Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire ” brought to you by your local Auto Logic…….the Logical Choice.
To me, Major League Baseball has the best announcers in the Big 4 of sports.
Yes, there are great announcers in hockey, football and basketball, but the action in hockey and basketball is often too frenetic and way too spaced out in football to carry the same time honoured appeal of the Major League Baseball announcer
Among my early favorites was the late Joe Garagiola who passed away at age 90 earlier this year.
Garagiola delivered the game with ease and familiarity, never condescending.
You respected his knowledge and contacts in the sport and while he wasn’t a star, you also respected that he played the game for almost a decade at the highest level in one of the toughest positions; catcher.
Furthermore, he wasn’t a ” jock “, he was an Everyman, an engaging personality with the bald head who was gifted enough and personable enough to hold his own with Johnny Carson at night and on the Today Show in the morning.
Joe Garagiola who partnered with Tony Kubek, then Vin Scully, on the NBC Game of the Week- he was good.
I’m Fred Wallace