Classic Play-by-Play

Hi friends. It's been a while.

With the two football games currently being offered on TV not to my liking, I popped on the Classic Baseball on the Radio steam via YouTube.

As you can imagine, it's pure nirvana for me.

While there are plenty of full broadcasts to stream, they often run a live stream with random games. At this time (er, press time), they are airing Game 4 of the 1943 World Series with Red Barber calling the first 4.5 innings, and Bob Elson handling the last half of the game.

I'll save you the drama and tell you the Yankees beat the Cardinals at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, 2-1. The game was played in a crisp two hours and six minutes.

There is such joy in listening to this. Barber is descriptive and brilliant in his Mississippi-born, but Florida-based drawl (despite going to Cincinnati in 1934 and Brooklyn in 1939). "The Old Redhead" as he calls himself, gives every ounce of details, from the pitch location to the small items in the crowd.

"Bob (Elson)," Red says at one point, "will you check these numbers?"

Why? Because people are listening and, more importantly, keeping score at home. Beyond that, Red is a stickler for accuracy.

These are the things that Red will impart upon another young redhead beginning in 1950. That kid, Vin Scully, turned out to be pretty good also.

Red (and, later, Elson) reports and gives facts. In 1943, there aren't color analysts. Any commentary between the two announcers is minimal at best, mostly confined to any mentions of Gillette, the longtime World Series sponsor (this game is on the old Mutual Broadcasting System).

Each broadcaster, during their play-by-play innings occasionally tells the other to "come in." The reason being that "voice" is to do the sponsor read. There are no other sponsor mentions, though this is due to the Army not allowing sponsors on shortwave broadcasts. The game is being carried to the troops.

Remember, it's 1943, and thus the middle of World War II. Patriotism is obviously quite high.

Another note is that Elson is in the Naval Reserve as of this game, so he is allowed to the call with the permission of the Navy. However, Elson's announcing fee is donated back to the war effort.

What I keep coming back to is how pure this all is. It's not scripted, other than the sponsor reads. Red and Elson, in fact, were blissfully unaware that the Star-Spangled Banner was to be played when, suddenly, Red stops his sponsor mention and says, "Here's the National Anthem."

For the young broadcaster, I can't suggest more strongly to listen to games like this. There's no uncontrolled screaming (too many examples of this to cite). For sure, we've evolved, and things had to change, but there's still a fundamental basic premise: Report. Be accurate. Tell stories. Entertain.

Most of all, while your personality does matter, the game is still the thing.

Find a broadcast from the icons: Scully, Barber, Allen, Harwell, Costas, and so on. Listen and learn. But do not try to imitate them.

Another Barber belief, that he passed to "Young Scully" was that broadcasters bring something into the booth that no one else does: themselves.

Really enjoyable to listen to this. I highly recommend it.