PostSeason on the Airwaves

For the past couple of months I have gone without cable television. I guess that puts me in Gilligan's Island territory since most people in the free world have cable television, or so it seems. But as a baseball enthusiast I really need to get a feel for what is taking place by the very descriptive styles of some of baseball's best play-by-play announcers.

Doing the Yankees/Indians series is Jon Miller and Dusty Baker.
There's a rapport here that really has a good feel to it and makes listening all the more enjoyable.

Buck Martinez, an excellent color-commentator, has a real knack for calling something ahead of time and usually his insight is a bullseye. He's doing the Cubs/Diamondbacks games.

There hasn't been a broadcast of the Phillies/Rockies games that has aired on ESPN radio, at least for this neck of the woods so I don't know who was selected for that series.

And the Red Sox/Angels I cannot recall who the play-by-play guys are but they are both very good at letting you know what will happen before it occurs. I suppose, if you do not know the names of the people behind the voices and yet you listen still says a lot about the broadcasters.
Oh, I just remembered, Dave Campbell is the color commentator. The guy they call "Soup" has a flair for broadcasting and as with all of these voices on the airwaves is very good at what he does.

Good broadcasting cannot be beaten by HD television because it allows you to use your imagination. And while the listener doesn't need a whole lot of information to paint the picture the timely elements of suggestions brought on by guys who have done more than play the game, they studied the game. Knowledgeable broadcasters help the listeners adjust their way of hearing what might be expected by offering key points of insight. The listener may or may not have even thought of the scenario but after the listener thinks about who it is trying to execute such plays it makes perfect sense. The more you get well-thought-out reasons for why players are doing what they are doing you begin to think along those lines and it makes the game even more enjoyable.

The thing about baseball is that it never gets old learning new ways to make things happen. It helps you with your own efforts when it's your turn to play.

Baseball, ya gotta love it!

Kevin Marquez