Welcome to part 2 of my 3,864 part series on comparing the Dodgers and Giants. Don’t worry Giants fans, I’ll get to Kruk and Kuip and Flem soon enough, but it’s best to start with the best. We’ll go hall of fame, Scully vs. Miller
Don’t worry guys, I’ll talk about you soon enough.
Dodgers- Vin Scully
Legend.
For all of you who’ve never heard Vin Scully call a game, please find some way to do it before he retires. I never really listened to Scully growing up, but once you hear his tone and smooooooooooooth delivery, you’ll instantly recognize the infinite amounts of impersonations. When I was studying for the LSAT and applying to law school, I would have MLB.TV open in the background listening to Vin announce Dodgers games. It would relieve the stress. With all of his little anecdotes, his knowledge of players, his weaving of baseball history with the game he’s announcing, and then you realize he’s announcing the entire game by himself! Think back to college or any lecture series and see if you can recall enjoyably listening to someone speak for 3 hours straight. No one but Mr. Scully is capable of that.
Young Vin.
He’s been announcing the Dodgers for 60+ years, and rather then stay strictly to an old school presentation, he talks about twitter and other social media to stay current. . He was even inducted into the Hall of Fame the year my sister was born. He’s also had his turn in other sports, including something you 49er’s fans will surely enjoy (The Catch). He seems like one of those approachable legends that is impossible to dislike. Granted, he may call a curveball a change up every blue moon, but he is unanimously regarded as the premier broadcaster in all of sports. Please, Giant Dodger Buddha whatever fan you may be, if you haven’t heard him, give him a chance and be blown away.
Giants- Jon Miller
One of you is awesome, the other, an ass.
When I threw out the first pitch at Candlestick, the first person to autograph my baseball was Jon Miller. I remember him being extremely friendly and welcoming. As he was dismissed by the Baltimore Orioles in the mid-1990’s for “not bleeding enough orange and black,” Miller returned to the Bay Area to, ironically, announce Giants games. Since then, he’s been a consistent gem announcing on KNBR. What I love about Miller is his ability to weave, similarly to Scully, different stories and sports while announcing. I instantly think of him announcing a game at Colorado earlier this year whispering something like, “Here we are…quiet in Augusta…Vogelsong…slowly delivers the bottom and it dips low and away.” Mixing putting with pitching: tremendous.
The flaw with Jon Miller isn’t him, it’s his partnerships. Poor guy is paired with announcers that slow him down. Granted, either Mike Krukow or Duane Kuiper or Dave Flemming (Flemming earns extra points as he came to a meet and greet with the team I coach last year) are just fine in their respective broadcasting, but Joe Morgan, as great of a player he once was, is one of the worst national broadcasters ever to be heard. When their two decade long Sunday Night Baseball run came to an end a few years ago, I was ecstatic that Miller would be back to radio work where he thrives.
While both are already inducted into the Hall of Fame and Jon Miller is an elite sportscaster, I have to give it to Vin. Anyone who stays in their profession for over half a century and remains to be the top broadcaster gets my vote. This puts the franchise comparison tied at one with 3,862 left to go. Who’s your favorite broadcaster? Would you go Vin or Jon? Let me know in the comments section, shoot me an email, tell me I’m awesome or how absurd I am. On a side note, I’m pondering running the Giants half marathon in September off a genius suggestion by my friend Angela. I think it would be a good idea, but I don’t want to get hate crimed for rocking all my Dodgers gear. Should I do it? Thanks for reading!
Couldn’t agree more! Vin Scully is the greatest announcer of all time. I’ve heard that from Angels fans, Giants fans, etc. A true Giants fan has respect for the man. My second favorite announcer… Jon Miller. The man can call a game.
Who I can’t stand, in order starting with the worst, Joe Buck (his dad was great), Ken “The Cock” Harrelson, Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan and Mike Krukow.
Some people (Giants fans) sometimes talk trash about Vin because once a year he might accidentally say Matt Lincecum or Tim Cain. Whatever. The dude’s 84, give him a break. He knows more about the game than anyone that ever played it. It’s going to be a sad day when Vin stops calling games.
Also, worthy of honorable mention, for our Spanish speaking baseball fans, Jaime Jarrin. He’s been calling Dodger games since 1958, just 8 years less than Vin.
Minus the overvaluing prospect loving and absurd catch phrases, I don’t mind Kruk and Kuip. Jon Miller and Dave Flemming are actually pretty good, too. Miller usually just talks while you forget Flemming is there. Hum Jaime!
Prospect loving, absurd catch phrases, and don’t forget the fact that they use that stupid TV pen (whatever it’s called) to cross out fans of opposing teams. So stupid and annoying.
Jon Miller is the best because he tied my shoe.
Well, vin scully would have tied both.
If this was Facebook, I definitely would have liked that comment. I feel like it’s really difficult to gauge who’s better between these two broadcasters since there’s nearly 30 years in age difference. Plus they took different career routes, Jon Miller tried baseball first (and failed, poor guy) whereas Scully seemed to start off as an announcer. What I do love about Vin is how long he’s been with the Dodgers. I suppose it’s different for commentators, but I’m so tired of seeing players move towards a team that offers them more money and it’s really nice to see some allegiance towards a team. Either way my personal experience with Jon Miller definitely sways me towards his side.