A new Marty has to go thread

[Chip R]

I think the one thing everyone forgets about calling a baseball game is the incredible amount of time to fill. You just want to hear play by play? It isn't that easy my friends. Look how much time there tends to be between pitches...between at-bats. Most of it isn't really that entailed...a ground ball, fielder throwns out runner. Most of it doesn't get much more exciting then that. The announcer has a ton of space to fill.

You're right. Not to mention the plugs they have to do for the sponsors. However, they have ample material in which to fill that time. For example, last Friday night I was driving up to Columbus. After the Reds game I happened to catch the Yankees and As game. They weren't great but they actually called the game. No e-mails, no trivia, no talk about golf games or cronies. I knew what the score was, how many outs there were, if there were any runners on base, all that good stuff you need to know when listening to a baseball game. One of them did get a bit upset when the Yankees rookie pitcher gave up about 5 runs but he didn't dwell on it for 3 innings.

You know what is ironic? The media in this town absolutely gives Marty a free pass. They wouldn't dare criticize him. And Marty is the type of broadcaster that "tells it like it is" and wouldn't put up with anyone else who isn't his family or friends or himself.

[Cedric]

You're right. Not to mention the plugs they have to do for the sponsors. However, they have ample material in which to fill that time. For example, last Friday night I was driving up to Columbus. After the Reds game I happened to catch the Yankees and As game. They weren't great but they actually called the game. No e-mails, no trivia, no talk about golf games or cronies. I knew what the score was, how many outs there were, if there were any runners on base, all that good stuff you need to know when listening to a baseball game. One of them did get a bit upset when the Yankees rookie pitcher gave up about 5 runs but he didn't dwell on it for 3 innings.

You know what is ironic? The media in this town absolutely gives Marty a free pass. They wouldn't dare criticize him. And Marty is the type of broadcaster that "tells it like it is" and wouldn't put up with anyone else who isn't his family or friends or himself.

Maybe they don't criticize him because they realize how lucky we are. You guys are the minority and I'm sure you are fine with that. I'm going to be 80 years old and look back and tell everyone how lucky I was to have Marty and Joe announcing games. He's a huge part of your spring and summer and nothing anyone will say will ever take that away from me.
And as long as people keep making threads every day mouthing Marty I'm gonna give my opinions on it. If people wanna mouth me for that again they can, I won't stop.

[westofyou]

Maybe they don't criticize him because they realize how lucky we are.

Yeah, we're just a bunch of cranky, no nothings.

I for one have spent a good portion of my life living in diffrent areas, listening to way more baseball on the radio then most. Marty is good, but you're mistaken to think he's not matched around the country, because I can name 10 guys from the last 20 years who are better or just as good.

This assumption that marty is a god wouldn't be so bad if he pretended to love the game half as much as I feel most of us do.

But then again it would get in the way of the Marty show... god knows what we'd have to do then.. maybe pay attention to the Reds.. who are so horrible now that Marty is getting a pass on doing his job to promote the game, mostly because he's too busy promoting Marty's opinions on the game instead.

[RollyInRaleigh]

I've been listening to Marty for 20 years, and I see no difference now than I did when I first started listening to him. He has always been critical of the players, coaches, managers, fans, etc. and that is part of the reason that I like him so much. He has also always talked about things like BBQ, tomatoes, golf, etc. during those 20 years.

Yep.

[RollyInRaleigh]

Maybe they don't criticize him because they realize how lucky we are. You guys are the minority and I'm sure you are fine with that. I'm going to be 80 years old and look back and tell everyone how lucky I was to have Marty and Joe announcing games. He's a huge part of your spring and summer and nothing anyone will say will ever take that away from me.
And as long as people keep making threads every day mouthing Marty I'm gonna give my opinions on it. If people wanna mouth me for that again they can, I won't stop.

[RollyInRaleigh]

Originally posted by westofyou:

I for one have spent a good portion of my life living in diffrent areas, listening to way more baseball on the radio then most. Marty is good, but you're mistaken to think he's not matched around the country, because I can name 10 guys from the last 20 years who are better or just as good.

I've listened to quite a few, having lived in quite a few different area's, and I sure can't think of many, although again, this is a very subjective debate. One man's pleasure is another man's pain. To say that someone is mistaken in what he likes and dislikes is a little presumptuous, don't you think?

[westofyou]

To say that someone is mistaken in what he likes and dislikes is a little presumptuous, don't you think?

Perhaps, but the other side of the coin is that I'm whack for suggesting that somethings changed in the Marty Era, because that is simply not true, everything changes, everyone changes too and no one can change that.

The Marty I don't care for is the one who ignores the game, to me the game is the meat. Everything else is gravy. I like the stories about Robin Roberts from Ralph Kiner, the stories about the Polo Grounds from Hank Greenwald, Alvin Davis stories from Dave Niehouse, chuckles from Ueker about playing in the NL in the 60's, Stories by Vin about being the only team besides the Giants on the coast in 58. Or I like comments about stats, situations, stratagy.

I just don't hear that much when I listen to the Reds on the radio.

[Casey_21]

How would you guys like to commentate losing game after losing game, and being part of an organization that hasn't been in the playoffs in a decade?

I know I would be around where Marty is, in fact I'm surprised at how well he takes most things. He's a great commentator IMO.

Also, anyone saying he's racist is the type of person that looks for racism in everything, when really they should be looking at themselves. He's harder on Kearns than anyone.

Umm... Can I get an Amen of EVERYTHING you just said, my man??

[OnBaseMachine]

Perhaps, but the other side of the coin is that I'm whack for suggesting that somethings changed in the Marty Era, because that is simply not true, everything changes, everyone changes too and no one can change that.

The Marty I don't care for is the one who ignores the game, to me the game is the meat. Everything else is gravy. I like the stories about Robin Roberts from Ralph Kiner, the stories about the Polo Grounds from Hank Greenwald, Alvin Davis stories from Dave Niehouse, chuckles from Ueker about playing in the NL in the 60's, Stories by Vin about being the only team besides the Giants on the coast in 58. Or I like comments about stats, situations, stratagy.

I just don't hear that much when I listen to the Reds on the radio.

Exactly. Instead, all we hear is how Marty's golf game is going(pretty bad IIRC), what he had for dinner, how bad Dunn, Pena and Encarnacion suck and why Sean Casey is the greatest baseball player in major league history. I have quit listening to Marty for that reason.

[TeamBoone]

People actually listen to baseball games for the overall entertainment of it.

Exactly! And therein lies my beef... I'm not being entertained by the game.

[TeamBoone]

Really, is it too much to ask to just have the game described as it's happening? Is that really too much to ask? That's all I want. Do whatever inbetween pitches.

[Matt700wlw]

Exactly! And therein lies my beef... I'm not being entertained by the game.

That's not Marty's fault, he's not on the field

[TeamBoone]

Everybody! I want to give kudos when due.... Marty has been WONDERFUL tonight! Not a lot of meaningless chitchat (except the interview with John Fay, but that's ok... a half inning I can take). No dwelling on the trivia question, which was actually about baseball.

I'm so happy!

[WVRedsFan]

I've chimed on these threads a hundred times, but I've learned a lot this year since XM is carrying all the games and we have to listen (sometimes) to the home team's announcers. Here's what I think (and this is from a card-carrying Marty fan).

You have the top of the heap which includes Vin Scully and Vin Scully. I listened to him tonight and no one even compares.

Then you have the better of the rest of them. Marty ranks at the top of those. Give a listen to Milo Hamilton or Joe Buck. Horrid. Check out the Yankees. That guy is entertaining, but just so over the top it's not funny. The Pirate guys give me heartburn and then there's Uecker. Yeah, he's great, but with the same tendencies that some hate--he talks a lot about non-baseball stuff. Thom Brenneman is good, but he's out west, but a chip off the old block. The rest are simply boring.

Marty not only give the play-by-play (sometimes), but also entertains (a much needed aspect with a club so boring at times that I find it hard to concentrate). The voice is superior and you just wonder what's going to happen next. A key element in good radio. No, he sometimes doesn't give th meat as someone said, but with our pitching staff only so many ways can you say the performance sucked. Yet, when something good happens, Marty's always there. Sure, he's hard on some players and that ruffles feathers, especially if he's your favorite. God forbid we talk nasty about the chosen few who have led this club to great heights. When this team is actually winning more than losing then you have an argument. Until then, his tirades ring true, if not accurate from a statistical perspective.

The other night, Marty was discussing Eric Milton and how it was "scary" to think he would be here two more years. Something we have all said here. The next morning on XM--the morning show--Buck and Larry were quoting Marty and saying the same things. It developed into a discussion by the two former managers on what GM's would try to control their lineups. A very good discussion. Marty is on top of things like that and you can bet your behind that most announcers wouldn't go there at all. But Marty did and it added to the broadcast.

When a player or players like Luke Hudson and Eric Milton stink up the place, Marty's like your buddy in the stands discussing the how bad they are. Fade to most announcers and they are all smiles and talking about how the pitcher "had a rough night." Marty realizes that they didn't have a rough night. Like the fans, he's upset and outside of RedsZone most folks are solidly in Marty's corner.

I rue the day when he retires and we are stuck with boring, almost asleep PBP from this new generation of broadcasters who can tell you what size of underwear a player wears but cannot scream in agony when a play is totally screwed up by ineptness (or shout in ecstacy when things go right).

Having said all of that, I miss Joe Garigiola and Joe Nuxhall and guys who played the game, too. And like someone else said, it's all a matter of taste anyway. Some even like Goerge and The Creeper. And I'll never understand that in the few years I've got left.

[Ron Madden]

Everybody! I want to give kudos when due.... Marty has been WONDERFUL tonight! Not a lot of meaningless chitchat (except the interview with John Fay, but that's ok... a half inning I can take). No dwelling on the trivia question, which was actually about baseball.

I'm so happy!

Me too TB,

We can only hope it last for more than one game.