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Miller or Buck

infielddadinfielddad10,000+ posts
On the radio this morning, I listened to, what I thought, was a fun and interesting discussion.
When you watch or listen to a baseball game, especially the WS, do you prefer Jon Miller or Joe Buck?
For the World Series, Miller is on the radio while Buck is doing TV on Fox.
During the course of the discussion, they played back calls from the game last night done by Miller and the same exact plays/calls done by Buck.
The difference in description could be accounted for, to an extent, by the medium of radio vs TV.
The difference in enthusiasm and insight for what happened on the field was quite dramatic, in my view.
While I was listening, every single caller favored one and could not stand the other. But what surprised me that the callers were unanimous in which they chose and which they almost "despised."
Also, they kept this focused on Buck and Miller so Morgan and McCarver were not factors.
For those who have heard both, who do you prefer and why?

'You don't have to be a great player to play in the major leagues, you've got to be a good one every day.'

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F 3FingeredGlove1,000+ posts
Fair disclosure: I live in the SF area, so I hear Jon Miller a lot.

I think Jon Miller is the best among all the announcers (Vin Sculley, who is the best ever, and not just for baseball, has lost a couple of steps). I respect Miller's understanding of the game, the players, and even the rules. He also is capable of entertaining when the game itself has lost tension.

I don't despise Joe Buck, but I don't think he offers insight into the game.
Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
Joe Buck can be a bit full of himself at times, but otherwise he's pretty matter-of-fact. Miller, in contrast, has a pretty decent sense of humor that keeps things a bit more interesting.

While I generally prefer Miller, I do credit Buck for one of my all-time favorite comments, made to third man Bob Brenly in response to one of Tim McCarver's trying-way-too-hard cutesy comments:

"Brenly, please, make him stop!"

Tim McCarver is the absolute worst. Apparently he thinks someone out here is enjoying his forced turns-of-phrase that he thinks are clever.

I will say that this was the first year I noticed Ron Darling as a color guy, and he was really very insightful and worth a listen. He reminded me some of Don Sutton, who also adds value to a broadcast. But not all pitchers qualify. Orel Hershisher, in particular, speaks in tongues most of the time, and when he does say something clearly, it is usually dead wrong. Whatever skill he had as a player, he is not able to articulate it at all.
CPLZCPLZ1,000+ posts
Jon Miller makes up little things, as if he were privy as an insider and likes to spin his own pronunciations...a couple of examples off the top of my head... Kept referring to Tadahito Iguchi as Tada. No one ever calls him Tada. He likes to put inflections on foriegn names that don't belong there, like Juan Uribe's name.

I'm with 3FG on Buck, he doesn't have much to offer besides pipes and hair.

At least I don't have to listen to Ron Darling. Not that I didn't care for his announcing, it's just that every time he opened his mouth, I got an image of James Woods sitting in the booth. My tiny little brain kept cramping.

Grudgingly, Miller. But there's so much better out there.
Last edited by CPLZ
biggerpapibiggerpapi5,000+ posts
Everyone surely has their own favorite for different reasons.

I enjoy some of the "professional talkers" like Scully, Miller and even Joe Buck. Not a fan of Chip Caray, he says too many stupid things. Gary Thorne does a good job, especially hockey. But, didn't he say something bad about Kevin Millar once?

I also enjoy many of the former players, some of whom can talk and others who can't. Morgan and McCarver are pretty full of themselves but the played the game at a very high level with some of the all time greats.

Darling and Gwynn have good insights but their voices are SOOOO annoying.

I'd love to hear Cal Ripken Jr. do games. He is great on his XM show.
Last edited by biggerpapi
Bighit15Bighit155,000+ posts
I really like Miller because he keeps me entertained in a slow game. It makes it easier to watch and stay focused.

Have you ever noticed that if you watch the same guy enough that you start to know what he is going to say before he says it? That kind of familiarity helps when the announcer is not that good, but he is your home town guy and you don't have much choice.

biggerpapibiggerpapi5,000+ posts
How about local guys?

Pat Hughes with the Cubs is terrific. Santo is a goof but it's fun to listen to him moan and groan when the Cubs screw up.

Ken Harrelson for the White Sox is obnoxious but he does have some cool stories from when he played. DJ is terrible. But I think he's gone, right?

Steve Stone is very good. Knowledgeable.
ClevelandDadClevelandDadHSBBWeb Administrator
I like Jon Miller a lot. He is easy listening for me. Based on my four years of high school Espanol classes, I believe Miller more often than most pronounces names the way they ought to be spoken.

Joe Buck is rather boring although I like the fact he does not try to overshadow the game.

Really like Cal Ripken and Tony Gwinn. Really like Ron Darling as well.

Tim McCarver and Joe Morgan annoy me. Dennis Eckersly also annoys me. I like the ESPN crew of analysts although Eric Young has sort of a frog voice but he is knowledgable. I like Kruky, Steve Philips and Buck Showalter.

Vin Scully is a legend - no doubt, but I bet Vin knows who the greatest was and that was Red Barber who I believe Vin idolized and modeled his style after. Ernie Harwell in Detroit was another great one.
Last edited by ClevelandDad
L Lonzo10+ posts
I like Joe Buck, a little more humor than Miller. but both are very good.
But, McCarver, OMG, can he not shut-up?? He says the most unnecessary garbage. His insight and knowledge of the game is worthless because he has to taint the happenings in the game with his attempts to show his "unique" perspective/intelligence on each play. He is terrible. IMHO. I cannot believe that Fox cannot find anyone more suitable.
CPLZCPLZ1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by biggerpapi:
How about local guys?

Pat Hughes with the Cubs is terrific. Santo is a goof but it's fun to listen to him moan and groan when the Cubs screw up.

Ken Harrelson for the White Sox is obnoxious but he does have some cool stories from when he played. DJ is terrible. But I think he's gone, right?

Steve Stone is very good. Knowledgeable.


How can you miss the best local baseball announcer in Chicago, Ed Farmer? Farmio was excellent doing color, and now that he's assumed play by play, he does as good a job as any in Chicago. I was so disappointed to learn that they were breaking up Farmer/Stone to have Stone replace DJ on TV. Hawk should just "BE GONE".
F fsmjunior100+ posts
I like both Jon Miller and Joe Buck, but I do feel Miller is more baseball so I would lean towards him.

BOTH McCarver and Joe Morgan drive me crazy. But I would have to admit that Joe Morgan is the lesser of two evils.

MCCarver is the absolutely worst color guy ever! Well let me kthink about that, the TBS guys were pushing him?

No, I was right, McCarver sucks!
CM Coach May1,000+ posts
I have never met anyone that thought McCarver was worth a flip at what he does. I often catch myself wondering how a guy that played in the ML for so long could be so wrong so many times during the course of one game. He tries to add color but he only says something that is utterly ridiculous. How this guy continues to keep his job baffles me. Who likes him?
CM Coach May1,000+ posts
That is exactly what I said to myself when Buck made that statement. How about McCarver. Rollins leads off with a solid dbl. Weurth flys to rf moving Rollins to 3b with 1 out. What does McCarver say? "Heres another chance for the Phillies to score a cheap run." What? This type of statement is exactly what drives me nuts about this guy.
RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
quote:
Originally posted by zombywoof:
quote:
Originally posted by infidel_08:
I think Gary Thorne is infamous for saying that the Schilling bloody sock was contrived.


Gary Thorne is a good play-by-play guy. As for the Schilling bloody sock, Thorne nailed it right on the head when he said the fix was in on that sock.
Disclosure: Zomby is a Yankee fan who has never cut anyone but the Yankees and inch of slack.

Bench Longoria. LMAO!
Last edited by RJM
biggerpapibiggerpapi5,000+ posts
And for all you McCarver haters...Monday night, pouring down rain, standing water on the field, McCarver says, "There's no way anyone can steal a base in these conditions."

Upton promptly steals second, BY A MILE, off a great lefty pitcher.

That was during his astute observation that the basepath was too muddy for a steal or a slide (?), neglecting to consider what the conditions would do, for example, to the catcher's footwork. But it might have been related to his comment not too long before that: "These conditions favor the pitcher over the hitter because the bats are wet but the balls are dry." Huh????? Roll Eyes
Last edited by Orlando
Y YHF100+ posts
I like Miller and Buck both. Different styles of course. I really love the Sunday night games. I ran into Miller and Morgan in the lobby of the St. Louis Westin a few years ago and Miller's voice was exactly the same...and I told him as much....leading him to ask me what voice I was expecting to hear...LOL. I deserved that.

But for you guys that think Buck's not a baseball guy you don't have a clue. Just because he calls NFL now doesn't eliminate his lifetime background in baseball. He knows the game as well as Miller, probably better. Buck also has to follow his father which is a pretty big burden....and I think he's developed his own laid back style which works well, particularly in the Midwest.

McCarver is apparently an acquired taste....which apparently I haven't acquired yet. I think Mets fans were quite fortunate to have had Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez together for a period of time. I'm not a Mets fan but enjoyed listening to those guys call games.

I would put Darling in the same category with Stoney as my favorite analysts.
zombywoofzombywoof1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by RJM:
QUOTE]Disclosure: Zomby is a Yankee fan who has never cut anyone but the Yankees and inch of slack.

Bench Longoria. LMAO!


I may be a Yankee fan but I'll never be accused of riding the bandwagon. I rooted for them thru the CBS dead years then the 80's drought and the current 8 year drought.

On Longoria: Don't laugh...Yesterday, Madden said if it were the regular season, he would've sat both Pena and Longoria. He did move both of them down in the order.
Last edited by zombywoof

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