Tough to listen to

[olehippi]

People should stop complaining about the lousy announcing and do what I do. Grab a beer, a bowl of popcorn, turn down the sound and just watch the game like you would at Camden Yards. If you understand the game of baseball....and everyone here should....you don't need the mindless, endless, and meaningless statistical babble. Anything really important comes up on screen as a graphic. And if you miss the crowd noise, make your own. Go here: http://www.ebreggae.com/Reggae/CD/85681/Crowd-Noise-Crowd-Noise.html

[Bundy]

I really can't stand Thorne. It was a pleasure to have Hunter on last night. I prefer Hunter and Palmer.

[fyodorovitch]

I remember a couple years ago that there must have been some kind of glitch on MASN, because through the first inning and a half there was no commentary, just the sounds of the crowd and the game. I actually really enjoyed it, and I would probably watch it without any commentary if I could.

That said, I do prefer Thorne and Palmer by a long shot. I like Tom Davis but can't stand Hunter and Dempsey. Bordick is just so-so; he speaks so low and monotone I barely even notice that he's on.

[The Wedge]

I really can't stand Thorne. It was a pleasure to have Hunter on last night. I prefer Hunter and Palmer.

Those two are much better now that Palmer works with Thorne. Back when it was Hunter/Palmer as the A broadcasting team, Palmers contempt for Hunter was starting to get really really uncomfortably noticeable.

[Brendan25]

God bless dempsey, but i couldnt listen to him again.

[sangar]

That depends on how you define "excited."

[Spy Fox]

I don't like listening to Hunter, but he does some things well. He's usually articulate, and describes the game well for the most part-- but when watching TV, I don't need someone to describe the game. Hunter rarely adds anything to my understanding to the game, and when he does try to bring in outside information to the broadcast he usually exaggerates it so much that you just get the sense he's trying too hard. When I listen to Hunter and Dempsey together, it just feels like I'm sitting in front of two talkative fans at the game who are trying to one-up each other with overemphasized observations about things I can already see clearly about the game.

I like Thorne a lot, although he does share some habits with Hunter that are minor annoyances. His chemistry with Palmer is great. For me, the main thing that puts Thorne and Palmer a step above is that they offer entertainment value to the watching experience that isn't directly related to the game itself. I can see the game and my baseball knowledge is generally high enough that a game description and run of the mill analysis doesn't mean much to me. (Bordick is getting better but he needs to get away from cliche type descriptions that add nothing-- for example, he resorts to the phrase "up and out over the plate" to describe every bad pitch even when it doesn't apply.) Palmer's anecdotes about different players, umpire rants, and other talks that don't just describe the game in front of my eyes are what I think makes him a great color man.

Some are clearly better than others but I do respect all the commentators because being a broadcaster is MUCH more difficult than most people realize. I'd guess especially so for baseball where you're expected to fill more downtime.

[weams]

Carpenter tries to hard. His broadcasts almost seem rehearsed. As far as Jim Hunter goes, he does a much better job on the radio where he has to stick to the task at hand, describing the game and giving stats . It's when he's on TV and he has to fill time is where he starts to lose me.

Plus the made for TV body manipulation. Makes him hard for me to watch sometimes. You know, like an infomercial guy.

[The Wedge]

Relieved was probably more apt. But I know what you mean.

[OriolesMagic83]

Fred Manfra tonight:

"Way back, way back, way back, and it bounces on the warning track" I'm listening on the radio and assumed it was at least 20 rows deep in the stands.

[weams]

Those two are much better now that Palmer works with Thorne. Back when it was Hunter/Palmer as the A broadcasting team, Palmers contempt for Hunter was starting to get really really uncomfortably noticeable.

It really was. Hunter definitely recruited Bordick.