Major League Baseball on NBC broadcasters

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Main articles: Major League Baseball on NBC, List of Major League Baseball All-Star Game broadcasters, List of World Series broadcasters, List of American League Championship Series broadcasters, List of National League Championship Series broadcasters, List of American League Division Series broadcasters, and List of National League Division Series broadcasters

Contents

[edit] List of announcers by letter

[edit] A

In 1979, Albert moved up to the national stage, joining the NBC as host of its weekly baseball pregame show, Major League Baseball: An Inside Look. When former Yale University president A. Bartlett Giamatti was named Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Albert japed to St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog that there now would be "an opening for you at Yale." Herzog retorted by saying "I don't think that's funny, Marv!"

[edit] B

[edit] C

[edit] D

[edit] E

[edit] G

In 1989, Gardner became the first female to regularly host Major League Baseball coverage for a television network.

[edit] H

[edit] J

[edit] K

In 1971, Koufax signed a ten-year contract with NBC for $1 million to be a broadcaster on the Saturday Game of the Week. Koufax never felt comfortable being in front of the camera; he quit before the 1973 season.

[edit] L

[edit] M

Macatee joined NBC in 1982, where he hosted and reported on a variety of major events including late-night coverage of Wimbledon and the World Series, as well as the pre-game shows for the League Championship Series, Super Bowl XVII, and college football bowl games.

Miller would call games for NBC on their occasional doubleheader weeks. If not that, then Miller would appear on Saturday afternoon regionals the day after NBC's occasional prime time telecasts.

  • Joe Morgan (1986-1987, 1994-2000)
  • Monte Moore (1972-1974 World Series and Game of the Week announcer from 1978-1980; 1983)

[edit] N

[edit] O

[edit] P

[edit] R

[edit] S

[edit] T

[edit] W

[edit] Announcers individually

[edit] Garagiola and Wolff

In 1961, NBC hired Joe Garagiola to be their Major League Baseball colorman. The following year, Bob Wolff began play-by-play. "You work your side of the street [interviewing players]," said Garagiola to Wolff "and I'll work mine." Wolff liked Garagiola's pizazz as he would say stuff like "The guy stapled him to the bag" or a runner's "smilin' like he swallowed a banana peel."

[edit] Curt Gowdy

Curt Gowdy introduces himself to the viewers at home.
Curt Gowdy introduces himself to the viewers at home.

NBC, replacing CBS traded a circus for a seminar. Pee Wee Reese said

“ Curt Gowdy was its guy (1966-1975), and didn't want [Dizzy] Dean - too overpowering. Curt was nice, but worried about mistakes. Diz and I just laughed. ”

Flatstaff Brewery hyped Dean as Gowdy in return said

“ I said, 'I can't do "Wasbash Cannonball." Our styles clash.- ”

then came Pee Wee Reese. Gowdy added by saying about the pairing between him and Reese

“ They figured he was fine with me, and they'd still have their boy. ”

To many, baseball meant CBS' 1955-1964 Game of the Week thoroughbred. A year later, NBC bought ABC's variant of a mule so to speak.

“ We had the Series and All-Star Game. 1966-1968's Game meant exclusivity, ”

said NBC Sports head Carl Lindemann. Lindemann added by saying

“ [Colleague] Chet Simmons and liked him [Gowdy] with the Sox and football- ”

also, getting two network sports for the price of one. As his analyst, Gowdy wanted his friend Ted Williams. NBC's lead sponsor, Chrysler said no when Williams, a Sears spokesman, was pictured putting stuff in a Ford truck.

Before 1966, local announcers exclusively called the World Series. Typically, Gillette, the Commissioner of Baseball, and NBC television would choose the announcers. The announcers represented each of the teams that were in the World Series for the respective year. For the 1966 World Series, Curt Gowdy aired half of each set to while in Los Angeles and Baltimore, got Vin Scully and Chuck Thompson, respectively, did the rest. Scully wasn't satisified with the arrangement as he said

“ What about the road? My fans won't be able to hear me. ”

In Game 1 of the 1966 World Series, Vin Scully called the first 4 1/2 innings. When Curt Gowdy inherited the announcing reigns, Scully was so upset that he refused to say another word.

In April 1966 in New York City, about fifty baseball, network, and ad officials discussed NBC's first year with the Game of the Week. Ironically, New York couldn't get a primary match-up between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees with Curt Gowdy and Pee Wee Reese calling the action because of local blackout rules. Instead, New York got a backup game (or "'B' game") featuring Tony Kubek and Jim Simpson calling a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs.

[edit] The End of the Curt Gowdy Era

Curt Gowdy alongside Tony Kubek and Mickey Mantle prior to the 1969 All-Star Game.
Curt Gowdy alongside Tony Kubek and Mickey Mantle prior to the 1969 All-Star Game.

By 1975, Chrysler had become NBC's major baseball sponsor. Joe Garagiola was at that point, under contract with Chrysler and did advertisements for them. Chrysler wanted Garagiola to be NBC's top baseball voice. Thus, they pressured NBC to dislodge Curt Gowdy as the lead play-by-play man.

So starting in 1975, Garagiola and Gowdy alternated as the Saturday Game of Week play-by-play announcers with Tony Kubek doing color analysis. Then on weeks in which NBC had Monday Night Baseball, Gowdy and Garagiola worked together. One would call play-by-play for four and a half innings, the other would handle color analysis. Then in the bottom of the 5th inning, their roles switched.

Ultimately, in November 1975, Chrysler forced NBC to totally remove Curt Gowdy from NBC's top baseball team. Instead, they wanted their spokesman, Joe Garagiola, to call all "A" regular season games, All-Star Games (when NBC had them), the top League Championship Series (when NBC had it), and the World Series (when NBC had it).

Another factor behind Gowdy's dismissal was because of criticism from the national media allegeding that he sided with the Boston Red Sox (a franchise that he had covered prior to his days at NBC) over a controversial play in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the 1975 World Series. Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ed Armbrister reached base on what was ruled an error by Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk on Armbrister's bunt attempt. Gowdy said numerous times that, in his opinion, Armbrister had interfered with Fisk.

[edit] Tony Kubek

Tony Kubek initially had trouble adjusting to the world of broadcasting. Although he had a lot to say, he was gangling, he tended to stutter, and talked too fast. Curt Gowdy soon suggested to Kubek that he should work offseason to improve his delivery. Buying a recorder, Kubek often read poetry aloud for 20 minutes a day. In 1968, Tony Kubek wowed as a World Series field reporter. Pee Wee Reese, who was soon fired by NBC (and replaced by Kubek as the top analyst) said of Kubek

“ He wormed his way around, but I wasn't bitter. I just think if you don't have anything to say, you should shut your mouth. ”

[edit] Garagiola and Kubek

Joe Garagiola was pushed to the succeed Curt Gowdy, who by 1978 was reduced to being a roving World Series reporter, as NBC's #1 play-by-play announcer (and team with color commentator Tony Kubek) in 1976. NBC hoped that Garagiola's charm and unorthodox dwelling on the personal would stop the a decade-long ratings dive for the Game of the Week. Instead, the ratings bobbed from 6.7 (1977) via 7.5 (1978) to 6.3 (1981-1982).

“ Saturday had a constituency but it didn't swell ”

said NBC Sports executive producer Scotty Connal. Some believed that millions missed Dizzy Dean while local-team TV split the audience.

Scotty Connal believed that the team of Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek were "A great example of black and white". Connal added by saying

“ A pitcher throws badly to third, Joe says, 'The third baseman's fault.' Tony: 'The pitcher's'. ”

Media critic Gary Deeb termed theirs "the finest baseball commentary ever carried on network TV."

[edit] Merle Harmon

In late 1979, Milwaukee Brewers announcer Merle Harmon left Milwaukee completely in favor of a multi-year pact with NBC. Harmon saw the NBC deal as a perfect opportunity since according to The Milwaukee Journal he would make more money, get more exposure, and do less travelling. At NBC, Harmon did SportsWorld, the backup Game of the Week, and served as a field reporter for the 1980 World Series. Harmon most of all, had hoped to cover the American boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics from Moscow. After NBC pulled out of their scheduled coverage of the 1980 Summer Olympics, Harmon considered it to being "A great letdown." To add insult to injury, NBC fired Harmon in 1982 in favor of Bob Costas. Ironically, long time NBC Game of the Week announcer Curt Gowdy replaced Harmon, who was working with ABC a year earlier.

[edit] Dick Enberg

According to his autobiography, Oh My, Dick Enberg (then the lead play-by-play voice for The NFL on NBC) was informed by NBC that he would become the lead play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball Game of the Week beginning with the 1982 World Series (where he shared the play-by-play duties with Joe Garagiola alongisde analyst Tony Kubek) and through subsequent regular seasons.

He wrote that on his football trips, he would read every Sporting News to make sure he was current with all the baseball news and notes. Then he met with NBC executives in September 1982, and they informed him that Vin Scully was in negotiations to be their lead baseball play-by-play man (teaming with Joe Garagiola while Tony Kubek would team with Bob Costas) and would begin with the network in the spring of 1983.

Therefore, rather than throw him in randomnly for one World Series, Enberg wrote that he hosted the pregame/postgame shows while the team of Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek did the games. According to the book, Enberg wasn't pleased about the decision (since he loved being the California Angels' radio voice in the 1970s and was eager to return to baseball) but the fact that NBC was bringing in Scully, arguably baseball's best announcer, was understandable. Enberg added that NBC also gave him a significant pay increase as a pseudo-apology for not coming through on the promise to make him the lead baseball play-by-play man.

[edit] The Vin Scully Era (1983-1989)

Joe Garagiola and Vin Scully (right) host the 1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Joe Garagiola and Vin Scully (right) host the 1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

By 1983, Joe Garagiola had stepped aside from the play-by-play duties for Vin Scully while Tony Kubek was paired with Bob Costas on NBC telecasts. The New York Times observed the performance of the team of Scully and Garagiola by saying

“ The duo of Scully and Garagiola is very good, and often even great, is no longer in dispute. ”

A friend of Garagiola's said "He understood the cash" concerning NBC's 1984-1989 407% Major League Baseball hike. At this point the idea was basically summarized as Vin Scully "being the star" whereas, Joe Garagiola was Pegasus or NBC's junior light.

When NBC inked a $550 million contract for six years in the fall of 1982, a return on the investment so to speak demanded Vin Scully to be their star baseball announcer. Vin Scully reportedly made $2 million a year during his time with NBC in the 1980s. NBC Sports head Thomas Watson said about Scully

“ He is baseball's best announcer. Why shouldn't he be ours? ”

Dick Enberg, who did the Game of the Week the year prior to Vin Scully's hiring mused

“ No room for me. 'Game' had enough for two teams a week. ”

The legendary Scully had to wait over 15 years to get his shot at calling the Game of the Week. Prior to 1983, Scully only announced the 1966 and 1974 World Series for NBC (during the time-frame of NBC having the Game of the Week) since they both involved Scully's Dodgers. Henry Hecht once wrote

“ NBC's Curt Gowdy, Tony Kubek, and Monte Moore sounded like college radio rejects vs. Scully. ”
Vin Scully (left) and Joe Garagiola in the booth at Boston's Fenway Park prior to a game in the 1986 World Series.
Vin Scully (left) and Joe Garagiola in the booth at Boston's Fenway Park prior to a game in the 1986 World Series.

Vin Scully earned approximately $2 million per year for his NBC baseball broadcasting duties. Besides calling the Saturday Game of the Week for NBC, Scully called three World Series (1984, 1986, and 1988), four National League Championship Series (1983, 1985, 1987, and 1989), and four All-Star Games (1983, 1985, 1987, and 1989). Scully also reworked his Dodgers schedule during this period, as he would only broadcast home games on the radio and road games for television.

[edit] Additional Notes

[edit] Costas and Kubek

Bob Costas (far left, holding microphone) presiding over the 1986 World Series trophy presentation ceremony.
Bob Costas (far left, holding microphone) presiding over the 1986 World Series trophy presentation ceremony.

When Tony Kubek first teamed with Bob Costas in 1983, Kubek said

“ I'm not crazy about being assigned to the backup game, but it's no big ego deal. ”

Costas said about working with Kubek

“ I think my humor loosened Tony, and his knowledge improved me. ”

The team of Costas and Kubek proved to be a formiadable pair. There were even some who preferred the team of Kubek and Costas over the musings of Vin Scully and the asides of Joe Garagiola.

Bob Costas considered the Game of the Week his dream job saying

“ You can put a personal stamp on a baseball broadcast, be a reporter, something of a historian, a storyteller, conversationalist, dispenser of opinion. ”

[edit] Hannah Storm

Prior to Game 3 of the 1995 World Series, Cleveland Indians slugger Albert Belle unleashed a profanity-laced tirade at reporter Hannah Storm of NBC. Storm was waiting in the Indians' dugout for a prearranged interview with Indians leadoff man, Kenny Lofton. Then out of nowhere, Belle came screaming profanities towards Storm. On the same day, Belle snapped at a photographer near the first base line during batting practice. Belle was ultimately fined $50,000 for his behavior towards Storm.

This particular World Series was remembered for baseball television history being made three times--two of them by Hannah Storm. Prior to Game 2, she became the first female sportscaster to host a World Series game, and after Game 6 she would be the first female sportscaster to preside over the presentation of the Commissioner's Trophy to the World Series champions. But she was not the first female sportscaster to cover the World Series. That honor fell to then-ABC Sports reporter Lesley Visser, who served as a field reporter during Game 1, as well as in Games 4 and 5.

[edit] Bob Uecker

In 1998, Bob Uecker abruptly left NBC Sports before a chance to call the All-Star Game from Coors Field in Colorado. Uecker underwent a back operation in which four discs were replaced. For the remainder of contract (1998-2000), only Bob Costas and Joe Morgan called the games.

[edit] The Jim Gray/Pete Rose Interview

Image:1999 World Series Trophy Presentation Ceremony.JPG
Jim Gray interviews New York Yankees manager Joe Torre (left, holding trophy) and Yankees owner George Steinbrenner after Game 4 of the 1999 World Series.

In 1999, NBC's field reporter Jim Gray, who had previously covered Major League Baseball for CBS, came under fire for a confrontational interview with banned all-time hit king Pete Rose. Just prior to the start of Game 2 of the World Series, Gray pushed Rose, who was on hand in Atlanta's Turner Field to accept the fan voted honor of being named to MasterCard's All-Century Team, into admitting to betting on baseball games while as manager of the Cincinnati Reds ten years earlier. After NBC was flooded with tons of viewer complaints, Gray was forced to clarify (much less apologize) his actions to the viewers at home prior to Game 3. Regardless of Gray's sincerity, Game 3 hero Chad Curtis of the New York Yankees boycotted Gray's request for an interview live on camera; Curtis had hit a game winning home run to send the World Series 3-0 in the Yankees' favor. Curtis said to Gray

“ Because of what happened with Pete, we decided not to say anything. ”

[1][2]

Despite the heavy criticism he received, Gray offered no apology for his line of questioning toward Rose.

“ I stand by it, and I think it was absolutely a proper line of questioning, ”

said Gray.

“ I don't have an agenda against Pete Rose . . . Pete was the one who started asking me questions. I definitely wouldn't have gone (that) direction if he had backed off. My intent was to give Pete an opportunity to address issues that have kept him out of baseball. I thought he might have had a change of heart. . . . He hadn't had an opening in 10 years. ”

[3]

[edit] Skip Caray

During NBC's coverage of the 2000 Division Series, regular play-by-play man Bob Costas decided to take a breather after anchoring NBC's prime time coverage of the Summer Olympic Games from Sydney. In Costas' place came Atlanta Braves announcer Skip Caray, who teamed with Joe Morgan before Costas' return for the ALCS.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../m/a/j/Major_League_Baseball_on_NBC_broadcasters_f99f.html"