We Take A Break From Awful Announcing To Bring You The Voice Of God
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Interviewer Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle says it best: "This is my eleventh season covering major league baseball. I received my first Hall of Fame vote this year. But I still become a child every time I hear your voice and your voice."
The voices he is referring to are those of Los Angeles Dodgers broadcasting legends Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin, two announcers who have combined for more than 100 years of service to the team. Both are members of the Hall of Fame's announcers wing: Scully was honored for his contributions to the game in 1982, Jarrin in 1998.
The most jarring thing about this video is Scully's appearance vs. his voice. For the first twenty seconds, while Ortiz sets up the interview for the audience, Scully sits idly by and waits to be addressed. He looks like any other 80-year-old man. Then his mouth opens and magic happens. No exaggeration. He talks and you can almost hear sixty years of history in his voice. Does that make sense?
Jarrin also comes off as likeable - I might compare him to Red Sox radio broadcaster Joe Castiglione, only Jarrin announces the games in Spanish and with a much stronger voice than Duke's father. He just seems like the type of guy who loves baseball, loves the team he works for and possesses almost unlimited knowledge about the game. I envy those who have the chance to listen to either of these guys on a regular basis (although NESN's Orsillo and Remy are two of the best in the business, in my opinion, so I'm lucky to have them).
8 Comments:
Vin Scullis is GOD in the world of sports announcing. No one has ever done it better, sure a few guys have been close but Vin is king. Us Red Sox fans should be well aware of the great announce teams we have not only on TV but radio. Don and Jerry along with Joe, Dave O'Brien (also of espn monday night baseball) and Glenn Geffner do a wonderful job. Reds fans should feel the same way with the Brennamen's on board. Other teams announcers in most cases have a long way to go.
Vince Scully is and always has been boring. Instead of announcing he has to paint a picture.
And the voice of God is Bob Sheppard.
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Ladies and gentlemen, the first sports fan to not like Vin Scully.
I think Vin is very very good. Is tough to be that good for that long. I don't think I've heard enough of him to put him in the great category.
Also, I'm with Ricky Sutcliffe when I say....What are you still doing in San Diego Matt Vasgersian?
The real Voice of God is the guy from NFL Films. Sorry.
And, speaking of Jerry Remy, in Bil Lee's book he mentions when Remy went to the Sox from California the first words out of his mouth were to the effect of "The Yankees can eat my dick" Lee's book is worth the read.
mantlemercer...painting a picture is what yor supposed to do on radio. Unlike the WCBS team who must have to wrap themselves in plastic to keep from spilling bodily fluids on themselves when heaping praise on the Evil Empire instead of calling what they see.
Joe...Bill Lee is one of the funniest guys going and Remy grew up a Sox fan so that was expected. You want a great book read Sparky Lyle's the Bronx Zoo it's about the '78 Yankees and is a great read. Even for us Sox fans.
That's impressive Ortiz was able to score an interview with both of them at the same time -- it's not an easy task. I can say from experience, both Jarrin and and Scully are as nice of people as they are brilliant on air.
It may be that I'm writing this at about 2:30 Pacific, but as an L.A. native raised to hate everything Dodger by old NYC natives who loved the Brooklyn Dodgers, these men are why I love baseball -- when Vin Scully no longer calls Dodger games, a part of me will die, and I remember friends of mine listening to Jaime Jarrin all the time. I kept a lot of my Spanish skills by listening to Jaime.