Last night on the Cardinal/Dodger game Vince Scully said that for every fly ball out there are 152 ground balls. I wrote it down and said that's impossible. He repeated it later in the game. Tonight he came back and said there was a misplaced decimal. For every fly out there are 1.52 ground outs. Vince is a great announcer, but how could anyone be that far off.

(06-06-2015 12:26 AM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  Last night on the Cardinal/Dodger game Vince Scully said that for every fly ball out there are 152 ground balls. I wrote it down and said that's impossible. He repeated it later in the game. Tonight he came back and said there was a misplaced decimal. For every fly out there are 1.52 ground outs. Vince is a great announcer, but how could anyone be that far off.

Announcers have many things they have to read verbatim, the scripts for which are just put in front of them, like promotions, ads, lead-ins etc. Possibly that "stat-fact" was given to him with the decimal point not prominent and he just read it without thinking about it.

(06-06-2015 01:52 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(06-06-2015 12:26 AM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  Last night on the Cardinal/Dodger game Vince Scully said that for every fly ball out there are 152 ground balls. I wrote it down and said that's impossible. He repeated it later in the game. Tonight he came back and said there was a misplaced decimal. For every fly out there are 1.52 ground outs. Vince is a great announcer, but how could anyone be that far off.

Announcers have many things they have to read verbatim, the scripts for which are just put in front of them, like promotions, ads, lead-ins etc. Possibly that "stat-fact" was given to him with the decimal point not prominent and he just read it without thinking about it.

Vin researches many of his stats, historical notes, and trivia himself so it might have been his own mistake.

http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2014/6/...er-profile

(06-06-2015 08:11 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  Vin researches many of his stats, historical notes, and trivia himself so it might have been his own mistake.

http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2014/6/...er-profile

Or ... given his age, he misread what was on the paper ? Shades of Milo's failing eyesight.

(06-06-2015 09:06 AM)Da.Owl Wrote:  

(06-06-2015 08:11 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  Vin researches many of his stats, historical notes, and trivia himself so it might have been his own mistake.

http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2014/6/...er-profile

Or ... given his age, he misread what was on the paper ? Shades of Milo's failing eyesight.

I think you are right. I didn't believe that stat when he first said it. Having been a Cards fan for fifty-two years, I've seen several broadcast play to play guys age and get a little slower. Even the great Scully, who has been doing this since 1949, is slowing down. But, when the Cards play the Dodgers, I like to listen to him, not saying anything against Shannon and Rooney who are gre3at in their own ways.

He certainly didn't misread it as he mentioned it again and I checked that I'd written 152. Later in the game he said that's the 4th flyout tonight and I thought, OK we will now have 600 groundouts before the next fly ball. I agree though he's a lot better than Rooney and Shannon, Mike's a great color man, but he umpires instead of broadcasting. ("There's the first pitch, outside...on the corner for strike one.")

(06-06-2015 11:34 AM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  I agree though he's a lot better than Rooney and Shannon, Mike's a great color man, but he umpires instead of broadcasting. ("There's the first pitch, outside...on the corner for strike one.")

Shannon also describes in real time about one pitch out of every three in between stories and live commercial reads.

(06-06-2015 10:17 AM)NolaOwl Wrote:  

(06-06-2015 09:06 AM)Da.Owl Wrote:  

(06-06-2015 08:11 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  Vin researches many of his stats, historical notes, and trivia himself so it might have been his own mistake.

http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2014/6/...er-profile

Or ... given his age, he misread what was on the paper ? Shades of Milo's failing eyesight.

I think you are right. I didn't believe that stat when he first said it. Having been a Cards fan for fifty-two years, I've seen several broadcast play to play guys age and get a little slower. Even the great Scully, who has been doing this since 1949, is slowing down. But, when the Cards play the Dodgers, I like to listen to him, not saying anything against Shannon and Rooney who are gre3at in their own ways.

Ironically, I was a Cards fan for about point five two years (spanning Berkman's first season there up through the LCS)

(06-06-2015 03:39 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(06-06-2015 10:17 AM)NolaOwl Wrote:  [quote='Da.Owl' pid='12114041' dateline

Ironically, I was a Cards fan for about point five two years (spanning Berkman's first season there up through the LCS)

Cards fans are starting to hear that alot as their winning ways are getting old to other NL teams.

(06-06-2015 11:34 AM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  He certainly didn't misread it as he mentioned it again and I checked that I'd written 152. Later in the game he said that's the 4th flyout tonight and I thought, OK we will now have 600 groundouts before the next fly ball. I agree though he's a lot better than Rooney and Shannon, Mike's a great color man, but he umpires instead of broadcasting. ("There's the first pitch, outside...on the corner for strike one.")

Well I don't listen to broadcasts of either team so it's kinda like a tree falling in the forest for me.

If you get the MLB AT BAT app you can stream the audio from all MLB telecasts all year long for $14.99 (think that's it). Realize that some here probably also pop for the upgrade that gives you the streaming video . . . .

I just like to have baseball available on the 'radio'. Reminds me of lots of nights when I was growing up.

I bring this up because I mostly listen to the Cardinals (and Mike Shannon who was playing when I was young until an illness sidelined him). And on occasion I try and find the Dodgers late at night.

I truly regret not having this capability when Jack Buck was still alive. His voice had a quality that made warm summer nights special.

I guess Vin Scully has that as well, particularly for Dodgers fans.

Not really any point to this post related to the discussion. But thinking about Vin Scully makes me think about Jack Buck, and how much I really love to have a baseball game on the radio . . . .

(06-06-2015 11:44 PM)Rick Gerlach Wrote:  If you get the MLB AT BAT app you can stream the audio from all MLB telecasts all year long for $14.99 (think that's it). Realize that some here probably also pop for the upgrade that gives you the streaming video . . . .

I just like to have baseball available on the 'radio'. Reminds me of lots of nights when I was growing up.

I bring this up because I mostly listen to the Cardinals (and Mike Shannon who was playing when I was young until an illness sidelined him). And on occasion I try and find the Dodgers late at night.

I truly regret not having this capability when Jack Buck was still alive. His voice had a quality that made warm summer nights special.

I guess Vin Scully has that as well, particularly for Dodgers fans.

Not really any point to this post related to the discussion. But thinking about Vin Scully makes me think about Jack Buck, and how much I really love to have a baseball game on the radio . . . .

I could get KMOX in West Texas later at night. Of course I was more likely tuning in to KOA to pick up Broncos broadcasts after sunset.

(06-07-2015 06:57 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(06-06-2015 11:44 PM)Rick Gerlach Wrote:  If you get the MLB AT BAT app you can stream the audio from all MLB telecasts all year long for $14.99 (think that's it). Realize that some here probably also pop for the upgrade that gives you the streaming video . . . .

I just like to have baseball available on the 'radio'. Reminds me of lots of nights when I was growing up.

I bring this up because I mostly listen to the Cardinals (and Mike Shannon who was playing when I was young until an illness sidelined him). And on occasion I try and find the Dodgers late at night.

I truly regret not having this capability when Jack Buck was still alive. His voice had a quality that made warm summer nights special.

I guess Vin Scully has that as well, particularly for Dodgers fans.

Not really any point to this post related to the discussion. But thinking about Vin Scully makes me think about Jack Buck, and how much I really love to have a baseball game on the radio . . . .

I could get KMOX in West Texas later at night. Of course I was more likely tuning in to KOA to pick up Broncos broadcasts after sunset.

Rick and Moon: I grew up in St. Loo when Shannon was known as the "Moon Man" who thit a WS homer off of Whitey Ford. Caray and Buck were a great team. Then when I moved to NOLA and later Houston for Rice, I would drive my relatives crazy listening to KMOX' 50000 watt signal at night for Cardinals games with Buck and Shannon. It is amazing how you can hear the broadcast through the static after hours of practice! <g>

Now, with XM and MLB.com, I can listen to any game and watch almost all of them except those blacked out. But Buck and Scully are the best I"ve ever listened to. Rooney is very good. Shannon is a homer, kind of like Milo Hamilton, but more likable! I remember Gene Elston being pretty good and was sorry to see him leave the team.

Hate to turn this into a Cardinal blog, but Rice and the Cardinals have been my sports loves for about 70 years since a kid in Houston. I listened to KMOX every night from the early 50s until the computer age whether I was in Houston or Denver. Caray and Buck spoiled me for radio. Luckily I can see every game now so the play-by-play isn't as important.

(06-07-2015 06:57 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(06-06-2015 11:44 PM)Rick Gerlach Wrote:  If you get the MLB AT BAT app you can stream the audio from all MLB telecasts all year long for $14.99 (think that's it). Realize that some here probably also pop for the upgrade that gives you the streaming video . . . .

I just like to have baseball available on the 'radio'. Reminds me of lots of nights when I was growing up.

I bring this up because I mostly listen to the Cardinals (and Mike Shannon who was playing when I was young until an illness sidelined him). And on occasion I try and find the Dodgers late at night.

I truly regret not having this capability when Jack Buck was still alive. His voice had a quality that made warm summer nights special.

I guess Vin Scully has that as well, particularly for Dodgers fans.

Not really any point to this post related to the discussion. But thinking about Vin Scully makes me think about Jack Buck, and how much I really love to have a baseball game on the radio . . . .

I could get KMOX in West Texas later at night. Of course I was more likely tuning in to KOA to pick up Broncos broadcasts after sunset.

I totally understand what you mean about Jack Buck. I grew up listening to Jack and Harry Caray, then Shannon. I miss hearing Buck's voice...

Having lived in L.A. in the 80's, I cannot be objective about Vin Scully and will gladly give him a pass for this error. Today I enjoy the Rangers' Eric Nadel. The only good thing about working late is listening to Nadel on the drive home.

I know it didn't involve the Dodgers, but the no hitter last night got me to wondering, and...

"Scully has also been behind the microphone for 20 no-hitters and three perfect games."