20) Toronto Blue Jays – 2.06
-Buck Martinez (play by play)
-Pat Tabler (analyst)
-Rob Faulds (play by play – select)
-Matt Devlin (play by play – select)
-Joe Siddall (analyst – select)
Most popular grade: C (30% of voters)
Analysis: No team received more C votes than the Blue Jays. Hooray for being supremely average! Most readers feel that Martinez is better in the analyst role as opposed to the play by play role, something Toronto should consider in the future.
Reader Comments:
Buck Martinez (B) is miscast as a play by play man in Toronto as he is a much better analyst and color man. Pat Tabler (B) is a very good analyst of the game and has shown a willingness to embrace SABRmetrics but isnt the most captivating color commentator. The rapport between these 2 is never short of terrific though, so you never feel like the games slowing down too much. -JayClarke
19) Cleveland Indians – 2.09
-Matt Underwood (play by play)
-Rick Manning (analyst)
Most popular grade: C (38% of voters)
Analysis: Only the Blue Jays earned more C votes than the Indians – you can tell where we are in the rankings right about now. No one likes Underwood. Poor guy. With the legendary Tom Hamilton on the radio call though, can you blame him for not being as popular with Indians fans?
Reader Comments:
“Manning, the ex-player, handles his duties well and is the straight shooter while Underwood struggles to be relevant.” -CinVinman
“Matt Underwood is an absolute amateur. […] Manning I like. He tells it like it is and can be critical at times.” -WFNYTD
“Matt Underwood has to be the worst announcer in baseball, and I would wager that it isn’t even close. ” -bz24
“If given the choice between drinking every time Matt Underwood mentions a pitcher’s pitch count and bonging beers, you’d get drunker faster going with the Underwood game” -ejmaroun
@awfulannouncing @RickWFNY Indians TV announcers are awful, which is especially tragic given they have a gem in radio guy Tom Hamilton
— Craig Gephart (@craiggephart) April 16, 2014
18) Kansas City Royals – 2.13
-Ryan Lefebvre (play by play)
-Steve Physioc (play by play)
-Rex Hudler (analyst)
-Jeff Montgomery (analyst)
Most popular grade: B (31% of voters)
Analysis: The Royals crew received the fewest votes out of any team in a non-West Coast division. Readers really don’t like Rex Hudler, and comments about the rest of the crew ranged from positive to mediocre.
Reader Comments:
“The Royals broadcast team is like a bunch of game show hosts, propped up there to keep hyping this sh*ttastic franchise” -RoyalWithCheese
“Rex Hudler is an idiot. I don’t know if he says the things he does to get people going, or if he really believes it.” -jvanee24
https://twitter.com/4biddendonuts/status/456265078455562240
17) Arizona Diamondbacks – 2.15
-Steve Berthiaume (play by play)
-Bob Brenly (analyst)
-Greg Schulte (play by play – select)
-Luis Gonzalez (analyst – select)
Most popular grade: B (35% of voters)
Analysis: Only the Rockies team got fewer votes in the National League than the Diamondbacks. Another “new” announcing team, readers tended to favor Brenly over the former ESPN anchor Berthiaume.
Reader Comments:
“Bob Brenly is good for the Dbacks, but Berthiaume should have stayed at the BBTN studio for ESPN.” -joecb91
16) Tampa Bay Rays – 2.20
-Dewayne Staats (play by play)
-Brian Anderson (analyst)
-Todd Kalas (play by play/analyst – select)
Most popular grade: B (30% of voters)
Analysis: Out of teams in the eastern divisions, only the Blue Jays received fewer A grades than the Rays – but Tampa Bay finished higher in the rankings than all but three of their east coast brethren.
Reader Comments:
@awfulannouncing One of the best in the MLB Dwayne and B.A. @SunSportsRays
— Jared Kight (@Jarebear81787) April 14, 2014
@awfulannouncing Rays crew absolutely top notch just the right mix of insight and entertainment
— Ray Allen (@thevisawaverer) April 14, 2014
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About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.