I'm a Yankee fan in my 60's and my friends and I think about Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer and Bill White more than John Sterling. Since the VCR was available before John Sterling came to town, I've barely heard him, except for the silly home run calls and the like.
Back in the day, the TV announcers rotated through the radio side as well, so those guys were truly part of the soundtrack of my life. And everything you said about hometown announcers applies to them, especially the ludicrous and wonderful Phil Rizzuto.
Great article, and I love many of these announcers. I’m so glad he did not mention Denny Matthews, the Kansas City Royals radio guy for decades now. He may be “ours,”but he is absolutely the most monotone and morose broadcaster of all time. I don’t know how one could find a pulse on him. Be joyful! Even be angry! Just be… Something! Please!
yes, i lit my grill at 650, when joe castig was starting his manager interview. the sound of summer, corny as that sounds. he did a nice eulogy to sterling yesterday. when i was a kid, my dad gave me a transistor radio. i could get chuck thompson maybe 3 out of 4 nights. my dad would check my homework before he handed it over, then turn it off when i was asleep in the 5th. the lords of baseball, certainly not manfred, get none of these things.
One of my favorite Sterling moments was when he screwed up a home run call.. for a second he thought it was hit by Alex Rodriguez, but it was actually Hideki Matsui. So ,when he shouted it out, he said "IT'S an A-BOMB! For .....(got really quiet) Matsui....." His horror upon realizing how accidentally racist it sounded to scream "A-Bomb" after a Japanese player hit a home run was utterly delightful. And we understood! You can't get bombastic without making a few mistakes here and there, but that one always really tickled me.
I'll echo Joe, Sterling was never for me, but it's because I wasn't a Yankee. Sterling, was, through and through, a Yankee, and I feel like he'd agree that being a Yankee is the greatest compliment he could be given.
It's probably because he's so well-know for other sports, but we forget about Bill King as a baseball play-by-play guy. Incredibly distinctive, a unique and fascinating individual, King is the voice to which I came of age as a baseball fan listening to A's games (and I got to have the connection my parents did with King as he called Raiders and Warriors games).
A low-key John Sterling moment I’ll never forget: In Game 4 of the Astros’ sweep of the Yankees in the 2022 ALCS, Harrison Bader hit a homer that briefly put the Yanks ahead. As he was rounding the bases, Sterling launched into an impromptu song of “Oh, we’re just wild about Harry…” I still think about that whenever I see Bader play. I can’t stand playing against that guy, but Sterling’s singing always pops into my brain when I see him.
And that is my definition of “Great Broadcasting.” It’s the unforgettable small moments rather than the catchphrases.
yet, all anyone knows about him is the schtick. he was a great baseball guy, a fine announcer in the calm moments. but all anyone will remember are the stupid HR calls.
I grew up with Hall of Fame broadcaster (Those in the broadcaster wing ARE Hall of Famers. I said what I said.) Gene Elston, and I still use the scorebook he designed and personally sold. I bought it by sending him a check and self-addressed stamped Manila envelope. That’s how long ago this was. I have to copy and bind my own book of blank pages from his book these days as Elston passed some time ago.
I interviewed Elston for my Masters thesis work at the University of Houston in 1991. That and my interview with Henry Aaron in 1992 are among the biggest highlights of my life (generally behind my wedding and the birth of my kids. Generally.). He was quite simply fantastic. Understated. A wealth of knowledge. And the epitome of what the Frick Award should be.
Why does it seem Joe never mentions Uecker? Oversight I’m sure…
What I miss is the ever-increasing number of generic voices. What Sterling had, love him or hate him, love the yankees or hope they are somehow eliminated from baseball (could happen!), was a purely unique voice. You stumbled on a broadcast and you KNEW who you were hearing. I actually like Waldman for the same reason, she has a unique voice. Scully, Uecker, Harwell, or in my youth Castiglione on baseball, Heihnson and Most for basketball, you knew what game you were hearing before a proper noun was uttered.
I assume it’s corporatization. Unique voices audiences are attached to are harder to replace than generic voices that sound like any other broadcast.
"because Rivera was pretty darned invincible already".
That's how he's remembered. But there were three years (1997, 2001 and 2004) where the Yankees lost a postseason series, after Rivera blew a save in a game that would have won the series for New York.
He had the greatest career ever, but even that's no reason to Jeterate him.
Those 3 stand out because he was otherwise so utterly dominant in the postseason. Numbers that read like typos: 0.70 ERA, 8-1 record, and 42 saves over 96 appearances (141 innings). Only two home runs!
well, he did say this about him before- so I think its a genuine oversight:
But, even better, I like what he said that day. You think of all he did in his life. He was a regular guest on Carson’s “Tonight Show.” He hosted “Saturday Night Live.” He was a star of his own television sitcom. He was two of the greatest announcers in baseball history, first as himself, Bob Uecker, second as Harry Doyle, who called Cleveland games in “Major League.” Juuuuust a bit outside! He’s in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the National Radio Hall of Fame, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, and even the WWE Hall of Fame.
He was Mr. Baseball, king of the game, the guy who always got seats in the front row. And he was, yes, as beloved as anyone who ever stepped onto a baseball field.
Oh, I love podcasts. For long drives or even anything more than 20-30 minutes, or gym workouts, they're great. But a 10-15 minute trip, I just flip on the radio. Speaking of old tech, I still listen to CDs and even records. More than one of my friends who got rid of their recorded music collections have told me they regret it.
That makes sense. And I'm with you on CDs and records. I don't much listen to them anymore, but at this very moment I'm surrounded by them. No way I'm giving them.
Phillies announcers Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn and before that By Saam were amazing.
I'm a Yankee fan in my 60's and my friends and I think about Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer and Bill White more than John Sterling. Since the VCR was available before John Sterling came to town, I've barely heard him, except for the silly home run calls and the like.
Back in the day, the TV announcers rotated through the radio side as well, so those guys were truly part of the soundtrack of my life. And everything you said about hometown announcers applies to them, especially the ludicrous and wonderful Phil Rizzuto.
You nailed it once again Joe!
Great article, and I love many of these announcers. I’m so glad he did not mention Denny Matthews, the Kansas City Royals radio guy for decades now. He may be “ours,”but he is absolutely the most monotone and morose broadcaster of all time. I don’t know how one could find a pulse on him. Be joyful! Even be angry! Just be… Something! Please!
yes, i lit my grill at 650, when joe castig was starting his manager interview. the sound of summer, corny as that sounds. he did a nice eulogy to sterling yesterday. when i was a kid, my dad gave me a transistor radio. i could get chuck thompson maybe 3 out of 4 nights. my dad would check my homework before he handed it over, then turn it off when i was asleep in the 5th. the lords of baseball, certainly not manfred, get none of these things.
Milo Hamilton, Dave Niehaus, Vin Scully and Hawk Harrelson have been the announcers of my various hometowns. I've been ridiculously fortunate.
One of my favorite Sterling moments was when he screwed up a home run call.. for a second he thought it was hit by Alex Rodriguez, but it was actually Hideki Matsui. So ,when he shouted it out, he said "IT'S an A-BOMB! For .....(got really quiet) Matsui....." His horror upon realizing how accidentally racist it sounded to scream "A-Bomb" after a Japanese player hit a home run was utterly delightful. And we understood! You can't get bombastic without making a few mistakes here and there, but that one always really tickled me.
I'll echo Joe, Sterling was never for me, but it's because I wasn't a Yankee. Sterling, was, through and through, a Yankee, and I feel like he'd agree that being a Yankee is the greatest compliment he could be given.
It's probably because he's so well-know for other sports, but we forget about Bill King as a baseball play-by-play guy. Incredibly distinctive, a unique and fascinating individual, King is the voice to which I came of age as a baseball fan listening to A's games (and I got to have the connection my parents did with King as he called Raiders and Warriors games).
A low-key John Sterling moment I’ll never forget: In Game 4 of the Astros’ sweep of the Yankees in the 2022 ALCS, Harrison Bader hit a homer that briefly put the Yanks ahead. As he was rounding the bases, Sterling launched into an impromptu song of “Oh, we’re just wild about Harry…” I still think about that whenever I see Bader play. I can’t stand playing against that guy, but Sterling’s singing always pops into my brain when I see him.
And that is my definition of “Great Broadcasting.” It’s the unforgettable small moments rather than the catchphrases.
yet, all anyone knows about him is the schtick. he was a great baseball guy, a fine announcer in the calm moments. but all anyone will remember are the stupid HR calls.
I grew up with Hall of Fame broadcaster (Those in the broadcaster wing ARE Hall of Famers. I said what I said.) Gene Elston, and I still use the scorebook he designed and personally sold. I bought it by sending him a check and self-addressed stamped Manila envelope. That’s how long ago this was. I have to copy and bind my own book of blank pages from his book these days as Elston passed some time ago.
I interviewed Elston for my Masters thesis work at the University of Houston in 1991. That and my interview with Henry Aaron in 1992 are among the biggest highlights of my life (generally behind my wedding and the birth of my kids. Generally.). He was quite simply fantastic. Understated. A wealth of knowledge. And the epitome of what the Frick Award should be.
Why does it seem Joe never mentions Uecker? Oversight I’m sure…
What I miss is the ever-increasing number of generic voices. What Sterling had, love him or hate him, love the yankees or hope they are somehow eliminated from baseball (could happen!), was a purely unique voice. You stumbled on a broadcast and you KNEW who you were hearing. I actually like Waldman for the same reason, she has a unique voice. Scully, Uecker, Harwell, or in my youth Castiglione on baseball, Heihnson and Most for basketball, you knew what game you were hearing before a proper noun was uttered.
I assume it’s corporatization. Unique voices audiences are attached to are harder to replace than generic voices that sound like any other broadcast.
"because Rivera was pretty darned invincible already".
That's how he's remembered. But there were three years (1997, 2001 and 2004) where the Yankees lost a postseason series, after Rivera blew a save in a game that would have won the series for New York.
He had the greatest career ever, but even that's no reason to Jeterate him.
Those 3 stand out because he was otherwise so utterly dominant in the postseason. Numbers that read like typos: 0.70 ERA, 8-1 record, and 42 saves over 96 appearances (141 innings). Only two home runs!
No mention of Bob Uecker?!
As I said in my comment, Joe never seems to include Ueck, which must be oversight.
well, he did say this about him before- so I think its a genuine oversight:
But, even better, I like what he said that day. You think of all he did in his life. He was a regular guest on Carson’s “Tonight Show.” He hosted “Saturday Night Live.” He was a star of his own television sitcom. He was two of the greatest announcers in baseball history, first as himself, Bob Uecker, second as Harry Doyle, who called Cleveland games in “Major League.” Juuuuust a bit outside! He’s in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the National Radio Hall of Fame, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, and even the WWE Hall of Fame.
He was Mr. Baseball, king of the game, the guy who always got seats in the front row. And he was, yes, as beloved as anyone who ever stepped onto a baseball field.
The most bone-headed move by the White Sox, letting Bennetti get away - has become a great joy for us Tigers fans.
Secondary question: How many people still listen to games on the radio? Who has a radio anymore? I had to be reminded that my car does.
I do, quite a bit. Music, NPR, ballgames. Why not?
I'd say for me the rise of podcasts. Also not having to drive more than 30 miles a week, and I don't commute.
Oh, I love podcasts. For long drives or even anything more than 20-30 minutes, or gym workouts, they're great. But a 10-15 minute trip, I just flip on the radio. Speaking of old tech, I still listen to CDs and even records. More than one of my friends who got rid of their recorded music collections have told me they regret it.
That makes sense. And I'm with you on CDs and records. I don't much listen to them anymore, but at this very moment I'm surrounded by them. No way I'm giving them.
Sterling was absolute homer in the way every over the top fan is a homer
He boosted and lauded and mythologized Yankees - especially “The Captain” - but also moaned and groaned when they played like a junior high team
He absolutely loved his job and it came through the airwaves