Since DirecTV and MLB Extra Innings entered my home, my opportunities to listen to Marty Brennaman on the radio have been more rare. Marty and Joe Nuxhall provided the soundtrack to my childhood, and I remain a loyal fan of Marty’s. Yes, he has grown a little more bitter about the Reds over the years (who hasn’t?), but he’s still the best in the business (Non-Vin Scully Division), as far as I’m concerned.
Thursday and Friday provided an opportunity to catch a few innings on the radio, and I came away with some impressions. First, I listened to the last 2-3 innings of the Thursday afternoon game as I was driving. Marty and Thom Brennaman were doing the game, and I loved it. Those two are my favorite on the radio, and the interplay between them is fun.
Friday, driving home from my daughter’s softball game, I caught a couple of innings with Marty and Jim Kelch, who has been announcing Louisville Bats games for years. Let me tell you: Kelch is very good. The way he described the action was simply fantastic, and it reminded me of … a young Marty Brennaman. Until recently, Marty could draw a picture with words unlike anyone I’ve ever heard (again, Non-Vin Scully Division).
Lately, Marty describes the action less and talks about other nonsense more. I still love the old guy, but he often gets away from what made him special in the first place.
Either way, I enjoyed listening to both games tremendously. Next time there is an opening in the broadcast booth, I hope Kelch is given a serious look. He’s so much better than everyone else Marty is paired with, it’s a joke (and I say that as a fan of Thom, who I think is quite underrated).
More Marty and Thom and Jim, please.