It’s time to consider those most-revered narrators of baseball lore: the announcers, who call the games that we listen to. Let’s talk Orioles broadcasters of radio and television, and hand out a few early-season grades.
Now, in full disclosure, I will state that I am a broadcaster myself, of WCBM’s “Tom Moore Show,” which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this June. We are not primarily a sports show, but we do often talk sports.
I am however an avid listener and viewer of sports broadcasts, and was so long before I was ever accepted into the University of Maryland’s journalism program or I ever wrote a column or hosted a TV or radio show.
I’m a fan of Orioles broadcasting history especially, and the O’s have been ever blessed in that department. Since the team’s 1954 arrival in Baltimore, the Orioles have had Hall of Famers Ernie Harwell (1954-’59), Chuck Thompson (’55-’57; ’62-’87; ‘91-2000) and Jon Miller (1983-1996) amongst their announcing fold. (Yes, the team has also had Ken Levine too, but thankfully, only for a short few years.)
But of the current announcing lineup, it’s fairly indisputable that Gary Thorne will soon be headed to Cooperstown’s Ford Frick Announcers Wing. But what of the others? Here I rate them on grades of A-F, regardless of medium.
The standard? Baseball is a game of storytelling from the announcers’ perspective. They need to have the tools (pipes as they are called in the industry), the knowledge, and the panache to put it all together. See below who makes the grade:
1. Gary Thorne (MASN-TV). Grade: A+
The only knock against Thorne is that he doesn’t call enough O’s games. Thorne was frequently absent last summer on assignment on other sports for other networks. The former Maine attorney is busy indeed, but the star hire when MASN came into existence is the class of all current O’s broadcasters.
2. Jim Palmer (MASN-TV). Grade: A-
Palmer, one of the Orioles’ National Baseball Hall of Fame members as a player, is a top-notch color man whose insights are sharp, to the point, and usually dead-on, from his decades of experience. Some viewers get turned off by his semi-regular mentioning of players he faced that much of the audience has never heard of, but having played as long as he did, at the level he did, earns Palmer a little slack. The former ABC baseball announcer is another great get for the O’s.
3. Mike Bordick (MASN-TV). Grade: B-
Bordy, who played on the Orioles ’97 AL Championship Series team, is also an insightful announcer. He just doesn’t possess great pipes and sometimes is a little hesitant to offer a thought. He’s better in 2013 than he was in 2012, and continues to improve, but it’s clear Bordick is still, at times, finding his way. The bet here is that he will eventually find it.
4. Joe Angel (Orioles Radio Network). Grade: B+
Joe Angel’s legendary gruff intonation reminds a listener of a 50’s TV cop sitting next to his partner and telling him that it’s time to go catch the bad guy. But where Angel excels is in his storytelling. He understands the drama of the game, and makes it exciting to listen to. He was at his best when paired with Jon Miller in the ‘90’s, but hasn’t lost much since. Angel’s familiar home run call, “Wave it bye-bye” and “put it in the win column” salutation, are great catch-phrases that are easily memorable. Angel is another very good announcer in the long Oriole line.
5. Jim Hunter (MASN-TV and Orioles Radio). Grade: B
Hunter is sharp and versatile, able to do postgame, TV or radio and never miss a beat. While he lacks a signature call, like Thorne or Angel have, he makes the game exciting to hear and is generally very solid.
6. Fred Manfra (Orioles Radio Network). Grade: C
Manfra, sadly, is the one bump in the road as far as O’s announcers go. He’s not a bad announcer – great pipes – a deep resonant voice that makes him a natural for the radio (on sound alone).
The problem is that Manfra simply doesn’t seem to get the drama of a game. In a recent series against San Diego, a long, deep fly ball hit by the Padres sounded like a routine fly to Manfra until he informed us that the ball was a home run. When the Orioles hit home runs, Manfra’s intonation also barely changes. In comparison, Jon Miller made it seem like a major event took place any time the Orioles did anything exciting, and much of that came during years of losing seasons. Manfra just lacks in this department. It’s one thing to be the other extreme, like the Denver Broncos radio announcers calling the playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens last season, who barely uttered a whimper when the Ravens scored a touchdown.
That’s disrespectful to the game being played and to the listening audience who deserve to know when something significant has happened, good or bad. But at least those announcers went nuts when the Broncos scored. Manfra doesn’t get very excited either way. Hopefully he can get a bit more fired up as the season progresses. Unfortunately so far, he strikes out more often than he connects.
18 Responses
What??? Joe Angel is the reason why I’m glad that I listen to the Nationals radio (Charlie & Dave!). I like Manfra. I don’t enjoy Joe Angel.
Joe Angle has a nice voice. That’s it. He can’t call a long fly ball. He is terrible at judging how hard, far, fair/foul a ball is hit. He sound like he is for the opposing team WAY too much. His “wave it bye-bye” and other usual sayings are OLD. He is so bad that I listen to the opposing announcers when Angle is calling the game.
I’ve loved Thorne since we snagged him, but “his absences” are far from his only knock, I’m afraid. He’s either incapable, or doesn’t even bother trying, of identifying pitches and sometimes their locations. He’ll call a regular change with maybe a little movement a breaking ball. Fastballs and sliders get confused. Throw in sinkers a few times with that as well. And he’ll say a pitch was outside when it was probably on the paint or better, but low. I always give him great leeway there because I don’t need him to say it to see it (which is the beauty of a TV broadcast, I can see it myself), and that is far outweighed by his positive. Another common negative is his idiosyncratic way of saying “X” RBI home run. For instance, “Machado with a 3-RBI home run!” Pretty much everyone else says “3 run home run/homer.” I think he does that to stand apart, but it does strike a great number of people as sounding wrong and disjointed, enough to always bring it up in conversations on Thorne’s abilities.
Disgusting play by play. It’s Rendon, as in don’t. Being a Nat fan it”s inexcusable that a professional announcer mis pronounces a name not once but repeatedly during the game.
My problem with Manfra is that it takes about five seconds after the play is over to understand what just happened.
Jim Hunter is no B. This casts doubt on all your grades. I resent that I have to listen to him. He may be worse than Manfra. Jim has a larger repitoire of cliches than Fred, who leans on only a few worn out aphorisms.
While I generally like Thorne, I fear you are not paying attention. He makes so many unusual mistakes ( ball down but over the plate? “Ball 1 outside”), that my friends and I discuss them ALL THE TIME. It’s uncanny, it happens every game and often multiple times. I’ve done play by play and know if it’s difficulties. Thorne’s mistake ratio is astounding.
In general, besides Palmer, who is a great analyst and forgot more aout the game than most remember, the Orioles announcers are just so so. Manfra continued OCD use of ” rhythmic applause” is so sickening, I think he should go back to the 8 th hole in PGA coverage…..he blows. Hunter refused to say 3 for 4 when a batter is up( just an example), i stead, he thinks he is so cool buy saying out of instead.he blows. Thorn….so so, Angel, a nohing announcer, trying to sound like a real dumb version of John the great. Only one Chuck, never to be duplicated. Even a drunk Bill was better than a sober Manfra.
Gary Thorne without a doubt the worst! He talks too much and all the statistics are boring!
Jim Palmer is a pompous asshole. It’s all about him. He never shuts up and he has a monotone voice. No wonder Earl Weaver did not like him.
In Baltimore we were spoiled by 17 years of Chuck and Bill. Leaving them in the past, as we have to, I think that the best play-by-play man in the Orioles stable is Jim Hunter (A). Sure, he uses a lot of cliches. Sure, he’s a little bit corny and a real homer. But he can paint the picture with words, which is what you need when listening to the game on radio. Manfra (C-) trips over his words and has to go back and reconstruct what happened. Chuck (A+++) used to reconstruct as well, but that was to give you details IN ADDITION TO the many details he somehow included in his great staccato call that he made in the first place. Gary Thorne (B-) is entertaining, but not a great sportscaster. He’s fine for TV, though. Palmer (C) does too much nostalgia. I’m 56, so I know all the players he’s talking about but he still bores me. I like Bordy (B+), who has improved with time. I would always rather listen to him than Palmer.
I disagree. Joe Angel and Fred Manfra are the best. I live in Canada, but I am an orioles fan. I listen to games on internet game day audio. Jim Hunter does not deserve a B. Give an A to Joe Angel, and a B to Fred Manfra. Jim Hunter gets a C. Jim Hunter criticizes Jimmy Paredes every time he comes up to bat. I know he’s been slumping, but look, I love Jimmy Paredes and believe he will get out of the slump. Just don’t go criticizing every at bat.
Jim palmer Yankees fan.
I think Thorne’s terrible. I’d give him a D at best. We should have never let Jon Miller go.
Joe Angel and Gary Thorne are THE WORST two broadcast people in ANY SPORT!!! Terrible!
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, of course. Yours, though, is awful.
Joe Angel and Jim Palmer are the reasons I hate to listen to the Baltimore games. Jim is to stuck on himself and has been since the sixty’s. Joe is too dry. Frank is great he gets the plays right and easy to picture in mind. There is very bad judgements to give Baltimore listeners the choice of announcers
Frank?
Jon Miller and Joe Angel were the best combo I’ve ever listened to, and I have no idea what Angelos was thinking. Jon now with the Giants and then with the O’s has a team pride that’s evident without going overboard. But to the current slate –
TV – Gary Thorne is great, wish he could have a better color man than Palmer or Bordi. If I’m watching the game I want Gary or Jim Hunter. Palmer/Bordick are the only ones I don’t care for. Palmer is too full of himself, though I do enjoy the fact that he doesn’t give a crap about saying what he thinks when a player makes a dumb decision. Bordick is completely the opposite. Like Jon Gruden, he seems to love everyone and excuses the screwups.
Radio – I love Joe Angel, he helps lift Fred as much as he can. It’s a tough task. But when he’s on his own during his innings or Fred just adds a comment in response to Joe, it’s a good car ride with the game on. Fred definitely is the weak link – he seems like a good little boy who doesn’t stray too far from Mama, afraid to take any risks with his calls. I still don’t mind him. Joe is great though. Hunter and Angel are a nice combo.
In order –
Miller (I wish)
Gary
Joe
Jim H
Jim P
Bordi
Fred
Ben McDonald is hilarious. Good ol’ boy come home.
Chuck Thompson – I know people loved him, but being born in 1978, I only heard the end of his career and it was just weird. Goofy but not really in a fun way.
as far down as you possibly can go…Ken Levine. oy. I can’t believe he got another job with the Mariners after that. Should have just stuck with Cheers. And as a national aside, Tim McCarver was absolutely horrible. I have no idea why people loved him. He’d get things wrong all the time, and obvious ones. But oh well, he’s gone now.
Now to hear the O’s get back on track and in the win column, that’s the best sound we can enjoy.