Each broadcaster has his own unique style. Because of the amount of down time between pitches, after outs, during pitching changes, etc., the perfect baseball broadcaster is someone who can not only inform, but entertain.
Harry Caray became synonymous with the Chicago Cubs during his broadcasting career. The ultimate homer, Caray's trademark "Holy Cow!" became famous not only in Chicago, but across the entire baseball world. Whether it was singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to the Wrigley Field crowd or intentionally pronouncing players' names backward, Caray always aimed to put a smile on the face of the fans that listened to him.
Mel Allen is still widely considered the "Voice of the New York Yankees." As one of the league's most prominent broadcasters of all time, Allen was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988. Allen's famous catchphrase, "How about That?" was so popular that it was used in video games and earned him a cameo in a number of films — including Naked Gun and Needful Things. He later became the voice of the weekly television show, This Week in Baseball.
Red Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead," was the play-by-play voice of the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees during a career that spanned four decades. Barber, whose voice was recognized by sports fans everywhere, broadcasted baseball's first night game on May 24, 1935, and the sport's first televised game on Aug. 26, 1939.
Ernie Harwell, voice of the Detroit Tigers for 42 years, provided a very descriptive analysis of each game he called. Harwell would routinely use his famous call, "loooong gone," which became a fan-favorite in the Motor City area.
Vin Scully's 62 seasons of broadcasting the Los Angeles Dodgers is the longest of any broadcaster with a single club in professional sports history. His personality, loyalty and professionalism led him to being named "Sportscaster of the Century" by the American Sportscasters Association in 2000. Scully, who continues to broadcast Dodgers games by himself, even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
But these are only a sample of the legendary broadcasters that Major League Baseball has seen over the years. There is also, of course, Bob Uecker, Jack Buck, Dave Niehaus and many, many more well-known voices.
So who is your favorite non-Red Sox baseball broadcaster of all time? Share your thoughts below.
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