McCarver headed to Cooperstown

[ScottP]

Selected for the Ford Frick Award for "excellence in Major League Baseball broadcasting":

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

I must have missed something since my instinctive reaction is to hit the "mute" button when Gabby comes on the tube. Hope it's not too hot on Induction Day; if he holds to form, those folks are in for a lengthy acceptance speech.

[Camden_yardbird]

I hope it is for a trip with the family and not induction. With Santo being inducted post-humously I guess they need someone who could fill to speech slots.

[JamesI]

McCarver? Ugh. One of the worst baseball announcers.

[Frobby]

I think in general, the idea that there are enough "great" broadcasters to add one per year to the Hall of Fame is absurd. Think about it -- there are about 200 new players entering MLB each season, and maybe 2-3 of those will make the Hall of Fame one day. It's a 100-1 shot. For that same ratio to apply to broadcasters, there would have to be 65 to 100 new broadcasters entering the market every year (2+ for every team in MLB). But in reality, the turnover rate in the broadcast booth is way lower than that.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I wish McCarver would retire, because he has declined into a very poor broadcaster. However, that's like saying that I wish Miguel Tejada would retire because he has declined into a very poor baseball player. It doesn't mean that Tejada (and McCarver) weren't great at what they do for a while, even if it is in the past.

I have no problem with McCarver going in the Hall.

[srock]

Is Joe Angel in this Hall of Fame? Because the absurdity of McCarver (who isn't even tolerable) taking his place riles me right up.

[TonySoprano]

It promises to be one of the longest, rambling induction speeches in history. With a tear in his eye, he'll recall the honor it was to squat behind hall-of-famer Mickey Mantle.

[JamesI]

I'll retract my disappointment at his induction if Deion Sanders gets to introduce him to Cooperstown. Heck, I'll drive to Cooperstown to see that.

[TonySoprano]

I'll retract my disappointment at his induction if Deion Sanders gets to introduce him to Cooperstown. Heck, I'll drive to Cooperstown to see that.

a defining moment

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kO9jo8XkOfA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[tennOsfan]

I may throw up. McCarver is almost unlistenable.

[scOtt]

If ya can't say anything nice.....

[weams]

If ya can't say anything nice.....

http://www.mveducation.com/assets/products/36974_l.jpg

[ShaneDawg85]

Longevity is a valued commodity in baseball broadcasting. He's done it for a long time, on a large and far-reaching scale, and that's why he's being inducted. I don't claim to know what McCarver was like when he first started out, but most of my experience listening to him has been indifferent at best, and intolerable at worst. Were there more deserving people? Most likely. But, he has a platform and he has experience, and apparently that's a valuable thing to the voters.

[scOtt]

http://www.mveducation.com/assets/products/36974_l.jpg

When I bought my Strat I played a Flying V at the store. Didn't have a whammy bar tho.

[stef]

With a tear in his eye, he'll recall the honor it was to squat behind hall-of-famer Mickey Mantle.

Did you have to bring that up again? I had finally gotten rid of that horrible image from my brain.