The Empty Booth

Tim McCarver sat in Yankee Stadium on many October nights

In the play-by-play world, there is no sadder sound than that of the broadcast with no voice on it. It's the crowd-humming equivalent of dead air.

I looked at a few minutes of last night's Greenwich/Wilton basketball game for reasons other than the game, including the stellar camera work of Lucy "Snakey," Susan's equivalent to Sean.

Both Lucy and Sean do camera work. Both can handle audio work. Both are riots with well-timed commentary. Both are sarcastic. Both will also rip your heart out if you hurt someone (like, say, their parents).

Anyway, much to my dismay Wilton didn't have a voice on the basketball game. Now, look, I would have likely muted it quickly if there was one because I don't want to get into the criticism, judging, and nitpicking that comes with being a teacher of this profession.

So the question becomes is it best to simply have a voice on a game? Well, I, er, maybe?

Now, if you're sitting there saying, "You wish you had called it," well of course I do. It's was I do. When it comes to youth broadcasting organizations, there needs to be an advisor who is hands-on and is not afraid to step in to help teach in the name of creating a professional effort.

I have no idea if Wilton or any other school that I watch has that kind of hands-on approach. An exception is Darien's DAF Media where Damian Andrew not only sets it all up and breaks it all down but also guides it and even serves as an air talent when needed.

I've heard of a few who were, let's say, hands-off. Very off. They're literally advisors and that's it.

There's no criticism in this. For sure, I would have shot to Wilton for that basketball if they wanted a voice in part because I'd get a good laugh out of working a broadcast with Lucy, who I had on the air when she was probably seven years old. Plus I'd enjoy being the grizzled old fool who could help the students. I'd love to be a play-by-play advisor (YES, I'M BEING SERIOUS).

It gets me out of the house since I was home doing nothing last night.

Plus Greenwich was playing and I know a few of their players.

I mean, it's all unrealistic and completely hypothetical but that's how my mind works. I want to call games and then call some more. There are always ideas running around with ways to make that happen.

But back to the whole no broadcaster thing. Games need that voice because, as the famed Jets'Dolphins "announcerless game" proved, we do serve a purpose. We fill in the blanks that are needed on TV/video. Oh, the picture tells a lot but it really doesn't tell it all. We -- the much-hated broadcasters -- fill that void.

Simply throwing any old voice on who is ill-prepared, can't keep up with the action, or (worse) simply wants to throw out one-liners isn't sufficient. 

A pro is needed.

But anyone thinks they can do it.

We know, of course, that they can't.

So we find ourselves at the conundrum of if a game is better off without a broadcaster. 

Ultimately, it is not.

*****

Tim McCarver, Don Larsen, and Bobby Murcer during
David Cone's perfect game in 1999

A tip of the headset to Tim McCarver on his passing. While he was briefly a Yankees broadcaster, he was frequently on my TV with the Yankees every October on FOX with Joe Buck.

McCarver called more than just Yankees World Series and playoffs, having dabbled in broadcasting in the late 1970s before joining the Phillies' booth and eventually making the Mets' booth shine. He also did color for NBC, ABC, and CBS before his long run at FOX.

Tim was part of the crazy 1985 World Series as well as the Earthquake Series of 1989 and the magnificent Twins/Braves nail-biter of 1991. He also witnessed Joe Carter never hit a bigger home run in 1993.

Then came the Yankees upon his move to FOX in 1996 and he got to witness quite a bit. The '96 team. The Tino Martinez grand slam. The Mr. November of Derek Jeter. The Scott Brosius home run. Eventually, he also saw Mariano close out the Phillies in 2009.

He was a fascinating man who had a lot of skills beyond simply baseball in sports broadcasting. He could do a lot and do it well.

He was also another broadcaster who I had debates about because of his polarizing nature (yes, just like Joe Buck).

Lastly, he was a very good catcher with the Cardinals, Phillies, Expos, and Red Sox, though I probably would have disliked him for the way he tortured the Yankees in the 1964 World Series.

But he knew the game and he taught the game to many on TV.

Respect to him and condolences to his loved ones.

And thanks for the scouting report on Mark Wohlers. Made that Jim Leyritz three-run homer in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series even sweeter.

He hung the slider.