Orsillo’s bad habits

Evidently NESN broadcaster Don Orsillo, the voice of the Boston Red Sox, did not get the message.

In a column last season, we pointed out some of his habits that make his broadcasts a tough listen.

As previously mentioned, Orsillo is a nice man whose on-air exchanges with partner Jerry Remy can be entertaining, but when it comes down to his predictability on a night-to-night basis, he has me looking for either the mute button or a sharp implement.

I am not an announcer and I don’t play one on TV, but I would like to be a viewer of NESN broadcasts. In order for me to enjoy a game, I hope Orsillo will pay attention to my suggestions.

Here we go again, and this time, Don, please pay attention:
1. When you tell us how many outs there are, you don’t have to say “in the inning.”
2. In the fifth inning, Pedroia, Ortiz and Napoli aren’t “expected” to bat, they are due up and will bat!
3. Enough with the “in a Red Sox uniform,” you have worn that one out already.
4. You can say ERA, you don’t have to say “earned run average” all the time.
5. During the course of a half inning you have reminded us what the inning is sometimes 15 times (check the tape); there is a box on the screen that tells us that if we want to look.
6. If a batter is 0-4 , I don’t care how he made his outs and what inning he made them, he is 0-4.
7. When the camera shows us the on deck circle and “Big Papi” is there, we can see him. You continue to tell us who he is and that he is on deck.
8. The camera will show the base runners and we know their names, but you will tell us who they are and what base they are on. Again, we know baseball and we can see them. It is television, not radio.
9. The camera flashes to the bull pen: we see a pitcher warming up, sometimes with his name on his back and his name on a graphic that says “RHP Joe Jones” and you will still say “warming up in the Kansas City pen is righthander Joe Jones.” Again, we know baseball, and we can see him.
10. Another of your annoying references that is overkill is “the Red Sox are enjoying a 3-0 advantage.” They are up 3-0 , they are ahead 3-0, they have a 3-0 lead, 3-zip Red Sox…this is baseball, not tennis!

On another note

We just lost a great broadcaster and gentleman in Pat Summerall. Accolades came from his peers and listening public and they all were impressed with how he could do such a great job by saying so few words.

Vince Scully is great because he sometimes says nothing and just lets the viewer digest what they are watching. I recall when Scully was doing a PGA event he once told us to “listen to the silence.”

Today’s broadcasters are forced to read so many promos and ads that it would be nice to have some silence and just watch a game without them over dissecting every ground out to short stop.

Please, Don Orsillo, let’s take baby steps if we have to, but let’s take enough of them to improve your presentation to your viewers, and remember, I said viewers, not listeners.

Posted by Dick Syriac on May 2, 2013. Filed under Berkshire Sports Guy,Columns,Opinion,Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry