Spring time is here and that can only mean one thing: Orioles baseball is back! With that, it (of course) means that I can finally get back to my favorite pastime: watching/listening to O’s games. I wish I could attend more games live, but since I live in California I’m forced to enjoy most of the O’s season via TV and Radio broadcasts.
As I mentally prepare for the upcoming season, I asked myself an important question: If I could listen to any Orioles play-by-play announcer call a game, who would it be? In an attempt to answer this question, I sat down and ranked my favorite O’s play-by-play announcers of the modern era.
First, a few important disclaimers: (1) This list only includes announcers since 1980. I completely respect that Ernie Harwell was a legendary announcer; however, I have never heard him call a game so I decided to focus on more recent announcers. (2) With apologies to Jim Palmer’s ego, I only focused on play-by-play guys… I’ll save the color commentary analysts for another column another day; and (3) Opinions are purely my own – I’m simply ranking my personal favorites, and I understand that some may disagree with my announcer rankings. That said, I think O’s fans have been blessed with an incredible group of broadcasters over the years.
So without further ado, I give you my rankings:
Honorable Mention
- Jim Hunter (1998-Present): Hunter has a smooth delivery and is a perennial class-act. Having started in radio, I tend to think his style is better suited for WJFK vs. MASN.
- Mel Proctor (1984-1996): Long before the days of MASN, Proctor served as the long-time play-by-play commentator for HTS (#FlashbackFriday). Proctor did an excellent job calling games and has a great voice for announcing. He got to call some of Cal Ripken’s best games on HTS and he also got to close out games by talking over some really awesome 90s music.
- Fred Manfra (1993-Present): You know you have a great bunch of announcers to choose from when Fred Manfra is in your honorable mention. Manfra is a top-notch play-by-play commentator who is a staple of Orioles radio. A Baltimore native, Manfra is a hometown favorite and has called Orioles games since 1993. His smooth voice is always enjoyable to listen to during innings 3, 4, 6 and 7 when Joe Angel is taking a breather.
#5: Michael Reghi (1997-2004)
- Michael Reghi served as one of the shining pieces of an era that was otherwise very dark for Orioles baseball (excluding 1997). Always very animated, Reghi’s signature homerun call of “Track, Wall… See you later!” was beloved by Orioles fans. Imagine if Reghi was around for today’s Orioles lineup of home run hitters… he would have a field day!
#4: Joe Angel (1988-1990, 1992, 2004-Present)
- Joe Angel’s dynamic style tends to be polarizing among baseball fans, but I absolutely love it. Angel is exceptionally charismatic and is also funny, honest and direct. Not only that, but he calls Crush “The Big Fella” and has some of the best signature calls in the game, including: “Wave that baby bye-bye!”, “Hasta la vista pelota!”, “We’ll be back with the lovely totals” and (my personal favorite) “The Orioles are in: the Wiiiiiiin Column!”
#3: Gary Thorne (2007-Present)
- You know you’re a legend when you’re nicknamed “The Best Hockey Announcer in Baseball.” Gary Thorne is one of Birdland’s most beloved commentators. His smooth delivery and impeccable sense of humor make him a fan-favorite, and make him entirely unpredictable in terms of what will come out of his mouth next. The most recent example came during last season, when he called an Adam Jones double in a “Master’s” voice. I also love his under-handed references to drinking adult beverages, as well as his signature calls of “Goodbye! Home run!” and “Mercy!” Not only is he hilarious, but his deep baritone gives him one of the best voices in baseball.
#2: Jon Miller (1983-1996)
- Whether it’s for the Orioles or another team, there are few announcers in baseball who I’d rather listen to call a game than Hall of Famer, Jon Miller. Known for his easygoing manner and his candid approach to calling games, Miller also uses just the right amount of humor to liven up games. Also, he has an extremely smooth delivery and a world-class voice for announcing. Growing up, I was spoiled by the fact that I got to listen to Miller call Orioles games on a nightly basis – it set a very high standard for any broadcast I listened to going forward.
- Baltimore loved Jon Miller and Jon Miller loved Baltimore. By his own admission, “Going to Baltimore in 1983 not only ended up being one of the best things I ever did, but it was the best possible scenario for a new broadcaster from out of town because the team was outstanding…It was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I thought I was going to be there for a long, long time.” Unfortunately for Miller, Peter Angelos didn’t enjoy the announcer’s candor as much as fans did. At the end of the 1996 season, Angelos declined to renew Miller’s contract, citing a desire for a broadcaster who would “bleed more orange and black.” Ironically, Miller returned to San Francisco to announce for his hometown Giants, who also don orange and black. Luckily for me, I live in San Francisco so I still listen to Miller whenever I turn on the local broadcast.
#1: Chuck Thompson (1955-56, 1962-1987, 1991-2001)
- Chuck Thompson is Baltimore sports. While I never got to listen to Thompson in his “prime” (and most of Thompson’s career with the Orioles was before 1980) it’s hard to pick anyone else as the #1 announcer I’d like to hear call games for the O’s. Recognized for his resonant voice, accurate, rapid-fire delivery and his crisply descriptive style, Thompson called games for both the Orioles and the Colts as well as countless national broadcasts. Not only that, but he also had some of the most legendary catch phrases of all time, including: “Go to war, Miss Agnes!” and “Ain’t the beer cold!” For any O’s fans looking for a great way to spend an hour, I strongly recommend listening to the Chuck Thompson Greatest Hits album (released in 2014). As fellow broadcaster Jim Hunter once said, “”As far as I’m concerned, he’ll always be the voice of the Orioles. He was Mr. Oriole.”
For all you readers out there, I’m curious to get your opinion on the matter at-hand. Please check out the below poll or drop me a line at
Ra************@ya***.com
and let me know your top Orioles announcers. In the meantime, I can’t wait to listen to Gary Thorne and Joe Angel kick-off another great season of Orioles Baseball this Monday!
[cardoza_wp_poll id=”148″]
10 Responses
As a 53 year old man I grew up listening to Chuck Thompson. I learned more about baseball from him than my own dad. He will forever be my #1.
You totally left out Bill O Donnell
Fair point, Tim. That said, Bill O’Donnell’s last year calling O’s games was 1981 and my list focused on announcers since 1980. Also, I’m too young to have heard Bill call games ;). Thanks for reading!
Thorne is really, really bad. He makes far too many mistakes and often talks to hear himself talk.
Gary Thorne might not seem like he belongs with the likes of Thompson and Miller, but his out of nowhere statement that “Pujols is ret@rded” is the gold standard for baseball calls in the 21st century.
Thompson and Miller could keep you interested in a game even during a blowout. On the radio, they could make you feel as if you were actually watching the game, rather than listening to it. Two of the very best in the business on either side of the booth. Gary Thorne does not even belong in the equation. One of the worst play by play men that the Orioles have ever had. He needs to go…..Thanks!
Chuck was the voice of Baltimore , not only for our O’s but for our Colts as well. ” Ain’t the beer cold “
I am old enough to remember all the Orioles broadcasters back to 1954. Jon Miller was my favorite. Chuck Thompson a very close second. Chuck’s voice had a high timber in the early days, maybe because of the equipment. I actually think Chuck was a better football broadcaster. He could really paint a picture in your mind when he did the Colts on the radio. I also listen to Jon Miller and Dave Sterling doing the Giants games. They are a great fit, funny, knowledgeable and entertaining, especially when Jon does Vin Scully or Harry Carey! If you love baseball on the radio, there is an app you can get for 20 bucks and you can listen to any game, all season, both home team crew and visiting crew.
what about Bill O’Donnel! One of the best radio announcers, ever. Great voice and he sure captured the drama.
Gary Thorne on this list is a JOKE. Jon Miller was let go because he was not enough of a “homer”. Thorne gets so excited when the other team hits home runs it is sickening to listen to. I agree he is a great hockey announcer so I really wish he would find another job doing hockey.