The YES Network has many announcers covering games this year (as they did last season): Jim Kaat, Bobby Murcer, Michael Kay, Ken Singleton, David Justice and Paul O’Neill. And, they mix and match them in numerous combinations to cover various series, home-stands, road-trips, etc.
Personally, having grown up with Phil Rizzuto, Bill White and Frank Messer covering the Yankees on TV, I’m in favor of having the same three-man booth, game-after-game, doing every game.
And, I think three men in the current YES stable might be the prefect combo to match the days of Scooter, White and Messer.
If it were up to me, I would go with Ken Singleton, Jim Kaat and Paul O’Neill for every game. Singleton is like Messer – a gentleman with great class who is full of grace. Kaat can play the role of Bill White, a semi-curmudgeon who knows his baseball and who is not afraid to be frank and candid. And, O’Neill can be this generation’s Rizzuto – substituting his “Holy Smokes!” for “Holy Cow!” and talking about food and his wife during the dull games. Plus, I think he has no issue with being a homer.
Granted, Kenny, Kitty, and Paul are all ex-players and it’s always nice to have a “pro” play-by-play (PBP) man in the booth. But, Singleton and Kaat have been around long enough to handle PBP.
When you have the same guys, game-in and game-out, it builds something between them and the audience. Much like how the characters on a hit TV show come together and then become something that you have an interest in tuning into, on a regular basis. It’s a homey feeling, in a way.
What to do with Kay, Murcer, and Justice, you might ask? Murcer and Justice can handle the pre- and post-game analysis in the studio. They’ve done it at times and are very good at it. Kay can go back to radio and work with Sterling and allow us to be spared hearing Suzyn Waldman’s nails on a blackboard voice. Michael might not like this. But, Kay has to remember that Michael Kay without the Yankees is no one and he should be happy to do whatever the Yankees ask him to do.
Suzyn Waldman can go back to doing the locker room interviews for YES and Kim Jones can be sent back to whatever hole they found her in when YES made the mistake of hiring her.
Then again, no one at YES is asking me. I wish they would.
12 Responses to “The Broadcast Power Trio”
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May 17th, 2005 at 1:23 pm
I basically agree with you, Steve, though I’d be fine with just Kaat and Singleton alone. I do think you’re being a bit hard on Jones. She seems to be doing just fine as far as I’m concerned, considering she’s only on her third month on the job. She has a solid journalism background (covered football for the Star-Ledger). Give her time.
May 17th, 2005 at 1:47 pm
I dunno. Going by the reactions of the players and Torre, at least some that I’ve picked up, Jones is not respected in the clubhouse. I think SW had their respect and trust and you saw better answers from them to her.
In the end, time will tell. You’re right.
May 17th, 2005 at 2:29 pm
Yes!! Rizzuto on WPIX Channel 9!! I was 6-10 years old in the late 70’s!!!
Right, SL, because Kim Jones walks in the clubhouse and the players think: “Here’s the babe they brought in for the predominantly male viewership,” similar to the football sideline reporter trend.
David Justice is not making it in the booth. Do you recall last night when Singleton described how Safeco is covered yet “open” in several places….then Justice did the same thing?
Justice’s major problems are too many words and excessive repetition of his points.
May 17th, 2005 at 2:44 pm
“David Justice is not making it in the booth. Do you recall last night when Singleton described how Safeco is covered yet “open” in several places….then Justice did the same thing?”
This happened on at least two more occasions as well. Justice just likes the sound of his own voice. He talks too much and it just seems forced the majority of the time.
May 17th, 2005 at 2:47 pm
One small detail. WPIX was 11. At least in NYC.
May 17th, 2005 at 3:37 pm
Come on, man!!! I was 8 years old!!!
May 17th, 2005 at 3:45 pm
Oh, don’t give us that crap! I was 4-5 in the late 70s and I knew it was ch. 11!
May 17th, 2005 at 4:45 pm
Based on her photo on the YES site, if Jones is the “babe” that YES hired to sex up the broadcast they’ve misfired badly. Okay, maybe that’s a bit too cruel (I’m just comparing her to the NFL standard sports broadcaster/model). That said, Jason, you might note that she never appears on camera.
May 17th, 2005 at 7:31 pm
Cliff – Kim is on camera during the pre-game and post-game shows – - it’s just when she’s in the locker room that she’s not shown.
Basically, she gets the same air time that SW got on YES.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Yeah, I totally agree RE Suzann Waldman’s voice – Lordie… does she jus’ have ‘connections’, or why is this voice being used in a purely audio context (as is radio)…??? — I’d be plenty happy jus’ havin’ Mr Sterling on his own
Another point I’ve wondered about – what about conflict of interest issues RE YES and Yankees ‘conjugal’ relations…? how to report frankly and critically on yer own employer…? Can a YES announcer say the Yankees suck (when they are laggin’ badly)…?
May 29th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Yeah, I totally agree RE Suzann Waldman’s voice – Lordie… does she jus’ have ‘connections’, or why is this voice being used in a purely audio context (as is radio)…??? — I’d be plenty happy jus’ havin’ Mr Sterling on his own
Another point I’ve wondered about – what about conflict of interest issues RE YES and Yankees ‘conjugal’ relations…? how to report frankly and critically on yer own employer…? Can a YES announcer say the Yankees suck (when they are laggin’ badly)…?
May 29th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Yeah, I totally agree RE Suzann Waldman’s voice – Lordie… does she jus’ have ‘connections’, or why is this voice being used in a purely audio context (as is radio)…??? — I’d be plenty happy jus’ havin’ Mr Sterling on his own
Another point I’ve wondered about – what about conflict of interest issues RE YES and Yankees ‘conjugal’ relations…? how to report frankly and critically on yer own employer…? Can a YES announcer say the Yankees suck (when they are laggin’ badly)…?