Things College Softball Announcers Can Quit Saying 2022 Edition

[Northball]

I am hearing on ESPN Plus broadcasts all the time "Strike Number 1," "Ball Number 1," "Strike Number 2," and on like that. I think there must be some script that is instructing inexperienced announcers to use the word "number" for balls, strikes and outs. Anyway, I could go on forever about the announcing on many of the college games, as a good deal of the play-by-play and color people literally have no idea about the game.

Like so many things, if there was an edict it has to go back to someone who thought this was a good idea, but we'll never know who deserves the tar and feathers.

 

[JoeA1010]

Like so many things, if there was an edict it has to go back to someone who thought this was a good idea, but we'll never know who deserves the tar and feathers.

Indeed. It happens too often for it to be random, so some dolt deserves the tar and feathers.

 

[JayW]

Oklahoma wins . . . at least for a day.

 

[Northball]

Oklahoma wins . . . at least for a day.

Took me a little bit on that one...

 

[The Man In Blue]

I am hearing on ESPN Plus broadcasts all the time "Strike Number 1," "Ball Number 1," "Strike Number 2," and on like that. I think there must be some script that is instructing inexperienced announcers to use the word "number" for balls, strikes and outs. Anyway, I could go on forever about the announcing on many of the college games, as a good deal of the play-by-play and color people literally have no idea about the game.

I'll give another plausible alternative with a slight detour to set it up. Our English curriculum is reading-heavy, so my Juniors are just now writing their first major paper. I have never read so much gibberish in my life. So many words and then "more extra words" ( ) without saying anything.

I finally asked a few of them why. "I am trying to sound smart," was the common response. "Because it has to be 500 words," was the other.

Education is failing communication, especially in McJournalism students. You are seeing this in junior cadet reporters these days. The TV analyst who has spent their "writing life" limiting themselves on social media has to fill air time. The days of Vin Scully are gone. "More words" replaces quality journalism. Subject matter expertise is lost to a shiny head of hair.

I'm over announcers just not having the slightest concept of obstruction.

Last night BYU / UCF game, they were incredulous for 10 minutes about an out that was overturned, and never even once had the inkling of a seed of a thought that it was because of obstruction. The word obstruction was never mentioned. They couldn't understand why the umpires were even looking at replay in the first place because the runner was so clearly tagged. Meanwhile 30 times in super slow mo we see the first baseman standing directly in front of the bag.

So guess this would be filed under things announcers should start saying. But still.

Sadly, this is true with pro-league announcers, too.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Took me a little bit on that one...

I still don't get it, but I'll use it for another rant . . .

That is NOT what instant replay is for. If you have to go frame-by-frame to erase your pitcher getting rocked, that is bush league. Then, because it works for you, (because standing 2/3rds of the way down the baseline signaling safe when your runner was out by a mile didn't work) you want to try again for a ticky-tack non-existent obstruction call?

Both replay reviews came out technically correct (one overturned and one upheld), but these were not attempts to fix egregious errors; they were fishing expeditions. While I tend to argue that replay should be all or nothing (review anything and everything or review nothing), fishing expeditions should not be allowable. No, I don't have a good fix for that beyond the same thing we do without replay: you have to convince me and I have to agree there is a good reason (not "you don't like the outcome") to go to the booth.

 

[JayW]

I still don't get it, but I'll use it for another rant . . .

That is NOT what instant replay is for. If you have to go frame-by-frame to erase your pitcher getting rocked, that is bush league. Then, because it works for you, (because standing 2/3rds of the way down the baseline signaling safe when your runner was out by a mile didn't work) you want to try again for a ticky-tack non-existent obstruction call?

Both replay reviews came out technically correct (one overturned and one upheld), but these were not attempts to fix egregious errors; they were fishing expeditions. While I tend to argue that replay should be all or nothing (review anything and everything or review nothing), fishing expeditions should not be allowable. No, I don't have a good fix for that beyond the same thing we do without replay: you have to convince me and I have to agree there is a good reason (not "you don't like the outcome") to go to the booth.

The runner on second base left early is pretty easy to claim. Or the catcher obstructed the runner. Both felt wrong. It’s going to be SOP.

 

[The Man In Blue]

The runner on second base left early is pretty easy to claim. Or the catcher obstructed the runner. Both felt wrong. It’s going to be SOP.

I didn't understand the comment about winning for a day.

(I got what happened in last night's game and it was gross but by the book. Neither one felt like a "you may have missed it" request. Both felt like a "bail me out fishing expedition.")

 

[JayW]

I didn't understand the comment about winning for a day.

(I got what happened in last night's game and it was gross but by the book. Neither one felt like a "you may have missed it" request. Both felt like a "bail me out fishing expedition.")

I just meant that the announcers couldn’t say Oklahoma wins (because they finally lost . . . to Texas) until at least the next day when the 2 played again. The thread was “Things Announcers Can Quit Saying”.

I wish there was some jeopardy for protesting a call. Like giving the other team an extra out. There’s no penalty for protesting. Can you imagine a College World Series winning grand slam being reversed for a runner leaving early?

 

[schwabach]

I just meant that the announcers couldn’t say Oklahoma wins (because they finally lost . . . to Texas) until at least the next day when the 2 played again. The thread was “Things Announcers Can Quit Saying”.

I wish there was some jeopardy for protesting a call. Like giving the other team an extra out. There’s no penalty for protesting. Can you imagine a College World Series winning grand slam being reversed for a runner leaving early?

How would that be different from a situation where a grand slam was reversed because a base umpire made the same call?