Again, regardless of your feelings on Adam Dunn or Marty Brennaman (both of whom I like -- no, really), if you take a step back and look at this objectively, it continues to be kind of absurd. I honestly have never ever seen a baseball announcer take on such a vocal, prolific and unabashed hatred of one particular player on his own team, or any team. Marty calls a great game and I love to listen to him for the most part. But this just makes his integrity plummet in my opinion. I would feel the same way if Eric Milton was the subject of his diatribes. Even far beyond the fact that his logic is questionable at best, it's just unprofessional.
There is no such thing as a pitching prospect.
Difference is, I'm just an idiot typing into a web browser. When you're the voice of a ballclub, you have a responsibility to behave in a professional manner behind the microphone. Further, as an employee of the franchise, you have a duty to, at the very least, avoid outright attacks on players (who are not only your co-workers, but also the product you are hired to help promote interest in).
Read the way Wayne Krivsky speaks about players on the roster -- even ones he probably wishes he could be rid of -- and compare that to the way Brennaman speaks. One of those two individuals is displaying professionalism, the other is not.
Cincinnati Reds: Farm System Champions 2022
I'm seriously pulling for Adam to moonwalk to LF on opening day...or perhaps lead the team in doing the "hustle" during 70's night.
Nothing to see here. Please disperse.
Originally Posted by vaticanplum
From David Halberstam's book October 1964
It was not always easy for Ken Boyer playing in St. Louis. The other Cardinal players believed that Harry Carey, the immensely popular local announcer, rode Boyer unfairly. For much of his career, Boyer was booed at home, and the source of that booing, the other Cardinal players were sure, was Carey. There was an edge there and Boyer's teammates and his brother Clete believed it came from a moment when Carey was broadcasting a game on the road at the Los Angeles Coliseum and was doing it from field level. He wanted to experiment by doing an interview with Boyer during the game. Boyer had said no, not during the game, perhaps when the game was over. They had apparantly exchanged harsh words, and the Cardinal players believed that Carey had been hard on Boyer ever since. In fact, one of Bob Uecker's best early imitations was of Harry Carey sticking it to Ken Boyer: "Well, here's the Captain, Ken Boyer. Boyer haaaaaaaaasn't had an RBI in his last fifty-two games.... I don't understand why they continue to boo him here at Busch Stadium.... Striiiiiiiike one, he doesn't eeeeeven take the bat off his shoulder... here's striiiiiiike two... and strike three.... He nevvvvvver even took the bat offfff his shoulder. I don't know why they're booing him." None of this ever seemed to bother Boyer. It was as if, as far as he was concerned, the booing and the needling from Carey went with the paycheck.
He's a baseball announcer that has a big ego. Whoopdy doo.
Marty Brenneman says dumb things about Adam Dunn, but I'm guaranteeing that anyone that agrees with him would have before he said it. There is a large mass of fans that still care a ton about K's and the like. What does that mean then? The guy doesn't hurt the fan base and people should just ignore it, IMO.
You shouldn't place him on the pedestal of the GM that makes decisions on a players future and his contract. That's not even close to comparable.
Sorry for edits.
Last edited by Cedric; 02-18-2007 at 09:54 PM.
This is the time. The real Reds organization is back.
All models are wrong. Some of them are useful.
Ever heard of: "One hand washes the other?"
Or, in Marty's case, "One hand repeatedly tries to bash the other hand with a hammer?"
Marty comes off sounding like an idiot and one of the Reds' most prominent figureheads routinely bashing his team's best player can't be anything other than bad for business. It does not help the value or "Q" of the Cincinnati Reds franchise.
I'm curious about something. Would these guys by chance be the ones doing the morning show on WLW on the last Sunday of the season in 1998 (the McGwire/Sosa year)? The reason I'm asking is that I was driving through Cincy from visiting my father in Terre Haute, and I heard some of the most offensive, untrue things said that morning I have ever heard on the radio. I can't remember the details, but it had to do with people who had come in from Marshall for the Miami football game the previous year (I think), and included several stereotypical hillbilly descriptions I have never seen in reality (rope belts, overalls, barefoot--there was much more, but I dont' recall). The "personalities" swore what they were saying was true, and berated and hung up on people who called and tried to contradict them.
It's not that they were simply making fun of us, it's that they were lying--insisting that this was the truth, that they were serious.
I have always blamed the 2 angry guys, but haven't been sure it was them.
Sorry to go off topic.
The WLW sports talk guys still pull that garbage. Listen to them after the Browns play the Bengals and all they can talk about is how people from Cleveland are fat ugly morons and all the Cleveland women are pigs. Of course WTAM in Cleveland, also owned by Clear Channel, has sports talk guys who talk the same way about Cincinnati people and Cincinnati women in particular. Living in one place and having plenty of family in the other, I take exception to both characterizations. If you want to talk about the way people act, if they're acting like jerks, fine. But don't rip on people based on the way you think they look. That's uncalled for and it's untrue.
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
Perhaps Marty was spoiled by the Big Red Machine. That was a team of professionals when they stepped on the field. A lot of people may feel that running to the outfield doesnt matter one bit, but Allen Iverson also thinks practice doesnt matter. How many rings does he have? How many times has Dunn been to the playoffs?
Baseball is such a mental game that such a simple thing as hustle can spread an attitude of professionalism. Look at past world series winners they were led by hard nosed 'gamers'. Braves had Maddux,Glavine, etc. Yankees with Jeter. Schilling with the Bosox and the Dbacks. Guys who take intensity to the ballpark every single day - or at least present that arua to opponents, fans, and teammates.
Dunn could have been a leader of this team for the past five years but hes never took the role despite his charisma and super offensive stats. Younger players cant respect a guy who presents that dont care attitude. It wouldnt kill him to run to leftfield and if he needs to save energy by not running 80 yards then he needs a serious offseason conditioning program.
Marty has been critical of several players over the years. This just bothers people so much because they think Dunn is above reproach. Its magnified when you hear it about Dunn. I remember hearing John Ward (former UT Vols announcer) criticize Peyton Manning many many times for his leadership abilities his first couple years and those teams were like 10-1 or 9-2 . Thats part of an announcers job, to report what he sees on a daily basis.
Ill agree running to the outfield does not alter Dunn's stats one bit, but it does help set a team tone. The talent levels in pro sports are so close that often its about who wants to take it, who wants to win more. Im not saying Dunn doesnt want to win, but he could present a more positive image for the younger players and the organization alike.
If you are important enough to the team that someone is actually criticizing your hustle, then your hustle really does matter to the team.
Someone should find Dave Miley and ask him where he put Dunn's chair. Get that chair back and throw some wheels on it. I'd want to see the grounds crew wheel Dunn out to left field in his chair during the 7th inning stretch while everyone else sings Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
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