Last fall FanGraphs asked readers to offer their comments and observations about their team’s TV announcers. They’re now starting a countdown of all of them, from worst to best. Today’s installment has numbers 30-21.
I like it because, unlike a lot of broadcaster ratings, it has examples of some of the guys’ bad behaviors, good points and other observations. Usually you just hear “so-and-so is annoying and dumb,” which doesn’t really help. Here you get this sort of thing:29. St. Louis Cardinals
Broadcasters: Dan McLaughlin, Al Hrabosky, and Rick Horton
Ratings (Charisma/Analysis/Overall): 2.4, 2.1, 2.3
Three Reader Comments
• “I shouldn’t feel like sleeping when my favorite team is on TV.”
• “Whenever possible, I try to play some sort of alternate broadcast while the regular TV broadcast is on mute.”
• “Al Hrabosky… is the reason I am an alcoholic.”
It appears, from the reader comments, that Dan McLaughlin is a passable play-by-play man for most FanGraphs readers, but that Hrabosky and Horton are difficult to enjoy.
Tough, but fair and funny. Looking forward to later installments.