Posted on 09/25/2012 6:15:09 PM PDT by Beave Meister
If you're wondering what's going on in the American League Central pennant race over the next week, all you need to do is tune into a Chicago White Sox telecast and listen for the voice of the team's play-by-play man, Ken "Hawk" Harrelson.
Harrelson is, to put it diplomatically, a bit of a "homer." In other words, he's unapologetic about his devotion to the White Sox, the team he routinely calls "the good guys." According to one measure, Harrelson and his booth partner, Steve Stone, make more nakedly biased statements during a single game than every other TV broadcast team in the American League combined.
"Let's just say that if we're losing, you're going to know it," Harrelson said in a recent interview. "I won't sound happy."
The conventional wisdom in sports is that TV announcers should strive to call the game straight down the middle. It's a philosophy that's been embraced over the years by most of the famous baseball voices.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
You tolerate Stone because you feel that the Sox “stole” him from the Cubs. Harrelson is an infant, but that would make Banks a zygote. There, I said it.
aren’t they the play by play team of the White Sox? If so they are employed by the White Sox.
Generally the Play by play and color men on local TV & radio are employees of the team. They are by definition Homers. They watcjh and root for the team they cover every day.
The baseball teams hire their own announcers....at least that’s how it’s done in Chicago.
Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson!
Just the other day I was wondering what ever became of him.
I still remember when he came to the Indians with much hoopla and delievered only poopla
He works for us in Chicago, but you must be drunk. Otherwise, you switch to Farmer and Jackson.
It seems like the SF Giants announcers go too far out of their way to be unbiased. Specifically Mike Krukow, who more often than not defers to the other team on close calls, IMO.
While the announcers are hired by the teams, they do vary in how biased they are.
Vin Scully always does a great job of calling the game no matter how the Dodgers are doing. Most are homers to some degree, but are honest about the other team.
Personally, I only like watching Harrelson and Stone when the Sox are losing. The Schadenfreude of listening to a sullen Harrelson is worth the price of admission.
I watch the local team, I expect a bit of Homerism. That is part of what they are paid for. It is OUR team in OUR city after all.
I remember this fool, Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, when he was brought to Cleveland from, I think, Boston, to save the Indians during the 80s or so. First he said he didn’t want to come to Cleveland, then, after a couple hundred thou more offered, all of a sudden he loved Cleveland.
Once he got here, we were all treated to his tippy-tap-toe front batting foot (kinda’ like a ballerina’s toe), and his wild worthless bat swing . . . probably struck out more times here in Cleveland than Bill Maher would walking around a whorehouse with a $100 dollar bill.
Then the goofus disappeared after he couldn’t save the Indians. I didn’t know he was still involved in baseball.
I am not aware of Harrelson’s history, but I did listen to him today. If I recall, all I got was a “dadgumit.”
YOure right on. But the author of the article is an idiot.
Take the Indians this year, PLEASE! They went from first to worst in a matter of weeks. Now they where not that good of a team to begin with, but I would expect the local broadcast to portray the slide in realistic terms and to have empathy with their fellow fans. After all, they are going through it right along with the fans.
hehe
In a baseball world filled with entertaining characters, Harrelson stands out as just a jerk.
This loudmouth BSed his way into the White Sox GM job, fired Tony LaRussa and traded away Bobby Bonilla before being fired himself.
Brain-damaged White Sux fans deserve his televised dementia.
The BoSox guys are snoringly boring. The NYY are at least excited about calling the game and working in all the ads. Their sound guy also adds in the crowd as background. The BoSox lack the ambiance of the crowd.
I did see blurb the other week that WCBS got the Yanks for another year. I guess ESPN is desperate to acquire them.
Harry Carey was a great announcer for the Cubs, even when he was hammered up in the booth. Years ago my younger brother was an Andy Frain at Wrigley and his most important job before all home ball games was to make sure Harry’s fridge was stocked with Bud.
I remember watching a Cubs game years ago when Harry was more popular than “Da Mayor.” with Harry and Steve Stone....Cubs are at home, it was the top first, the Cubs pitcher has bases loaded, nobody out and walks the next batter. Stone says, “Well Harry, it’s one to nothing.” And Harry says, “Get the bum outta there, he’s stinking up the joint.” Harry called it like it was didn’t care who he offended. That’s also the reason the White Sox fired him. He was brutal on the White Sox the year they fired him and Jimmy Piersal.
“I still remember when he came to the Indians with much hoopla and delievered only poopla”
And had a horrendous broken ankle on a late slide.
And that's just the way Sox fans want it. We won't tolerate company man announcers like cubbie fans do.
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