Thoughts on Kevin Young, other Bucs announcers?

[Bobster21]

3F697F6B647E6E65687F4D6A606C6461236E0D0 wrote: Just wondering what others thought of Kevin Young in the booth for the Rockies series. I thought he was good except that his voice is very soft and monotone. Maybe he can work on that. I recall Ken Singleton beginning his broadcast career with the Orioles and he was unpopular because his monotone voice could put you to sleep. But he improved, went to the Yankees and became a very good broadcaster.



My main complaint with Young in the booth was the way Greg Brown acted with him. Brown constantly addressed him as "KY" when there was no need to address him by name. And Brown was also constantly praising Young for his playing career. I wanted to hear more from Young and less about him. And Brown's obsession with nicknames is annoying. I guess that's why we were treated to all those "KYs" and maybe that's why Mike McKenry felt he should preface nearly every sentence in the booth during his series by saying "Brownie." Last week Brown suggested to Bob Walk that they give a nickname to the area in short LF were Frazier is dropping a lot of hits. Walk didn't seem too enthused and Brown told him, "Everything needs a nickname."



At least with Brown and Young they focused on the game (when Brown wasn't focusing on Young) without all the attempts at comedy we get from the Brown/Walk pairing. Wehner generally avoids the comedy too. And I've liked Matt Capps too. But nicknames, catch phrases and comedy aside, I think Brown does a good job describing the PBP. I won't even listen to Block anymore.   


I haven't heard Young yet because he was in the booth with Block when I turned on the game.  I refuse to listen to Block.



As for the others, I love listening to Greg Brown.  I think he's genuine and authentic, and I like how he calls the games as a Pirates fan.  I really like Walk and Wehner, and I think Matt Capps has been good in his short time broadcasting.  I don't care for McHenry.


Young and Brown did the whole Rockies series on TV.


We're not big TV watchers so we have the most basic of cable packages, which doesn't include the ATT Sports channel.  Frankly, I prefer listening to baseball on the radio than watching on television, anyway. 



Has Young done games on the radio prior to the Rockies series?  I'm pretty sure I heard him talking before I knew Block was doing the PBP, and then I quickly turned the game off.


I won't listen to Block so if Young paired with him on radio I missed it. When Block does TV I overlay Brown on radio and I hadn't heard a previous Brown/Young pairing.

[2drfischer@gmail.c]

466B66777061763635040 wrote: Just wondering what others thought of Kevin Young in the booth for the Rockies series. I thought he was good except that his voice is very soft and monotone. Maybe he can work on that. I recall Ken Singleton beginning his broadcast career with the Orioles and he was unpopular because his monotone voice could put you to sleep. But he improved, went to the Yankees and became a very good broadcaster.



My main complaint with Young in the booth was the way Greg Brown acted with him. Brown constantly addressed him as "KY" when there was no need to address him by name. And Brown was also constantly praising Young for his playing career. I wanted to hear more from Young and less about him. And Brown's obsession with nicknames is annoying. I guess that's why we were treated to all those "KYs" and maybe that's why Mike McKenry felt he should preface nearly every sentence in the booth during his series by saying "Brownie." Last week Brown suggested to Bob Walk that they give a nickname to the area in short LF were Frazier is dropping a lot of hits. Walk didn't seem too enthused and Brown told him, "Everything needs a nickname."



At least with Brown and Young they focused on the game (when Brown wasn't focusing on Young) without all the attempts at comedy we get from the Brown/Walk pairing. Wehner generally avoids the comedy too. And I've liked Matt Capps too. But nicknames, catch phrases and comedy aside, I think Brown does a good job describing the PBP. I won't even listen to Block anymore.   


I haven't heard Young yet because he was in the booth with Block when I turned on the game.  I refuse to listen to Block.



As for the others, I love listening to Greg Brown.  I think he's genuine and authentic, and I like how he calls the games as a Pirates fan.  I really like Walk and Wehner, and I think Matt Capps has been good in his short time broadcasting.  I don't care for McHenry.


Young and Brown did the whole Rockies series on TV.


We're not big TV watchers so we have the most basic of cable packages, which doesn't include the ATT Sports channel.  Frankly, I prefer listening to baseball on the radio than watching on television, anyway. 



Has Young done games on the radio prior to the Rockies series?  I'm pretty sure I heard him talking before I knew Block was doing the PBP, and then I quickly turned the game off.


I won't listen to Block so if Young paired with him on radio I missed it. When Block does TV I overlay Brown on radio and I hadn't heard a previous Brown/Young pairing. 


Thanks. I think I heard Young, and it had to be on the radio. But I only heard him for a few seconds before Block started talking. I changed the channel faster than my wife saying, "No".

[rucker59@gmail.com]

I've never understood the Pirates broadcast teamS (emphasis on the plural). Why don't they have a radio team and a TV team life the Steelers and Pens and probably every other professional team? Maybe Block would be better if he was on radio only (unfortunately, I'm thinking Radio Siberia).



Rating individuals:

Excellent:

Brownie (not perfect, but he is a great voice for the Pirates)

Walk

Good:

Rock

Young (potential to be a star)

Mad Capper (with potential to be a star)

Poor but with Potential:

Fort (he is greatly impacted by who he is paired with. If he's with Joe its doomsday for Michael)

Poor with Little Potential:

None

Whole Nother Category:

Joe Block (sorry Joe).



Additional Awards

The Robbie Icantspellhisname Award (you know why)

Robbie Icantspellhisname

Very Good in the Studio but His Haircut Needs Work Award:

Rob King

The Mister Enthusiasm Second Only To Greg Brown Award:

Joe I Can't Think Of His Last Name (between innings guy)

The They Must Work For Cheap Award:

A five way tie: Cheese Chester, Onion Oliver, etc.... (No way Nutting pays these guys even .01 Cent.

The We Hardly Knew You Award:

Potato Pete and the two other perogies cut to save payroll

The Ben, What Were You Thinking Award?:

Ben Cherrington

[Bobster21]

I would add the "I Don't Understand Baseball But If I Ask Questions Enthusiastically Enough Maybe No One Will Notice Award": Robbie Icantspellhisname



He recurring questions are:

"What does it mean to [insert accomplishment]?"

"What is the reason that [player or team] is able to [insert accomplishment]?



The poor players in the post game interviews look like they are being punished by being subjected to his questions. There is no magic elixir they can cite to explain why there is success one day but not on another so they give the generic "just working hard, everyone pulling together" line. Last week Robbie got frustrated with that response and pushed harder, "Yes, but what is the reason?" Alas, the poor player could not provide the magic formula Robbie so desperately seeks.

[Bobster21]

I saw Capp's first game in the booth during the preseason when he was paired with Block. I subjected myself to Block in order to hear Capp and was pleasantly surprised. Capp had a lot of good points to make and made them so frequently that Block seemed unusually subdued. Normally Block meanders through the broadcast discussing anything and everything and his partner can't do much more than respond to Block's points. But that day Capp filled so much air time with his own thoughts that Block was more focused on the PBP and avoided his stream of consciousness style of covering a game.

[bucs607179]

We're not big TV watchers so we have the most basic of cable packages, which doesn't include the ATT Sports channel. Frankly, I prefer listening to baseball on the radio than watching on television, anyway.



One of my greatest childhood memories was laying in bed with my transistor radio listening to Bob Prince. Hands down my favorite Pittsburgh sports announcer. Myron Cope comes in second.

[2drfischer@gmail.c]

5E495F4F0A0C0B0D0B053C0 wrote:

We're not big TV watchers so we have the most basic of cable packages, which doesn't include the ATT Sports channel.  Frankly, I prefer listening to baseball on the radio than watching on television, anyway.



[highlight]One of my greatest childhood memories was laying in bed with my transistor radio listening to Bob Prince.[/highlight] Hands down my favorite Pittsburgh sports announcer. Myron Cope comes in second.


Especially the west coast games in the summer. Pittsburgh kids used up a lot of batteries back then.

[mouse]

I remember those days as well - Bob Prince and Jim Woods. I would usually fall asleep though well before the game was over.

[SteadyFreddy]

I thought Young was okay he didn’t bother me too much. He is kind of quiet when he makes his points but I’ll take that over listening to McKenry and his annoying voice thinking he has to fill every second of air time making a point or as many of us have stated Joe Block rambling on about stuff that’s completely irrelevant to the game. Young could definitely polish up his skills some but overall he was okay and didn’t try to do too much like McKenry who constantly thinks he has to fill up every second of air time.

[WiffleballHero]

I have been holding out hope that the Pirates would eventually come to their senses and tell Joe Blech to get on with his life's work. Or that Blech would return to Milwaukee to bore his favorite team's fans again (if they'd have him back). But after the calliopes crack, I'm discouraged that Blech has cemented a bond with the Pirates -- sort of like the gunk that builds up under the refrigerator.



Is Blech supposed to appeal to younger fans? (And do the Pirates have any younger fans to appeal to...?) I realize the median age on this board is probably around 114, but I remember back when I was in my 20s during the early days of the Great Depression and there's no way I would have appreciated the wit and wisdom from ol' Joe. And his. Halting. ...Delivery... ...is just. Excruciating to. Listen. To. He makes William Shatner's choppy cadence sound like James Earl Jones by comparison. I'd rather listen to Myron Cope do play-by-play -- and he's been dead for 13 years.



Bleeechhh.