How to hold the announcers accountable

[Umpire in Chief]

Announcers go on and on about the need to hold umpire's accountable, but nobody really holds them accountable for the idiocy they spew. From propagating rules myths, to just blatantly dumb comments announcers do so much to try to make umpires appear like blundering idiots, when studies have shown time and time again the overwhelming percentage of the time they are right. 

What I'd like to do is this...

If you have an example of an announcer either making a ridiculous comment which needs to be exposed OR an announcer getting it right post the clip here. If you do not have the clip give us the info about the game and we'll try to find it. To find a clip we'll need the date game (narrow it down for us as much as possible inning/ batter /situation etc...), teams, the announcer ( if not give us as much info as possible, like "the Orioles radio broadcaster") 

My plan is to break down the situation, the announcer's comments and elaborate on why the announcer is either correct or incorrect. I think this might be a fun exercise as the MLB season winds down. 

[maven]

Warren, I don't dispute your claim at the end that this might be fun. Granted.

But beyond that, what's really at issue? Announcers are not responsible for getting it right. That's not part of their job description. They are entertainment, and for many teams, cheerleaders. Nobody cares whether they're right about the rules, the calls, or the umpires.

WE care about getting it right, because we want to be right in our own games. That's why we find announcers' cavalier attitudes and blatant homers so frustrating. I guess I wonder how much we have to learn from watching 75 videos where announcers erroneously call obstruction "interference."

Sorry if I'm being a killjoy.

[elares]

we may learn which ones to mute during video playback.

[basejester]

With my first pick in the Announcer Fantasy League (AFL), I select Vin Scully.

 

[Umpire in Chief]

@maven I agree with everything that you said and you're not being a kill joy. Just something fun and a little different to try. I'm only looking for either the really good calls or really bad ones. 

On the really good side I think I bookmarked somewhere an announcer giving a nearly perfect explanation of a spectator interference and actually correcting his partner because the player was reaching into the stands. 

On the bad side I don't think I have it bookmarked but there was an announcer who had a near meltdown on a batted ball that hit the rubber was fielded and the batter put out at first. The announcer was adamant that if it hit the rubber it was a foul ball and ranting that "the rule book says in black and white..." ( I remember that quote specifically).

I'm not looking at whining about the zone, a banger play or foul vs foul tip. I cant afford that much bandwidth from my server . Just the more entertaining ones, egregious ones or ones where there could be a learning opportunity for all.  

 

[MadMax]

I'm not looking at whining about the zone, a banger play or foul vs foul tip. I cant afford that much bandwidth from my server . Just the more entertaining ones, egregious ones or ones where there could be a learning opportunity for all. 

You'd kill the server within a week on this alone. The amount of people that get this wrong is staggering. Without fail, at any game I work (except Fall Ball, which no one attends willingly), if there is a foul tip w/ a base steal, I'll hear someone say, "He's gotta go back, Blue! He's gotta go back." Likewise, I'll be in amongst coaches, tournament staff, and even fellow umpires, and I'll hear someone say, "Yeah, he took a foul tip off the mask". 

Any instance of mislabeling "interference vs. obstruction" should be exhibited, any time and any how, ad nauseum. It pains me the number of #BC's who shout at me, "Interference! Interference! Why aren't you calling interference?!" while pointing at a fielder.

On that note, can we just agree, right from the get-go, that Hawk Harrelson and He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named are among the worst commentators in this regard?

[Dbellyflop]

Little League World Series. U.S. Semi final. TX vs. CA. Aug. 27. Bottom 1, batter hit on the hands. Karl Ravech " well the hands being part of the bat....." At least Nomar corrected him. "No if your hit on the hand that's a HBP. " Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Richvee]

If you watch too much MLB tonight like I do, it will become very evident Billy Ripken has no respect, and deep disdain for our brothers in blue. You won't find clips, but in the course of any evening he's on the show, he'll have something bad to say about an umpire several times. Tonight he just said he's "seen enough" and is  aligned with wacko Byrnes and wants the automated strike zone. 

[Umpire in Chief]

If you watch too much MLB tonight like I do, it will become very evident Billy Ripken has no respect, and deep disdain for our brothers in blue. You won't find clips, but in the course of any evening he's on the show, he'll have something bad to say about an umpire several times. Tonight he just said he's "seen enough" and is  aligned with wacko Byrnes and wants the automated strike zone. 

I had it on in the background last night and he said something, I don't recall what but I said I was going to rewind because it irritated me and I wanted to make sure he said what I thought.

[Man_In_Black]

With my first pick in the Announcer Fantasy League (AFL), I select Vin Scully.

 

For that pick,  I'll trade you my second and third round picks, Al Leiter, Ken Harrelson and an announcer to be named later...and I'll throw in some cash.

[basejester]

For that pick,  I'll trade you my second and third round picks, Al Leiter, Ken Harrelson and an announcer to be named later...and I'll throw in some cash.

Is it a keeper league*?  If so, deal.

 

* I've never played in a fantasy league.  I'm pretending to know what I'm talking about.

 

[Richvee]

Watching the Nats feed of the ATl/Was on MLB. Top 6. Gio Gonzalez gets a called strike 3 on a Braves hitter with a borderline pitch at the knees. FP Santangelo says "I've talked to ML umpires and they've said if you swing at strike two on a curveball in the dirt, you can't argue a low called 3rd strike because you've prooved as a batter you don't know the strike zone" (had to rewind it to make sure I heard him right)

[CricketChapman]

http://m.mlb.com/video/v450525083/pitstl-umpire-gets-hit-by-line-drive-up-the-middle/?query=umpire

UI here.  I don't know the commentators, but I was impressed they knew the batted ball was dead because it hit the umpire while he was in front of the infielders.

[Richvee]

Paul O'neill moments ago....."I don't think umpires understand the difference 0-1 or 1-0 makes to a batter's at bat." 

[grayhawk]

Paul O'neill moments ago....."I don't think umpires understand the difference 0-1 or 1-0 makes to a batter's at bat." 

We understand.  We just don't care.  We call what we see.

[Stk004]

I know I'm reviving a really old thread but I figured there's no sense starting another. 

OK guys I'm going to warn you. Out of all the bull$#!+ I've heard come out of announcers, this has to take the cake. Watch the entire clip to soak in all of the brilliant insight they're offering, and don't say I didn't warn you when you want to cut your ears off. 

 

[JaxRolo]

Announcers are there for ratings. Not accuracy.

[Jimurray]

One of the few times PBUC advises going to your PU before you make a call. 

[udbrky]

Ozzie Guillen standing there mad while they discuss it, cause he wanted to get his money's worth!

[Richvee]

 Washington Nat's broadcasters as horrible 5 years ago as they are today. Gotta give then credit for consistency..

[BT_Blue]

The ground rule double that wasn't in St Louis that ended the game against Cincinnati. Major props to the Cardinals broadcast team for instantly calling that should have been a two bass award. Also for wondering why the game couldn't continue since everyone was still there.

[MadMax]

On August 30, 2016 at 8:59 AM, JaxRolo said:

Announcers are there for ratings. Not accuracy.

And to this day, all of baseball wonders why Hawk Harrelson is still on White Sox broadcasts when they have less viewership of Southsider games than a team which doesn't even have a broadcast carrier in the LA Dodgers!!!

[Stk004]

Okay I know we like to give announcers a hard time but I also think we should give credit where credit is due so...

 

[ALStripes17]

Okay I know we like to give announcers a hard time but I also think we should give credit where credit is due so...

 

That makes me happy...

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[Mick]

Keith Hernandez should not be allowed to speak.