Listening to Horton and Clairborne call a St. Louis Cardinals game is like listening to two college kids, that none of the fraternities wanted, try to call a high school ball game. I change the station when they both came on to call the game.
Rick Horton is bad enough when he’s on with Jon Rooney, as he talks far too much and way too fast, as if he’s calling a horse race instead of a baseball game. Not to mention he talks about himself too much, I didn’t even know who he was until I looked him up and still don’t know who he is. If he was a somebody when he was a player, I can understand, but he tries to make everything about him.
Clairborne just seems very green and hasn’t done much on a microphone, still talks as if he’s a player, if he was one, he just has a lot of growing up to do and needs to speak more clearly, he’s calling a game, not talking to buddies in a bar.
Great sports announcers on radio are getting fewer and further between and that’s a crying shame, there is a lot of old tape they could listen to from pairs like, Jack Buck & Mike Shannon or Harry Carey and Pee Wee Reese, that really knew how to call baseball.
People want to chill while listening to baseball, in the hammock or on the couch, and if the announcer is calling it all like a horse race then you can’t relax, nothing wrong with a little bit of (almost) silence here and there, we can still hear the crowd.
Slow down, take your time… it’s baseball, enjoy it.
