stone is ok, but he has 2 main problems. 1) he talks wayyy too much. You don't need to analyze every little thing that goes in the game. and 2) 90% of the stuff he decides to analyze, is like baseball 101. Now I know most that post on soxtalk have a baseball IQ above that of the average fan, so doesn't it seem to you guys like Stone is trying to teach baseball to a 2nd grader?

 

I love Hawk. I am the complete opposite of almost every fan when it comes to announcers though. I loved Joe Morgan. Basically, I love old ball players who tell stories. Thats the type of stuff you can only really learn from those guys. I know everyone makes fun of Morgan for his "Al Oliver comment," but you know what? As dumb of a comment as it might have been (and it was dumb) if he hadn't said it, I probably wouldn't know who Al oliver is. Same thing with Hawk. Now of course I would know who Yaz is without hawk, but im not sure I'd know much about Tony conigliaro, or bert campernaris if it wasnt for hawk

Love the Hawk, we're Sox fans, what's wrong with a little enthusiasm? (a la DeNiro in the Untouchables) ... Based on Hawk alone, Charisma should be +6. Hawk, keep doin' what ur doin'

 

Stoney poney, on the other hand, really stinks, total snooze, everything said above I agree with, not to mention he will always be a Cubs guy to me ...

What was the Oliver comment?

http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/0...gan-trivia.html

http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/0...gan-trivia.html

Hysterical in its awfulness. Thank you.

Forgot that Gary Thorne and Wayne Hagen worked together as the White Sox radio team...that was a great pairing, while it lasted.

I think you are getting Gary Thorne and John Rooney mixed up here. Thorne only spent one year with the Sox, and that was as the TV play-by-play man in the very forgettable 1989 season (paired up with Tom Paciorek that year). Rooney and Hagin worked the radio side of things from '89-91. I thought it was just an ok pairing, but only because it was two play-by-play guys with no playing experience between them handling all the broadcasting chores. I think each is obviously much better off when paired with an ex-player to provide the color analysis.

I think you are getting Gary Thorne and John Rooney mixed up here. Thorne only spent one year with the Sox, and that was as the TV play-by-play man in the very forgettable 1989 season (paired up with Tom Paciorek that year). Rooney and Hagin worked the radio side of things from '89-91. I thought it was just an ok pairing, but only because it was two play-by-play guys with no playing experience between them handling all the broadcasting chores. I think each is obviously much better off when paired with an ex-player to provide the color analysis.

 

 

Yeah, you're right.

 

1990 was Scott Radinsky's rookie season (I met him the previous year when he was pitching for South Bend), and my favorite overall as a White Sox fan, except for 2005.

 

For some reason, I remember Rodney McCray as our designated pinch-runner (he later ran through an outfield fence while playing in the minors) and an amazing comeback against the KC Royals and Bo Jackson at Old Comiskey that I had the pleasure to attend.

I still say Hawk and Stoney and before Stoney DJ and before DJ Wimpy make more negative comments in one series than other teams' announcers make all season.

They are homers but they do criticize once in a while.

Most teams have plastic idiots who just complain about the calls that go against their team.

I still say Hawk and Stoney and before Stoney DJ and before DJ Wimpy make more negative comments in one series than other teams' announcers make all season.

They are homers but they do criticize once in a while.

Most teams have plastic idiots who just complain about the calls that go against their team.

 

Interpreter? Wtf does this say?

I like Hawk. Being a 'homer' is expected, however, if a home team player screws up, it should be noted. The announcers in Colorado are homers, much worse than Hawk. When Tulo gets thrown out at third by 10-20 feet stretching a double into a triple with no outs, the announcers here admire Tulo for his hustle. Maybe they are not allowed to criticize players.

 

Amen.

People don't realize most cities have broadcast teams of TRUE HOMERS.

At least Hawk tells it like it is for the most part.

Yes when things are going well he's a total homer in his inflection, his calls and his crazy ways of wording things.

But I challenge you to listen to most any other teams' crews (except Scully and a few like that) and not puke at the homerism.

 

Interpreter? Wtf does this say?

 

 

There's a long history of Sox broadcasters who have been SOMEWHAT critical of Sox players before Stone, including DJ and Paciorek.

 

I'll respectfully disagree about DJ or Chris Singleton being very critical.

 

Farmer is more so (albeit radio, so not as heard)...and Paciorek was kind of in the middle as well. All things considered, pretty fair/objective (although Farmer's sense of self importance, Notre Dame allusions, name dropping and conservative rants get me annoyed at times).

 

DJ is a BIT more critical now on radio...I think when he was doing TV and then regional/national TV broadcasting at time, he became very plain vanilla and tried not to offend anyone.

 

Harry Caray, of course, and Piersall, were MUCH more polarizing in terms of their beliefs and opinions in the booth...Jack Brickhouse, too.

Edited March 1, 201214 yr by caulfield12

There's a long history of Sox broadcasters who have been SOMEWHAT critical of Sox players before Stone, including DJ and Paciorek.

 

I'll respectfully disagree about DJ or Chris Singleton being very critical.

 

Farmer is more so (albeit radio, so not as heard)...and Paciorek was kind of in the middle as well. All things considered, pretty fair/objective (although Farmer's sense of self importance, Notre Dame allusions, name dropping and conservative rants get me annoyed at times).

 

DJ is a BIT more critical now on radio...I think when he was doing TV and then regional/national TV broadcasting at time, he became very plain vanilla and tried not to offend anyone.

 

Harry Caray, of course, and Piersall, were MUCH more polarizing in terms of their beliefs and opinions in the both...Jack Brickhouse, too.

Adjust sarcasm meter. I was talking about the way it was written.

Interpreter? Wtf does this say?

 

 

There's a long history of Sox broadcasters who have been SOMEWHAT critical of Sox players before Stone, including DJ and Paciorek.

 

I'll respectfully disagree about DJ or Chris Singleton being very critical.

 

Farmer is more so (albeit radio, so not as heard)...and Paciorek was kind of in the middle as well. All things considered, pretty fair/objective (although Farmer's sense of self importance, Notre Dame allusions, name dropping and conservative rants get me annoyed at times).

 

DJ is a BIT more critical now on radio...I think when he was doing TV and then regional/national TV broadcasting at time, he became very plain vanilla and tried not to offend anyone.

 

Harry Caray, of course, and Piersall, were MUCH more polarizing in terms of their beliefs and opinions in the both...Jack Brickhouse, too.

 

 

http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/0...gan-trivia.html

I don't see anything wrong with this. It's a pretty typical baseball conversation that every set of announcers has during the season. I don't like Joe Morgan, but the only reason this is on the "awful" list is because it is Joe Morgan.

Stoney poney, on the other hand, really stinks, total snooze, everything said above I agree with, not to mention he will always be a Cubs guy to me ...

 

Yeah, you make Sox fans look bad.

 

I loathe Hawk. He's an embarrassing clown of a hack. I can't wait for the day he's gone.

 

John Rooney and Steve Stone - a pairing made in broadcast heaven

 

This has been my issue with Sox TV/radio broadcasting, especially recently:

 

Play-by-play and analyst are two different jobs, requiring two different skillsets, yet the Sox seem to treat them as if they're the exact same job.

 

A PBP guy is a professional broadcaster. He describes the action objectively and keeps the broadcast flowing.

An analyst is an expert who provides insights and opinions on what is going on in the game and with the team.

 

The Sox have effectively filled all four of their TV/radio spots with analysts. I don't dislike any of the four, but two of them are doing jobs for which they are neither qualified nor competent.

If you consider the Web Site this was on, and the people who visit that web site and ranked them this should not come as a suprise. FanGraph is big into Sabermetrics and all the advance stats..I do not think I have ever heard Hawk talk about any of that and sometimes he dismisses it all together. Most of the guys in the Top 10 are believers in advance stats.

 

With that being said I would not miss Hawk if he left tomorrow. I do not mind that he is a Homer, or that he tows the company line, I would just prefer more intelligent conversation during game. I feel bad for Stone, that guy has a ton of insight to offer but has a hard time getting a word in around Hawk and his long pointless stories..or his stupid catch phrases.

I seem to remember someone ranking the radio teams a few years back. If I remember correctly, Rooney and Farmer were #2. At the time, I thought that was insane (Farmer drives me up the wall sometimes). But about a year ago, I got XM Radio. Listening to some of those announcers, especially in some of the smaller markets, is painful. I think we actually have it lucky.

If you consider the Web Site this was on, and the people who visit that web site and ranked them this should not come as a suprise. FanGraph is big into Sabermetrics and all the advance stats..I do not think I have ever heard Hawk talk about any of that and sometimes he dismisses it all together. Most of the guys in the Top 10 are believers in advance stats.

 

With that being said I would not miss Hawk if he left tomorrow. I do not mind that he is a Homer, or that he tows the company line, I would just prefer more intelligent conversation during game. I feel bad for Stone, that guy has a ton of insight to offer but has a hard time getting a word in around Hawk and his long pointless stories..or his stupid catch phrases.

I can't help but disagree here, unless I'm not 100% clear on what this phrase means. Hawk tells it like it is. There's a difference between being a homer and rooting for your team and being a puppet and saying what they want you to say. Hawks is very critical of guys when they struggle. Yes, he roots for them to get out of their slumps and help the team out, but he doesn't sugar coat things all the time. I think that's a common misconception.

 

He's a broadcaster, he can't sit there and rip the organization that is writing his checks. But he sure as hell doesn't sit there and pretend all is well when the team isn't winning.

I can't help but disagree here, unless I'm not 100% clear on what this phrase means. Hawk tells it like it is. There's a difference between being a homer and rooting for your team and being a puppet and saying what they want you to say. Hawks is very critical of guys when they struggle. Yes, he roots for them to get out of their slumps and help the team out, but he doesn't sugar coat things all the time. I think that's a common misconception.

 

He's a broadcaster, he can't sit there and rip the organization that is writing his checks. But he sure as hell doesn't sit there and pretend all is well when the team isn't winning.

His tip your cap excuse gets old. It's baseball so it happens, but he uses that line every single time, and the pats few years those outings have been wayyyy to common.

I love his patented "this White Sox team is the most talented collection of players he's seen in his 49 years in baseball" line nearly every year.

 

It's like on the Bachelor or Bachelotte..."the most dramatic rose ceremony EVER" each season, miraculously.

Edited March 6, 201214 yr by caulfield12

I don't mind the Hawkisms too much , but I hate that he speaks in absolutes so often. "He's the best (fill in the blank) that I've seen in all my years...." It hurts his credibility with me. I don't mind a homer, but don't lie to me. And if the team is bad, Hawk doesn't have to tell me that because I understand that he doesn't necessarily want to crap on the product, but I don't want him to tell me that it's a good team.

 

 

I can't help but disagree here, unless I'm not 100% clear on what this phrase means. Hawk tells it like it is. There's a difference between being a homer and rooting for your team and being a puppet and saying what they want you to say. Hawks is very critical of guys when they struggle. Yes, he roots for them to get out of their slumps and help the team out, but he doesn't sugar coat things all the time. I think that's a common misconception.

 

He's a broadcaster, he can't sit there and rip the organization that is writing his checks. But he sure as hell doesn't sit there and pretend all is well when the team isn't winning.

 

I agree.

People that say he tows the company line ... do you listen to other teams' crews?

Nobody criticizes the home team nowadays but Hawk and Stoney will blast White Sox players.

I commend them.

I would be okay with many Hawkisms, stories and strike zone criticisms if he kept them at moderate levels. Unfortunately, I can say "Don't stop now, boys!" after every single and he would likely owe me a coke.