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OT:Buccos

The Ole Six-Fiver said:
This is overall a great post. However… John Wehner???? I’m sorry. No. Granted I’m only an occasional partake of the product these days but…OMG, he’s … bad doesn’t even come close. He just kind of grunts.
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I also think Wehner is awful.
I’m a fan of Greg Brown, and I respect him for having to sit through a terrible product most years.
And Kevin Young is an enigma. I think he’s very insightful and brings a lot to the broadcast. But his delivery is bad. It puts you to sleep. He needs coached up.

And as far as the rest of the local guys doing tv and radio, they all need replaced.

In summary, the only one in all sports who is anywhere near untouchable, it’s Greg Brown. All the rest should be replaced.
 
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The Ole Six-Fiver said:
This is overall a great post. However… John Wehner???? I’m sorry. No. Granted I’m only an occasional partake of the product these days but…OMG, he’s … bad doesn’t even come close. He just kind of grunts.
Click to expand...
He has really grown on me. But possibly it is because the other color commentators besides Bob Walk are so bad. Neil Walker shows some potential, but he is nowhere close to being good yet.
 
Fk_Pitt said:
I also think Wehner is awful.
I’m a fan of Greg Brown, and I respect him for having to sit through a terrible product most years.
And Kevin Young is an enigma. I think he’s very insightful and brings a lot to the broadcast. But his delivery is bad. It puts you to sleep. He needs coached up.

And as far as the rest of the local guys doing tv and radio, they all need replaced.

In summary, the only one in all sports who is anywhere near untouchable, it’s Greg Brown. All the rest should be replaced.
Click to expand...
Apparently none of you guys have access to other team's broadcast crews...In addition to the Pirates I have the Nats, Phillies, and Orioles here in Central PA. None are no better or worse than the others...Its the nature of the game and its 162 schedule...
 
Fk_Pitt said:
I also think Wehner is awful.
I’m a fan of Greg Brown, and I respect him for having to sit through a terrible product most years.
And Kevin Young is an enigma. I think he’s very insightful and brings a lot to the broadcast. But his delivery is bad. It puts you to sleep. He needs coached up.

And as far as the rest of the local guys doing tv and radio, they all need replaced.

In summary, the only one in all sports who is anywhere near untouchable, it’s Greg Brown. All the rest should be replaced.
Click to expand...
I think Bob Walk is very good. I agree with you on Wehner.
 
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upj87 said:
Apparently none of you guys have access to other team's broadcast crews...In addition to the Pirates I have the Nats, Phillies, and Orioles here in Central PA. None are no better or worse than the others...Its the nature of the game and its 162 schedule...
Click to expand...
Yeah you got me. I’ll take that as a badge of honor. I never have and never will watch another teams broadcast. It’s baseball afterall and I’d be embarrassed with my life if I wasted my personal time watching other teams.

I also think the penguins broadcast teams are awful too. But they’re also following the best who ever did it. A couple weeks ago I watched a Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals and New York islander broadcast(because of the playoff implications) and all were miles better than the Pens broadcast team.
 
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i like wehner. love Walk, browny is good too.

i dont know, im pretty laid back on broadcasters though. you have to really suck for me to notice you and more importantly, for it to ruin my viewing experience.
 
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Bob Prince was a unique character. He learned at the elbow of Rosey Rosewell, and he had a great second fiddle in the Possum, Jim Woods.

Prince was flamboyant and an entertainer. He had a gift for keeping things interesting and he was great with turning a catchy phrase.
Some of his gaffe's were legendary.

He was also a very talented swimmer/diver. Once he won a bet by diving from a second floor balcony into a pool at a hotel!

Once when doing a radio broadcast from old Busch Stadium in Saint Louis it was so hot and humid that he and Woods did their broadcast in their boxer shorts.
He started the broadcast proclaiming "It's BVD day in St. Louis!"

He had great relationships with the Pirate players, especially the African American players when that wasn't universally the case.

Willie Stargell had opened a fried chicken place in the Hill District, and when Willie hit a HR, Prince would proclaim It's Chicken on the Hill with Will!! Once he said everyone in line would get free chicken if Stargell hit a HR. Not sure Willie was on board with that, and when it happened the line swelled!! Later Prince said, "It was Chicken on the Hill with Will, and the Gunner paid the Bill!!"

Some of his gimmicks were great as well. The Green Weenie is still a collector's item, and the Bug on the Rug, A bloop and a blast, we need a Hoover for a DP, He couldn't hit that one with a bed slat, and so many more.

He didn't translate as well into National broadcasts or other sports because he was such a homer. Sad how his career was sabotaged by corporate interests. He did get one last swan song for the Pirates shortly before he died.
A Pittsburgh and Pirates legend, almost as great as some of their HOF'ers!
 
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upj87 said:
Apparently none of you guys have access to other team's broadcast crews...In addition to the Pirates I have the Nats, Phillies, and Orioles here in Central PA. None are no better or worse than the others...Its the nature of the game and its 162 schedule...
Click to expand...
i listen on Sirius or watch on MLB extra innings. Greg Brown, Bob Walk and to a lesser extent , John Wehner, compare favorably to most others I hear. Now, I understand that most announcers have nuance and take time to grow on you. But some of these guys are truly boring. Just awful. Pittsburgh should appreciate what they have because it is better than what several teams I've listened to have.
 
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FreeportPanther said:
Bob Prince was a unique character. He learned at the elbow of Rosey Rosewell, and he had a great second fiddle in the Possum, Jim Woods.

Prince was flamboyant and an entertainer. He had a gift for keeping things interesting and he was great with turning a catchy phrase.
Some of his gaffe's were legendary.

He was also a very talented swimmer/diver. Once he won a bet by diving from a second floor balcony into a pool at a hotel!

Once when doing a radio broadcast from old Busch Stadium in Saint Louis it was so hot and humid that he and Woods did their broadcast in their boxer shorts.
He started the broadcast proclaiming "It's BVD day in St. Louis!"

He had great relationships with the Pirate players, especially the African American players when that wasn't universally the case.

Willie Stargell had opened a fried chicken place in the Hill District, and when Willie hit a HR, Prince would proclaim It's Chicken on the Hill with Will!! Once he said everyone in line would get free chicken if Stargell hit a HR. Not sure Willie was on board with that, and when it happened the line swelled!! Later Prince said, "It was Chicken on the Hill with Will, and the Gunner paid the Bill!!"

Some of his gimmicks were great as well. The Green Weenie is still a collector's item, and the Bug on the Rug, A bloop and a blast, we need a Hoover for a DP, He couldn't hit that one with a bed slat, and so many more.

He didn't translate as well into National broadcasts or other sports because he was such a homer. Sad how his career was sabotaged by corporate interests. He did get one last swan song for the Pirates shortly before he died.
A Pittsburgh and Pirates legend, almost as great as some of their HOF'ers!
Click to expand...
@FreeportPanther the story above is fantastic. never heard that nor had no idea Willie had a fried chicken joint in the hill. Great story.


Willie Stargell had opened a fried chicken place in the Hill District, and when Willie hit a HR, Prince would proclaim It's Chicken on the Hill with Will!! Once he said everyone in line would get free chicken if Stargell hit a HR. Not sure Willie was on board with that, and when it happened the line swelled!! Later Prince said, "It was Chicken on the Hill with Will, and the Gunner paid the Bill!!"
 
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Zeldas Open Roof said:
@FreeportPanther the story above is fantastic. never heard that nor had no idea Willie had a fried chicken joint in the hill. Great story.


Willie Stargell had opened a fried chicken place in the Hill District, and when Willie hit a HR, Prince would proclaim It's Chicken on the Hill with Will!! Once he said everyone in line would get free chicken if Stargell hit a HR. Not sure Willie was on board with that, and when it happened the line swelled!! Later Prince said, "It was Chicken on the Hill with Will, and the Gunner paid the Bill!!"
Click to expand...
"One famous Prince call was Chicken on the Hill with Will (Page XX). According to legend, it originated as a spontaneous promise he made on the air, that if Willie Stargell homered everyone inside Stargell’s fried chicken joint would get free chicken. The restaurant was in the Hill District, a neighborhood of row houses that was the center of black culture in the city. It had been home to the renowned jazz joint, the Crawford Club, a regular stop for luminaries including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. By the 70s the Hill was plagued with crime, junkies and boarded up buildings. We kids feared Hill District in the manner of urban legend, and never dared go through it. Willie Stargell did homer that night, and the restaurant was mobbed. It remains unclear who paid the bill or if the offer continued—but the saying lived on as Prince’s home run call whenever Willie went deep. Price told long, rambling stories, including episodes and hijinks with the team on the road."
 
recruitsreadtheseboards said:
I think Bob Walk is very good. I agree with you on Wehner.
Click to expand...
FreeportPanther said:
Bob Prince was a unique character. He learned at the elbow of Rosey Rosewell, and he had a great second fiddle in the Possum, Jim Woods.

Prince was flamboyant and an entertainer. He had a gift for keeping things interesting and he was great with turning a catchy phrase.
Some of his gaffe's were legendary.

He was also a very talented swimmer/diver. Once he won a bet by diving from a second floor balcony into a pool at a hotel!

Once when doing a radio broadcast from old Busch Stadium in Saint Louis it was so hot and humid that he and Woods did their broadcast in their boxer shorts.
He started the broadcast proclaiming "It's BVD day in St. Louis!"

He had great relationships with the Pirate players, especially the African American players when that wasn't universally the case.

Willie Stargell had opened a fried chicken place in the Hill District, and when Willie hit a HR, Prince would proclaim It's Chicken on the Hill with Will!! Once he said everyone in line would get free chicken if Stargell hit a HR. Not sure Willie was on board with that, and when it happened the line swelled!! Later Prince said, "It was Chicken on the Hill with Will, and the Gunner paid the Bill!!"

Some of his gimmicks were great as well. The Green Weenie is still a collector's item, and the Bug on the Rug, A bloop and a blast, we need a Hoover for a DP, He couldn't hit that one with a bed slat, and so many more.

He didn't translate as well into National broadcasts or other sports because he was such a homer. Sad how his career was sabotaged by corporate interests. He did get one last swan song for the Pirates shortly before he died.
A Pittsburgh and Pirates legend, almost as great as some of their HOF'ers!
Click to expand...

You're obviously older than me, I only remember Prince with Nellie King as his booth partner. Didn't he also have a saying about a gnat? You are stirring my childhood memory banks.
 
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BTisinDC said:
You're obviously older than me, I only remember Prince with Nellie King as his booth partner. Didn't he also have a saying about a gnat? You are stirring my childhood memory banks.
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Yeah Prince (when did he end) but pretty much he was gone before I really started paying attention enough to listen to the radio.
 
recruitsreadtheseboards said:
Yeah Prince (when did he end) but pretty much he was gone before I really started paying attention enough to listen to the radio.
Click to expand...
1975, but he did a little bit for cable broadcasts in the early 80's. By then, he was battling health issues.

A proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and a letterman on the swimming and diving team!
 
FreeportPanther said:
1975, but he did a little bit for cable broadcasts in the early 80's. By then, he was battling health issues.

A proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and a letterman on the swimming and diving team!
Click to expand...
I did not know he went to Pitt. I think my great uncle and him were drinking buddies in the South Hills.
 
Fk_Pitt said:
I also think Wehner is awful.
I’m a fan of Greg Brown, and I respect him for having to sit through a terrible product most years.
And Kevin Young is an enigma. I think he’s very insightful and brings a lot to the broadcast. But his delivery is bad. It puts you to sleep. He needs coached up.

And as far as the rest of the local guys doing tv and radio, they all need replaced.

In summary, the only one in all sports who is anywhere near untouchable, it’s Greg Brown. All the rest should be replaced.
Click to expand...
Yeah . I guess I was harsh on Brownie . However the team they've put around him his a ton to be desired ... To say the least ...
 
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FreeportPanther said:
1975, but he did a little bit for cable broadcasts in the early 80's. By then, he was battling health issues.

A proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and a letterman on the swimming and diving team!
Click to expand...
RELATED STORY TIME:

Yes it was 1975. Jack Wheeler, a DJ from a rival radio station, organized a protest parade downtown on behalf of Bob Prince and Nellie King.

So I say to one my apartment mates on that beautiful Saturday morning, “C’mon…let’s go downtown and protest.”

There were so many people lining the parade route and shouting “BRING BACK PRINCE AND KING! BRING BACK PRINCE AND KING!”

The convertible carrying Bob and Nellie comes into sight. As it nears us, my friend and I jump out in front of the car, start waving clenched fists and led the cheers, “BRING BACK PRINCE AND KING!”

Here is photo taken at that rally:


images


So at Noon on Sunday, we turn on our TV to watch “Grandstand with Lee Leonard”. This was before there were any NFL pregame shows. Grandstand would first cover the most recent sporting news across the country before diving into that Sunday’s NFL matchups.

The first story was the Prince/King rally from the day before in Pittsburgh, complete with a video report.

And there on our TV, my friend and I watched in stunned silence as he and I were shown marching immediately in front of the convertible and leading the protest parade!

Our phone rang off the hook the entire day afterwards. 🤷‍♂️
 
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OH Pete said:
Would've been a perfect time for a "slash bunt".
Click to expand...


If you were watching, that was kind of what he tried to do with the first pitch. He showed bunt, and then when the Reds players starting moving around he pulled the bat back and took a kind of "slappy" swing at the ball, just trying to put it into play. Unfortunately, he missed. But if he had put it into play he would have had a ton of space to hit the ball to.

On the second pitch, I think he just didn't think it was a strike. And then the third pitch he definitely didn't think it was a strike. And he was right.
 
Fk_Pitt said:
And Kevin Young is an enigma. I think he’s very insightful and brings a lot to the broadcast. But his delivery is bad. It puts you to sleep. He needs coached up.
Click to expand...


I agree on Young. I think he's giving good information, but his voice is just not made for broadcasting. He talks too quietly, and in too much of a monotone. I think he could be good someday, but he needs a lot of work.
 
Joe the Panther Fan said:
If you were watching, that was kind of what he tried to do with the first pitch. He showed bunt, and then when the Reds players starting moving around he pulled the bat back and took a kind of "slappy" swing at the ball, just trying to put it into play. Unfortunately, he missed. But if he had put it into play he would have had a ton of space to hit the ball to.

On the second pitch, I think he just didn't think it was a strike. And then the third pitch he definitely didn't think it was a strike. And he was right.
Click to expand...
I don't know if it's just me, but the strike zone seems to be particularly loose this year. In years past, certain umps were more likely to give a high strike or stretch the outside zone against lefties, etc - particular quirks. But it seems this year every game has strikes called low, high and wide.
 
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BTisinDC said:
I don't know if it's just me, but the strike zone seems to particularly loose this year. In years past, certain umps were more likely to give a high strike or stretch the outside zone against lefties, etc - particular quirks. But it seems this year every game has strikes called low, high and wide.
Click to expand...


There have certainly been a couple of games where the strike zone seemed inordinately large.

Now if it's that way for both teams, then I guess guys have to figure it out and live with it.
 
FreeportPanther said:
And of course, "You can kiss it goodbye!!"
Click to expand...
One thing I want to add though, for all the antics and fun stuff, Prince was head and shoulders above today's radio play by play men with describing the events on the field as they happened, and giving relavent information as the game wore on, IMO
 
I always wished Bob Prince would have written a book on his life. That would have been a heck of a read.
I read Steve Blass and Nellie Kings books both excellent.
 
Parkview57 said:
One thing I want to add though, for all the antics and fun stuff, Prince was head and shoulders above today's radio play by play men with describing the events on the field as they happened, and giving relavent information as the game wore on, IMO
Click to expand...
Remember Prince cut his teeth when radio was the only medium broadcasting games. There were NO visuals or anything else for the audience to focus on. If the announcer wasn't talking, it was dead time.

Rosewell and Prince had a gimmick when a Pirate hit a HR. Rosewell would yell "Open the window, Aunt Minnie, here it comes!" And then Prince would use a prop to simulate broken glass as the HR purportedly broke the window!

All that experience paid dividends down the road for Prince and some of the other great announcers of the past era.
 
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FreeportPanther said:
1975, but he did a little bit for cable broadcasts in the early 80's. By then, he was battling health issues.

A proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and a letterman on the swimming and diving team!
Click to expand...
uh, as much as Jordan Addison or Mark Cuban is a proud graduate of Pitt...

www.oklahoman.com

Truly a Prince: Pirate Fans Mourn OU Grad's Death

A wire service reporter in Pittsburgh wrote Tuesday morning that the "entire" Steel City is in mourning after the passing of Bob Prince, the former Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster. That's always a dan…
www.oklahoman.com
 
FreeportPanther said:
When Clemente would do something spectacular, he'd yell "Arriba"!!

And of course, "You can kiss it goodbye!!"
Click to expand...
And of course high can of corn 2000 LBs of golden bantam

Loved the Gunner. One of a kind The chicken on the hill with Will bright back great memeories. I never knew he did that initially without stargells knowledge. LOL
 
upj87 said:
uh, as much as Jordan Addison or Mark Cuban is a proud graduate of Pitt...

www.oklahoman.com

Truly a Prince: Pirate Fans Mourn OU Grad's Death

A wire service reporter in Pittsburgh wrote Tuesday morning that the "entire" Steel City is in mourning after the passing of Bob Prince, the former Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster. That's always a dan…
www.oklahoman.com
Click to expand...
Oh well, at least he went there and did earn a letter in swimming.
 
Dan1911 said:
Hooray for the buccos investing in a good player. I may be crazy, but in market terms, isn't that a discount?
Click to expand...

Seems like it. Though a part of me feels like it's $26M/year for 4 years and then the wheels fall off, haha.

... which would still be a discount in baseball.
 
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