OT: Joe Block, Pirates announcer

[ChazzMo]

I’ve been a little critical in the past about Mr. Block: great voice, but tries too hard, was my opinion. And too low key. I want my team radio announcer to get excited when the team does something well. Be an obvious homer? HELL, yes!

This season - I think he’s turned it up a notch and may have turned the corner. Today he sounded totally into it and totally excited. I really liked his work today.

 

[buckage]

He is/was already the best among the group.

Brown is intolerably bad and a homer to the point of apologist.

Walk is so stuck in the "old" ways it hinders his ability to be objective.

Blass, I like, but like Hilgrove l he gets sidetracked. The #2 of the group.

Pittsburgh John may be good, but I can't understand him.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I love Walk.

 

[Black Panther]

Sorry,but Block sucks.the sideline guy sucks.Really? Do you even need a sideline guy for baseball? Hopefully Suzie Cool will get a shot someday.

 

[MajorMajors]

I’ve been a little critical in the past about Mr. Block: great voice, but tries too hard, was my opinion. And too low key. I want my team radio announcer to get excited when the team does something well. Be an obvious homer? HELL, yes!

This season - I think he’s turned it up a notch and may have turned the corner. Today he sounded totally into it and totally excited. I really liked his work today.

Block did show some excitement today, which was good.

Still, there can’t be a worse home run call than “There it goes” can there?

 

[BigBird80]

Wait, so people listen to baseball in the radio? The most boring sport in the world and in person and we actually have a group of people who listen to it on the radio? Wow.

 

[paulbl99]

Blass is making the right move by hanging it.
Block has a great voice and knows baseball history.

Love Brown I want a homer in the both...
Like the other 2 as well.

 

[Black Panther]

Wait, so people listen to baseball in the radio? The most boring sport in the world and in person and we actually have a group of people who listen to it on the radio? Wow.

He's just as bad if not worse on tv.

 

[Pitt5593]

He is/was already the best among the group.

Brown is intolerably bad and a homer to the point of apologist.

Walk is so stuck in the "old" ways it hinders his ability to be objective.

Blass, I like, but like Hilgrove l he gets sidetracked. The #2 of the group.

Pittsburgh John may be good, but I can't understand him.

If you listen to Bob Walk, he will teach you something about the game you don’t know. He was a very gutty ball player!!

 

[buckage]

If you listen to Bob Walk, he will teach you something about the game you don’t know. He was a very gutty ball player!!

So will a thousand other former players.

 

[MajorMajors]

Wait, so people listen to baseball in the radio? The most boring sport in the world and in person and we actually have a group of people who listen to it on the radio? Wow.

Yeah, I’ll listen off and on to a Pirate game if I’m doing something or in the car...

Happened to catch the walk-off-win ending today in the car...

 

[Cap pitt]

Well, there was only one Bob Prince. Never be another!!!!! The green weinie, or, that ball is on I 80 on its way to Dayton Ohio, the babuska, missed by a gnats eyelash, and many more one liners, he was the best. As you can see I go back a ways.

 

[BFo8]

Wait, so people listen to baseball in the radio? The most boring sport in the world and in person and we actually have a group of people who listen to it on the radio? Wow.

Those of us who live outside of town often don’t have any other options other than XM radio.

I’ve long thought the Pirates announcers were horrible, didn’t think anyone else really shared that opinion actually.

 

[Bubby6]

I love Walk.

Me too

 

[Cap pitt]

I like Walk and Blass, Brown and Block, I don't like Wehner, he's boring

 

[BFo8]

One of my favorite things about satellite radio is getting to hear all these local announcers in other areas, college basketball especially. You really get insight into these teams emotional state that otherwise you’d never know. Hearing the Nebraska announcers as their season sunk into oblivion was very interesting.

As far as baseball guys go I really enjoy listening to Krukow and Kuiper for the Giants.

 

[paulbl99]

Well, there was only one Bob Prince. Never be another!!!!! The green weinie, or, that ball is on I 80 on its way to Dayton Ohio, the babuska, missed by a gnats eyelash, and many more one liners, he was the best. As you can see I go back a ways.

A bloop and a blast.
We had them all the way.
We’ll strap it on them
You can kiss it goodbye
Bring out the Hoover.
He had desire in his head but lead in his feet ( something like that)
A home run in an elevator shaft.
3 unassisted put outs...a record held by many
We may never lose again

 

[FreeportPanther]

We've got a bug on the rug.
He couldn't hit that with a bed slat.
Chicken on the Hill with Will!

 

[paulbl99]

We've got a bug on the rug.
He couldn't hit that with a bed slat.
Chicken on the Hill with Will!

How bout the night he promised Chicken on the Hill for everybody if Stargell cranked one in a close game.

And he paid a very stiff bill !!!!!!

 

[FreeportPanther]

How bout the night he promised Chicken on the Hill for everybody if Stargell cranked one in a close game.

And he paid a very stiff bill !!!!!!

"Chicken on the Hill with Will, and the Gunner paid the bill!" Said the line swelled and hundreds appeared out of nowhere. They actually ran out of chicken!

It used to get oppressively hot and humid at old Busch Stadium in Saint Louis and Gunner and Jim Woods used to broadcast games in their boxers.
He started the broadcast "It's BVD day in Saint Louis!"

He can hit it out of any park, including Yellowstone!

 

[pbrad]

Block sounds like a baseball announcer. Walk is good at letting us know the nuances of the game. Brown makes a base hit by a 200 hitter in the second inning sound like its the 9th inning of a world series game, too fake.

 

[paulbl99]

"Chicken on the Hill with Will, and the Gunner paid the bill!" Said the line swelled and hundreds appeared out of nowhere. They actually ran out of chicken!

It used to get oppressively hot and humid at old Busch Stadium in Saint Louis and Gunner and Jim Woods used to broadcast games in their boxers.
He started the broadcast "It's BVD day in Saint Louis!"

He can hit it out of any park, including Yellowstone!

He was damn lucky they ran out of chicken

Yellowstone haha forgot that.

Started listening like in first grade...when I got a little older and read mags or paper I would read some criticism of him as too much a “homer”...I’m like wth he’s the Pirates broadcaster he’s supposed to be rooting for them. Didn’t quite get that standard of impartiality at that time.

 

[Pitt5593]

A bloop and a blast.
We had them all the way.
We’ll strap it on them
You can kiss it goodbye
Bring out the Hoover.
He had desire in his head but lead in his feet ( something like that)
A home run in an elevator shaft.
3 unassisted put outs...a record held by many
We may never lose again

He had larceny in his heart but lead in his feet.

 

[paulbl99]

He had larceny in his heart but lead in his feet.

Yes

 

[MajorMajors]

A bloop and a blast.
We had them all the way.
We’ll strap it on them
You can kiss it goodbye
Bring out the Hoover.
He had desire in his head but lead in his feet ( something like that)
A home run in an elevator shaft.
3 unassisted put outs...a record held by many
We may never lose again

It was foul by a gnat’s eyelash!

 

[paulbl99]

He is/was already the best among the group.

Brown is intolerably bad and a homer to the point of apologist.

Walk is so stuck in the "old" ways it hinders his ability to be objective.

Blass, I like, but like Hilgrove l he gets sidetracked. The #2 of the group.

Pittsburgh John may be good, but I can't understand him.

 

[PITTsburghFAN]

We need "a bloop and a blast". "There a bug on the rug..." "Alley, to Maz... we got a Hoover"

 

[wicker]

Prince was in locker room when Maz homered and the story always was that he didn't know how the Parts won. However video of post game interviews show him asking Maz about the pitch he hit

As for Brown, what did you expect from the one-time Parrot

 

[mike 301]

Well, there was only one Bob Prince. Never be another!!!!! The green weinie, or, that ball is on I 80 on its way to Dayton Ohio, the babuska, missed by a gnats eyelash, and many more one liners, he was the best. As you can see I go back a ways.

And you can kiss it goodbye !!!
Loved Bob Prince and Nellie King .

 

[paulbl99]

Bell just “ tattooed one”
It got out of here in “sudden hurry. “

Cmon Bell keep going. Man what a boost that would be...

 

[Cap pitt]

A bloop and a blast.
We had them all the way.
We’ll strap it on them
You can kiss it goodbye
Bring out the Hoover.
He had desire in his head but lead in his feet ( something like that)
A home run in an elevator shaft.
3 unassisted put outs...a record held by many
We may never lose again

Right one could go on and on with his one liners. He was the best

 

[Cap pitt]

And you can kiss it goodbye !!!
Loved Bob Prince and Nellie King .

Me too, a lot of these young guys have no idea who Bob Prince or Nellie King was, not to mention manager Danny Murtaugh, way before their time

 

[CaptainMurphy]

Our broadcasting team is decent. I grew up listening to Harry Kalas and Ritchie Ashburn and understand that these guys are far from HOF level but they are fine. I used to really like Steve Blass but will be glad to see him retire, he uses too many words to describe anything. Block is fine. Walk is great. Brown is OK too.

 

[Cap pitt]

Is John Wehner still with the broadcast team? Seemed like pirates played all home games with Blass

 

[mike 301]

Me too, a lot of these young guys have no idea who Bob Prince or Nellie King was, not to mention manager Danny Murtaugh, way before their time

Danny. At one point had his own rocking chair in the dug out if im not mistaken .
Good times . He was the best . So were some of those Pirate teams .

 

[Parkview57]

Wait, so people listen to baseball in the radio? The most boring sport in the world and in person and we actually have a group of people who listen to it on the radio?

Yes, one of the only good things I can think of while working the evening shift in the summer is to put 3 hours away listening to your team every night, it can make a hot long summer a lot more bearable, and I can say leads to the habit of listening even over the week-end. However, its better to study your ass off, get a degree from Pitt, like my two kids did ( at our urging) , so that you don't find yourself in a dead end job, pulling cable off a spool(or some such mundane labor) in a 88degree shop with little or no air moving through.

 

[buckage]

Is John Wehner still with the broadcast team? Seemed like pirates played all home games with Blass

That's actually the set up. Blass does not travel.

 

[Cap pitt]

Bob Prince. "Goodnight Mrs McGillicutty where ever you are"

 

[RoguePanther]

Greg Brown is my guy! I still have not warmed up to Block. I though Brown should have gotten the lead job.

 

[paulbl99]

Cap was that Prince or his mentor Rosey Rosewell
Remember the saying but not sure it was Prince.

Roswell worked at a time where he would get a ticker tape from away game action and create a broadcast, sound effects and all.

Bob Prince. "Goodnight Mrs McGillicutty where ever you are"