping they were finally going to bring back Al Michaels.
I'm fine with Marty coming back and it is a link to a much younger dfs.
I just wish that Marty would remember what a privilege it is to go to the ballpark everyday and that his primary job is to keep his audience entertained and tuning in the next day. Simply telling the audience what is happening on the field and being a conduit is more than enough.
It has nothing to do with "homerism." It has to do with class.
"Even a bad day at the ballpark beats the snot out of most other good days. I'll take my scorecard and pencil and beer and hot dog and rage at the dips and cheer at the highs, but I'm not ever going to stop loving this game and this team and nobody will ever take that away from me." Roy Tucker October 2010
Awesome news!
I love Marty. I hope he goes out by having a heart attack while saying "And the World Series Championship belongs to the Cincinnati Reds!" at age 120...and I think if he had a choice, he'd agree with me. By that time Brantley will have already succumbed diabetes.
Always Red (09-20-2013),George Anderson (09-20-2013),joshua (09-21-2013),KittyDuran (09-20-2013),westofyou (09-20-2013),_Sir_Charles_ (09-20-2013)
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