Cub announcers

[Banedon]

My problem with Boog is that he seems like a national announcer calling the Cubs on a daily basis.  My perception is that he's very into the other teams, and doesn't seem nearly as into the Cubs.  My other problem with Boog is that, honestly, he makes a lot of mistakes.  Saying wrong players names, or the wrong count, or even the wrong score quite often.  Lastly, I feel like JD has a great, subtle sense of humor, and the best thing to do as a partner is to let his jokes live hang out there on their own...or maybe slyly add to them after a bit.  But Boog really just doesn't let that happen...he kinda hammers home JD's quips when they rarely need that.

That said, unless the Cubs could get Kevin Brown, I'm not really sure who else I'd want in there in his place.

[Cubs70]

Boog may get names wrong but nowhere near as bad as Harry was 

[Cubs70]

I throughly enjoyed this conversation.  While Boog may not be Vin Scully, and no one can be that good, he's so much better than Hawk Harrelson.  My grandchild, due in April,  is better than Hawk

[Tryptamine]

Just now, Cubs70 said:

I throughly enjoyed this conversation.  While Boog may not be Vin Scully, and no one can be that good, he's so much better than Hawk Harrelson.  My grandchild, due in April,  is better than Hawk

Hot take, but there's at least a few of us who didn't think Vin Scully has good at all. Just nostalgic story after nostalgic story. I think it was either Raisin or Tim who didn't like him as well.

[Cubs70]

1 minute ago, Tryptamine said:

Hot take, but there's at least a few of us who didn't think Vin Scully has good at all. Just nostalgic story after nostalgic story. I think it was either Raisin or Tim who didn't like him as well.

Fair enough. I know I'm in the minority here but I did not like Harry. He thought he was more important than the game. 

[Tryptamine]

Just now, Cubs70 said:

Fair enough. I know I'm in the minority here but I did not like Harry. He thought he was more important than the game. 

I wasn't a huge fan either. Of my lifetime, Len has been my favorite guy. 

[Cubs70]

1 minute ago, Tryptamine said:

I wasn't a huge fan either. Of my lifetime, Len has been my favorite guy. 

I'm older than you. I grew up with Jack Brickhouse when I became a fan in the 70's. He's my favorite. Nostalgia does play a factor 

[chopsx9]

I think JD is fantastic.  Booger is a bit of a tool - which may be part of the appeal -  but he's grown on me and I think he has good chemistry with JD.  I know I'm in the minority but I don't mind Sutcliffe - maybe that would change if he did every game but there have been at least a couple times where he's thrown out the scenario of how he thinks the opposing team was going to handle a situation on the field and both JD and Boog were "Sut you're out of your mind" and it played out exactly like he said.  One was walking the tying or winning run to get to Contreras who promptly rolled over on a pitch to end the inning.   I'll always have a soft spot for Harry and Steve.  The first year I started watching baseball was Steve's first year in the booth.  Harry was certainly clunkier as he got older - although that did result in the classic Harry line as Arnie zoomed in on a couple huddled under a blanket in the bleachers - "Look Steve they have a system to keep warm; he kisses her on the strikes and she kisses him on the ...:   Harry wasn't the greatest human either - the story of him at Chip's little league game is absolutely brutal - google it if you don't know it.  I'm fairly indifferent on Pat but I do enjoy listening to Ronnie.

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, chopsx9 said:

I think JD is fantastic.  Booger is a bit of a tool - which may be part of the appeal -  but he's grown on me and I think he has good chemistry with JD.  I know I'm in the minority but I don't mind Sutcliffe - maybe that would change if he did every game but there have been at least a couple times where he's thrown out the scenario of how he thinks the opposing team was going to handle a situation on the field and both JD and Boog were "Sut you're out of your mind" and it played out exactly like he said.  One was walking the tying or winning run to get to Contreras who promptly rolled over on a pitch to end the inning.   I'll always have a soft spot for Harry and Steve.  The first year I started watching baseball was Steve's first year in the booth.  Harry was certainly clunkier as he got older - although that did result in the classic Harry line as Arnie zoomed in on a couple huddled under a blanket in the bleachers - "Look Steve they have a system to keep warm; he kisses her on the strikes and she kisses him on the ...:   Harry wasn't the greatest human either - the story of him at Chip's little league game is absolutely brutal - google it if you don't know it.  I'm fairly indifferent on Pat but I do enjoy listening to Ronnie.

I agree that Sutcliffe knows the game. He is good at that sort of stuff. But he is too much of a homer. Everyone is great on the cubs if you are to believe him. That is my issue with him. I love JD. Boog is fine as far as I am concerned.

[Derwood]

Sutcliffe is bad, but Girardi is insufferable

[Thusly Boned]

On 11/25/2023 at 12:24 PM, Tryptamine said:

I wasn't a huge fan either. Of my lifetime, Len has been my favorite guy. 

Yeah, I really came of age as a Cubs fan during the Harry era, but tbh he was hard to listen to most days. By the time I was in my mid-late teens (not long before his passing), I was already pretty over him. He was kind of charming, but also a hot mess, and I think that in that way he mirrored the product on the field. And not in a good way.

Recently I've started playing random old games on YouTube while I am working, and it's a mix of potent (almost breathtaking) nostalgia and being shocked at just how rough Harry was most of the time. It's kind of like trying garbage food you liked as a child: the first bite or two really takes you back, but you kinda want to toss the rest.

Better in memory than experienced again.

Len has been my favorite for sure, and that likely had almost as much to do with the fact that his tenure overlapped the Cubs becoming consistently good as it did with how he called the game and his banter. But he and J.D. were a top shelf duo, for certain. 

I think Boog is just fine, it'll take some time to really appreciate him. It did with Len as well.