Twins TV analyst

[notoriousgod71]

It may be a little early since we've only seen LaTroy for one series but we've seen everyone else for multiple series. Who do you like? Not like?

[Seth Stohs]

Roy Smalley for me... 

[Blake]

I'd like to see time split between Morris, Torii and LaTroy.

 

I really get a kick out of Morris and his curmudgeonly ways.

[yarnivek1972]

I know he hasn't done it in awhile, but I always like listening to Tom Kelly. He's not a realistic candidate for anything more than a handful of games because of his monotone, almost hypnotic delivery. But, I always feel smarter after listening to him. Especially with regards to game strategy. The others, as former players, really don't bring that skill to the table.

[spanman2]

 

Roy Smalley for me... 

Same here if you made me pick just one.  I do find value and entertainment in all of them.  Personally I like the fact Bert does about 100 or games or (I believe) per year.  It is fun listening to others to color commentary. 

[ericchri]

Worst speaker of the bunch by a large margin, but still Smalley.  Most informative and he actually seems to be able to communicate something he sees to the viewer.  Bert's been mailing in the same performance for years now, Morris doesn't really add anything special, and Torii is a little too jokey/jolly.  I'm curious about LaTroy, I liked him in the only game I watched with him though it was obvious he was very new to the whole thing, but he has potential.

[luckylager]

Jack Morris is the bottom of my list. Monotone delivery. Doesn't really seem to add much insight or excitement to the broadcast. I like Bert in small doses but it has been great getting some variety in the booth. Both Torii and LaTroy have a better feel for the current generation of ballplayers that the others lack. I get very tired of the the "back in my day" take on everything. 

[Squirrel]

It may be a little early since we've only seen LaTroy for one series but we've seen everyone else for multiple series. Who do you like? Not like?

Um, you left off 'Rally Monkey' as a choice. Just sayin'...

[John Kelsey]

Smalley is the best IMO.

 

Torii needs to rein it in. 

 

Haven't heard enough of LaTroy to really have an opinion but he seemed alright. 

[Pardon My Dinger]

Smalley. 

 

I like Torii fine, but he almost killed that poor boy in the bleachers. 

[Dantes929]

I haven't heard enough of Hawkins but I kind of liked him calling out an old teammate as the worst teammate ever.  I have already heard too much from Hunter though I will concede nerves might play a factor and maybe he could get better.    The other three are all pretty interchangeable and I am ok with any of them.   I like Bremer but can someone please get him to stop yelling out "Deep fly ball" in a voice that makes you think it is gone  or for extra bases only to fall in the opponent's glove short of the warning track.

[raindog]

I like Smalley and think Hawkins is good and will get better. I don't care for anyone else, including Richard. 

 

I wish they would at least add a third guy to the booth to spice things up.

 

P.S. Doesn't it seem like Dick and Bert really don't like each other this season?

[bluechipper]

LaTroy calling out Tommy Kahnle as the worst teammate ever was the best. I enjoyed both him and Torii in the booth.

[Shane Wahl]

Smalley and Hawkins are leaps and bounds above the others.

[Vanimal46]

LaTroy sounds like a guy you'd like to have a beer(s) with. I like that from a TV analyst. 

Dick N' Bert for the most part sound like they're going through the motions together... I suppose that happens when you work together for 20+ years. 

[Celebrity Weddings!]

Hawkins was candid and thoughtful in the one game that I heard from him. I kind of expected a bit more get-off-my-lawn out of him, but it wasn't there at all. It was a perfect mix of the insideriness of a two decade veteran and the curiosity of somebody who may be interested in growing with the game. I think he's fine already and has more upside than the rest of that group by a long ways.

 

Smalley is pretty good. Hunter is fun, but risks going full Bert and coasting on (substantial) personality. 

 

Morris remains terrible. He's uninterested in keeping up with the game and the only time his analysis departs from old man grouchiness is when he's saying something so obvious that silence would have been enough.

 

So, LaTroy now. Definitely LaTroy in the future.

[John Kelsey]

Bremer is alright but his unwillingness to mention any stat but batting average and wins really bothers me. 

 

Cory Provus is much, much better. 

[ashbury]

<off-color>Hawkins slipped a bullpen-style joke into the one broadcast of his I listened to, where he stated the name of a pitch supposedly a cross between a slider and a cutter.</off-color>

[Thrylos]

Really need a "none of the above" option.  The least horrible of the above is Smalley.  The Twins need a new color commentator really badly and Hunter and Hawkins are not even close to being good.   Hunter tends to speak over everything including the play by play action and Hawkins just sounds pretty irrelevant.  Someone should tell those guys that there is a game on and their job is to comment on that (with passable English enunciation preferably, we don't want anything or anyone to be axed, for example) and not on the "good old days" of their playing careers.

 

I know that it comes with the position, but Dick Bremer and all of the above, are Homers (with capital H).  It would be refreshing if they criticized some of the decisions on the field, for example.

 

Yeah, the Twins booth needs an infusion of new blood and their former players (including the new ones) are not it...

[twinsnorth49]

I know he hasn't done it in awhile, but I always like listening to Tom Kelly. He's not a realistic candidate for anything more than a handful of games because of his monotone, almost hypnotic delivery. But, I always feel smarter after listening to him. Especially with regards to game strategy. The others, as former players, really don't bring that skill to the table.

Concur

[OldFartAtPlay]

LaTroy is my favorite with Roy Smalley a very close second. They both do a good job of explaining the thinking that goes into the game without becoming pedantic. My very, very favorite was Tom Kelly. But unfortunately he can't make the booth anymore. Torii is always fun but I feel I get more out of LaTroy and Roy's commentary. Jack seems like a Bert clone which isn't that great since I'm so tired of Bert who seems to be coasting on pitchcount schtick and  sheer grumpiness. Richard is okay but sometimes seems a bit too much of a company man. Of course, I don't sign his paycheck so I guess that's to be expected!

[nater79a]

 

Roy Smalley for me... 

 

Same here. Roy is quite knowledgeable.  Although LaTroy says a lot of interesting things.

 

Torii...well, I never know when they're going to have to hit the "Bleep" button 5 second delay!

[nater79a]

I like those segments  where Roy breaks down a hitter's swing.

[Pardon My Dinger]

So, restated, our nominees are:

 

Dopey

Doc

Grumpy

Happy

Bashful

 

Place your vote now!

[gunnarthor]

Frankly, I'm ok with all of them and I sort of like alternating them around. I voted for Hunter because I think he might become really, really good at this.

[nicksaviking]

Give Marney a shot.

[Riverbrian]

I like them all

 

1. Tom Kelly because of his pure baseball knowledge. I'll let others worry about if he has excitement in his voice or not because that doesn't matter to me. I love the information he provides. He may not be smooth but he sets the scene perfectly if you listen to him.

 

2. Torii Hunter because he sounds like he is having fun and that is contagious.

 

3. Jack Morris because he is honest. If someone is doing something wrong. He'll say it. 

 

4. Bert Blyleven because of the longevity. I've heard his stuff before and I'll hear it again. It's OK... there is comfort in that. 

 

5. Roy Smalley because of his steadiness. Roy has a little bit of everything. He isn't terrible at anything and he isn't amazing at everything. Just a good color guy overall. 

 

6. LaTroy Hawkins because I really wasn't paying attention when he did games. He Might be higher on the list but I was distracted by other things and never formed an opinion. I'd like to hear him again sometime.

 

I like them all. They are all one of us. 

 

[DocBauer]

I'm with Brian. And yes, I'm a homer to be sure. But radio or TV, I really like them all because all being something different.

[jimmer]

Well, with MLB Extra Innings, you don't have to listen to any of the Twins announcers if you don't want to. A huge majority of the time, I just watch the feed from the opponent.

[Mill1634]

Torii. He keeps you on your phone and you never know what the hell he is going to say next.