Dear Mr. Moreno: Bring Back Hud!
by Raaddad on Feb 4, 2010 10:16 AM PST
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It may be too late. You’ll probably never see this letter anyway, or read it cause it’s just too damn long. And I know I don’t speak for all Angel fans, Mr. Moreno, sir. Or for perhaps even the majority of Halo Heaven faithful. Still, I can’t live with myself without making a last gasp do-or-die desparation plea on behalf of the millions of us who love Rex Hudler, to please consider bringing back our much-loved "Wonderdog" in some capacity as part of the Angels baseball coverage.
There are many reasons to bring back Hud:
- He’s a colorful legendary representative of the Angels; like one of the Halo Heaven bloggers says below: he is our “popular face/voice.” No, he’s not Vin Scully, but he offers a unique perspective that is equally compelling: he personifies baseball from the perspective of a seasoned player, a man who was a good guy and a fun guy on the bench for many clubs for which he played in his long colorful career, and he knows Angels baseball. He knows the game; not in a grandfatherly Vin Scully here’s-what-happened-in-1952-that-I-saw-from-this-booth way, but in a I-was-there-playing-that-game-with-that-guy-and-Man!-you-should-have-seen-it, Gubi” way, and in a “folks, let me tell you how you make that play” way. More than anyone, Hud can break down the dynamics of a swing, of a catch, of a baserunning situation, of a series of fielding plays in a concise insightful manner; and he can make you really visualize what happened. He brings verisimilitude to the broadcast booth like never before. In addition, he has a cool, witty, wacky, iconic way of phrasing things, like when he used to say: “The kingfish has gone upstream,” after Timmy Salmon went ‘yard.’ Or, “You could hang a week’s worth of laundry on that line drive out of here.” Also, his ability for creating cool nicknames that 'stick' is renown, such as “Gubi,” “Josey,” “King Fish,” “Big Daddy Vladdy,” "Mighty Maicer," etc.
- He brings a festive upbeat persona to the broadcast—Hud is always positive. I don’t know how many times I’ve gotten motivated just listening to Hud excitedly uttering things like, “Oh man! Tori Hunter is getting me all pumped up!” We can always count on the Wonderdug, with his trusty baseball in hand, his white lip-balmed lips, his rad red hair, his funky throwback costumes and wigs, to get us cheered up and in the mood for baseball, and--yes, my friend--for life.
- Frankly, he’s good at what he does—let’s get to the point: he just won 2 major broadcasting awards for the excellence of his broadcasting, Mr. Moreno. As reported in the LA Times: “Rex Hudler received two awards from the Southern California Sports Broadcasters (SCSB) on Monday, including radio analyst of the year and tied with Los Angeles Kings announcer Jim Fox for television analyst of the year.” http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/02/rex-hudler-jim-hill-broadcast-awards.html
- He’s a wonderful human being. Everyone who has met him loves him. In addition, he gives back to the community in many great ways—particularly with his work with Down Syndrome (“Up Syndrome!”) kids. He atternds charity events reguarly and always gives back to the fans, including his zest in signing autographs and dispensing advice to young people. As he says, "It's important to sign autographs. It's all about you--the fans" (from Sothball's "The Gospel According to Rex") http://www.halosheaven.com/2009/3/28/814013/the-gospel-according-to-re
- He’s popular. Yes, there are those generally ‘old school’ fans who don’t appreciate Hud (even one of our beloved editors and site creators is not a fan), but there are so many that do (the Poll as of 2/6 shows 90% would like to see his return). Below is a collection of recent and archival praise from Halo Heaven and other sources, a small glimpse of Hudolatry:
-"Rex is truly a [...] great gift to Angel fans. He took a lot of time to talk--from the heart--to lots of people, especially the younger fans." ("Sothball" from his post "The Gospel According to Rex" in Halos Heaven)
-"I really, really, really, REALLY hope they bring him back.And not just because of these awards. The man deserves to stay with the organization he’s given nearly everything to, even if it’s in a reduced role. Bring him back, Fox." ("Clutch" from Halo Heaven)
-“Maybe now the Angels will look at bringing him back, even if it’s just for the postgame with BillyMac.”
(“Red Floyd” from HH, after hearing of Hud’s awards yesterday)
-"Hud is an entertainer. And in the end I suppose that’s what baseball is, entertainment. Just ask the people I get into salary cap/floor arguments with. I enjoyed watching him because he made me laugh during his broadcasts and sometimes made me yell at him to shut up. Either way, he was part of what kept me into the games and made it feel like “home.” He made the telecasts fun. His personality reminds me of Torii Hunter in some ways!” ("Commander Nate" from HaloHeaven)
-"Rex was awesome. Boycott broadcasts until they get the message" ("Brokenyard"/ HH)
-"I’d be down with that [bringing Hud back]; especially to hear Hud call Mota HOSEY” over and over again. It’d be quite funny." (Downing Rules/HH)
-”I agree with you” (“Wumbug” from HH)
-“Hud was hud…But He Was Our Hud. I know 90% of the FO didn’t like Hud, but WE the so-called “fan strong” did…” (“Funke5ive” from HH)
-”Hud is freaking awesome!” (a friend and season ticket holder)
-”Bring him back!” (“aNewFoundThrice” from HH)
- “No Hud? No Lackey? No Vlad? Sadly and tragically, No Rory Markas? COME ON! Let’s keep some a semblence of continuity around here. Bring back the Wonder Dog”
(“LazorkoRules” from HH)
-”I love Hud! He’s a riot!” (a really hot female Angel fan I met at the stadium last year)
-”Hud was OK, but a little too zany for me…but with Rory gone, and the LA Times story about Hud falling on hard times, it’s time to show some compassion and bring him back…I mean, it’s baseball–not brain surgery…he needs a gig–we need a popular face/voice, and it makes perfect sense…bring ’em back, Arte!”
(“Halopauly” from HH)
-”I too am crushed by the whole Hud thing. My son and I love listening to his commentary, and we laugh a lot together at his colorful phrases. I signed a petition a while back to bring him back.”
(Another season ticket-holder friend of mine)
-“Hud was my favorite by far. Sure he messed up sometimes, but his pure enthusiasm can’t be matched. Great to see he’s recognized.” (“TheKingfish” from HH)
-”He’s cool. He helps make baseball exciting, and he isn’t annoying like many broadcasters out there]”
(My 13-year-old son)
-"Hudler brought passion, enthsuiasm, humor, and IMO a decent amount of behind the scenes baseball knowledge. Maybe he catered to the younger audience a little too much, but it was tempered with anecdotes and analysis that could’ve only come from someone who lived the game." ("Tolbs1010" HH)
http://www.halosheaven.com/2010/2/3/1291244/hudler-wins-two-bradcasters-awards
http://www.halosheaven.com/2010/1/29/1283444/rex-hudler-not-doing-so-well
- His presence in Halo-land could be worked-out easily in a variety of ways. If you and the rest of the FO are that enamored with Jose Mota (not sure why, really—to do the interviews with Spanish-speaking players?) and Mark Gubiza, and none of them (including Hud) can do play-by-play, I offer the following, which I call the Raaddad plan. This plan is merely a follow-up to last season’s sort of round-robin announcer approach. You treat Hud much like the way Mike Scoscia has used Figgy and Maicer Izturis on the field: you let him do a variety of things and have him substitute for other guys on occasion. For instance, you could continue combining Hud with Bill McDonald on the after game show (as Red Floyd suggested above), have him share the interviews with Senor Mota, and let him make appearances on both radio and televison during the broadcast to discuss the game and add his commentary to the broadcast,as well as fill in for guys missing games, etc. You could have specialized segments entitled ‘Wonderdog at the Park”, or something. And he could continue doing shows with Jeff Biggs on AM 830. I would prefer him as the full-time color announcer paired with Terry Smith, but, if that’s not in the cards, then what I offer is an obvious compriomise—and you really wouldn’t need to pay him all that much. I mean, just the sale of Budweisers at the stadium for a few weeks to Halo Heaven blog contributers would probably cover his salary (and be sort of fitting, in a way.)
- and, finally, We should do it for the memory of Rory Markus and because it’s the right thing to do: I believe Rory would be happy that we brought back his old friend and colleague, Rex Hudler. If there was one thing we could do for Rory, and to honor his time with the Angels community, it would be to cut his former broadcast buddy some slack, and rehire Wonderdog back.
Mr. Moreno, I’ve been a staunch fan of the Angeles for 29 years, and I can say that you’ve done a great job since taking over the franchise. You’ve lent balance and dignity to the team, you’ve retained and encouraged the best manager in baseball, you’ve fostered a dynamic and cross-cultural work environment, you’ve kept prices down while adding millions to the payroll, you’ve worked your damnest to keep things fun yet still get us to the Series; you’ve even kept the silly things going—like the Rally Monkey, the fireworks, the thundersticks. I know I don’t speak for all, as the voting below will show, but I speak for many--the young, the young-at-heart, the Orange county wave surfers, the LA county net surfers, the ones far away who still listen and watch and feel they’re back at home for a minute when they hear his voice, those who are passionate, those who like to dwell in and learn about the intricasies of playing the game from a multi-dimensional ex-player, and those who want to lend their support to a great guy—when I say: “Please, sir, Bring Back Hud!"
This Fan-Post is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.
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I say
Bring Hud back! I love Hud, he is so enthusiastic and fun to listen to. He is very insightful and never has anything bad to say. Bring Hud Back!
As a color guy, Hud is wonderful.
Pretty much for all the reasons RaadDad mentioned.
Sure, he has the “I was talking to [INSERT-PLAYER-HERE] the other day, and he said, ‘Hud…’” stories, but as a color guy, that’s fine and almost necessary. He’s upbeat, funny, and wacky (as RaadDad said), but even in his wackiness, his respect for the game shows.
I wouldn’t suggest making him play-by-play guy, but Terry and Hud was always my favorite broadcast combo. If he can’t be brought back to the booth during the game, then please, PLEASE PLEASE bring him back for the post-game.
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
NO WAY REX IS EVER COMING BACK:
Here is a counter argument for the hell of it, from a corporate perspective:
Say you own a company and a spokesman for the company that you employ is loyal and popular.
While this spokesman projects some of what you want your product to be known as, his personal style runs counter to how you want your product overall to be perceived.
He is popular enough that his continued association with your product might be making him so linked to your “brand identity” that he ends up with equity in your brand that you neither own nor control.
In being himself and in doing his job, the spokesman will only continue to reinforce his link to your brand, and thus the longer he is employed the more association he will have with your product, thus creating more equity for himself and leaving you with less control over your product and how your brand is perceived by the public.
You can replace him with someone who is more in line with how you want your product promoted and this new spokesman will not have any equity in being perceived as linked with your brand, thus giving you control of your product and brand.
BOTTOM LINE: Every year Rex Hudler was with the Angels he was seen more and more linked with the Angels until the association with the team was to a point where his personality was part of the Angels brand. Someone upstairs did not like that. Boom, bye bye, that is how it works in the real world.
Yes, unfortunately, I'm sure you are totally correct in everything you say here
The corporation appears to be moving in another direction, and Senor Mota appears to be more aligned with that directional swing. The chances of a return, by the spokeperson many of us—their loyal consumers of the brand—enjoyed, is remote indeed.
It reminds me of the death of Ana Lucia on “Lost” (played by the very popular LA-born Chicana actress Michele Rodriguez—now in “Avatar”); we wanted the producers to keep her on the show or to bring her back somehow, but that was not their directional flow. And so despite her popularity, she was dust.
And in what way was he changing how the Angels were percieved?
The Angels are and always have been a Major League Baseball team. Everyone knows this regardless of who is in the booth on TV.
There are good teams, bad teams and average teams. The category a team falls under and the size of its market determines how much money it makes. That’s really all it is. Hud just made it fun and became a favorite among most of the fans, who are the only people the Angels’ image matters to. Keeping him on board or bringing him back would do nothing to negatively affect the team’s image in the eyes of the fans. Non-Angel fans aren’t going to care one way or the other and it’s not like bringing in some new guy is going to change their minds about the Angels.
The job of creating the Angels’ image is largely done on the field and in the stadium. It’s not like a new soft drink company where the spokesman has to convince people to buy their drink or a failing bank where he/she has to explain to the public why taxpayers should back up their terrible financial schemes. It’s sports, it’s much simpler than that.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 4, 2010 2:44 PM PST up reply actions
You are ignoring lots of concerns a company has in your retort
What % of the Dodgers brand involves Vin Scully. LOTS.
Teams garner national attention. Satellite radio and mlb internet games allow home announcers to be seen and heard nationally.
WHEN YOU SAY:
The job of creating the Angels’ image is largely done on the field and in the stadium.
you are SO right … which is why if top front office people hear the mention of Rex instead in relation to the on-field product, they are going to re-assess their use/employment of a brand identifier that may be more of a distraction than they like.
None of that counters my point, which is basically "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
If Vin Scully died, retired, or got fired tomorrow, Dodger fans would react just like we did to the news about Hud and Rory. But you know how many of them would still watch the Dodgers and go to the games? All of them. In the same way, we are all still going to support the Angels.
As to your point about national attention, I would argue that hardly impacts the Angels at all. The people seeking Angels games worldwide are likely either a) already Angel fans, or b) fans of the team opposing the Angels. Yankee and Red Sox fans, etc don’t care at all about the image of the Angels, Dodgers or anyone else. A new announcer isn’t going to start attracting fans from the other side of the continent in the markets of other teams.
I also don’t buy that Rex was a distraction. If anything, he was an enhancement because of his enthusiasm. I still payed full attention to the game regardless of what he was saying, and sometimes what he said made me laugh or actually taught me something about the game.
The entire move strikes me as pointless, a little out of touch with the fan base, and highly unlikely to benefit the Angels in any measurable way.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 4, 2010 3:55 PM PST up reply actions
I never had a problem keeping up with the games
That’s like saying Dino Ebel is a distraction.
If a broadcaster of any kind causes you to lose focus on the game then you might want to get checked for ADD.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 5, 2010 5:37 PM PST up reply actions
Well said
and a very good point. You may very well be right. Then again, it could just have been a budget-cutting measure, and as the longest-tenured color man he was being paid the most.
As I’ve said many times in these pages, I thought Rex was too unprofessional in his demeanor to be good in the booth during the game. He just didn’t show any discipline in keeping quiet during game calls or keeping his observations pertinent to the action on the field. Nevertheless, I thought he was an essential part of the Angels’ media presence. I doubt any team has ever had a more sincere or passionate advocate, especially when things are not going well. I can’t believe they didn’t keep him as a rover (pun not intended, but welcome) during the game and a desk jockey before and after the games.
I won’t miss him in the booth, but I will miss his presence. Image control considerations aside, I have to think that the team will come to regret their having let him go.
If it was budget-cutting, then I get it
That explanation makes sense. If they came out and said that, I’d accept it. Hell, if they came out and said “we don’t like Rex so we got rid of him” I’d understand that too. At least they would have been honest.
It’s this argument that they are “re-defining the image of the Angels” that I call BS on. Reggie Willits does more to define the Angels image than most of the Front Office. The only person who carries a big stick there is Tony Reagins with who he signs, trades for, or develops.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 4, 2010 4:05 PM PST up reply actions
I agree that the budget-cutting explanation makes more sense
at least from an outsider’s perspective. But I don’t think it’s BS at all to propose that it is an image-control move. Arte puts a huge emphasis on building the Angels into a top-tier brand, and it is certainly conceivable that he would consider Rex a risk to that goal. I disagree with that conclusion, but it certainly is a defensible one.
And going with Jose Mota
serves to expand the demographic even more—increasingly aligning the copororate image shift with the Hispanic American community as they work the Asian demagraphic as well; in addition, such moves inform the “top-tier brand” sensibility in a way
Jose Mota has already been around here though
The Angels have been a team that is heavily Latin-influenced for most of the last decade. I don’t think they can capture this demographic anymore than they already have.
Matsui will pull Japanese fans on his own. When Conger comes up, he’ll probably pull some Korean fans on his own. Both of them will have far more of an impact on perception and appeal than anyone in the booth.
I’m just curious who they are trying to look more “professional” too? The MLB front office? The East Coast Bias Crew? The latter isn’t going to care and neither one will get them anymore cash. We’re the only ones that care and most of us were happier with Hud than without him.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 5, 2010 10:34 AM PST up reply actions
EXACTLY rspencer you hit it on the head
“image control”. I have no problem with Rex. But you can bet if one single big bucks advertiser rolled their eyes at Rex’s “enthusiasm” (which could be mistaken for uncontrollable kookiness) in the presence of Arte that the powers that be would be looking for someone to more plainly deliver the message of the sponsors.
RECALL: One of the first things Arte changed about the team was to ditch that Toyota promotion that awarded a ticket in a car raffle to the person with the junkiest car in the parking lot. That was the signal: do not spotlight an inadequacy as an attribute in relation to this team.
by Rev Halofan on Feb 4, 2010 4:55 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Then they could have just said, it would have been much simpler.
Corporations getting on their knees for big bucks isn’t anything new.
The idea that it’s going to affect the way the Angels are percieved is laughable at best.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 4, 2010 5:00 PM PST up reply actions
Hud made memorable telecasts
And if you were not an Angels homer you left with a memory about the team that the fornt office is not satisfied with impacting their brand. Laugh all you want… ask people who are not Angels diehards what they think.
That junky car promotion was fun.
I later bought a 2006 Toyota Sienna and a 2007 Toyota Matrix. Knock on wood, neither one of them has been recalled! Just in case, I am always prepared to shift into neutral, pull over, brake to a stop, and then turn off the ignition if I were to get a sudden extreme acceleration. I did not “win” our cars, I bought ’em.
It seems to me that Arte now has the opportunity to take the lemon...
…and make lemonade;
1) Rex is obviously popular with the fan base.
2) They need another broadcaster to make up for the untimely passing of Rory Markas. This gives Arte an opening to re-approach Huddy.
3) Arte could take Huddy aside and tell him he will be re-hired if he tones down the more clownish side of his on-air personality. To be safe, Arte can tell him he will be on year to year contract terms. I can’t imagine Huddy would say no.
I don’t know a downside here. Fell free to whack-a-mole.
I don't think rex has the ability to tone it down
From everything I’ve read (your post included), what we get on TV is who he is. I don’t want to listen to a watered down version of Hud.
I want my Hud full strength or not at all
R.I.P. King Ad-Rock #34
Oh Goody!
Now I get to associate the Angels with Jose’s bilingual stuttering!
Nice brand. No thanks.
by The Clyde on Feb 4, 2010 7:38 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
No comprende
If Arte decided to brand pink uniforms instead of red, I wouldn’t like that brand either, but I wouldn’t stop being an Angels fan.
So the choices are
a stuttering, multilingual slab of concrete, or a doddering, senile old fool in the tenebrous twilight of his life/career?
Screw it; I’m enjoying the MUTE button.
by shiftyeyedgoat on Feb 6, 2010 12:12 AM PST up reply actions
If it can be implied by your thesis that the loss of Hud will result in the loss of those lame-assed Howard's commercials...
then adios Hud. See ya around.
Had I owned the Pittsburgh Pirates, I could have saved America.
Has there been any hint on who our play-by-play guy will be with Rory gone? :(
I am fan various years ago.
Really?
Do you mean personally, or just as a play-by-play guy?
I think moving Terry to TV and putting Porter on the radio would be a fitting move, at least for a year. Porter may be a bit soporific, but he’s intelligent, and a skilled play-by-play guy. Plus, there’s his detailed-to-the-point-of-absurdity stats (i.e., “Martinez has gotten more extra-base hits on his birthday than any other right-hander in the National League born during Lent.”) I miss those.
It wouldn’t be good long-term, perhaps, but I would find having an old-school guy like Porter around for a while quite comforting, personally.
I just couldn't handle his Texas drawl
but I do agree with you otherwise.
Some announcers just rub you wrong—like some of the folks who don’t care for Hud. My biggest problem is with that dude “P” (Petros P) on AM 570—he is so annoying on the radio. He needs to go to detox and do some meditiation or something, but I think many of the youngish fraternity/ “Hangover” dudes dig him. They can relate to loud obnoxious drunks better than the rest of us, who just are loud obnoxious drunks…
I can understand that
Porter’s voice tends to drone during slow spots in a game, but I have a great affection for him from years of watching his sports reporting on KNBC back in the Jess Marlow-Tom Brokaw-Tom Snyder days. Honestly, I’d love to see him get a gig.
The guy that rubs me the wrong way as a broadcaster is Rick Monday. Sure, I love that he saved the flag in that famous incident from his playing days, but as an announcer he is a definite sourpuss with an express animus towards the Angels. Once during Dodger Talk some guy called in with a question comparing the Dodgers and Angels in some respect, and he said something like, “This is Dodger Talk. We don’t talk about that other team here”, in a voice dripping with peevish contempt.
And yes, Petros Papadakis is indeed obnoxious on the radio!
It's more like a
“I hate fun and good things, please scorn me with extreme contempt” vote.
by shiftyeyedgoat on Feb 6, 2010 12:13 AM PST up reply actions
While Hudler infuriates me to no end sometimes...
The bottom-line is that Angels games aren’t going to be the same without him behind the mike. His energy and passion for the team and the game came through his broadcasts and I reluctantly have to admit that I’m going to miss it. I also perversely seem to enjoy getting worked up when he says something that is totally off the wall… I would love to see him back, but agree with Rev’s assessment of the situation and don’t think it’s gonna happen.
BRING HIM BACK.
Yes, he is part of the brand. “Brand” me a Hudler fanatic. Loved his enthusiasm as a player and even more so as an announcer.
I love this team.
Put me down for hell yeah.
Watching Rex is at least 200% more enjoyable than anyone else I’ve seen broadcasting games. (Baseball Prospectus has endorsed this completely accurate and not at all biased or made up statistic)
~Till the Halo burns out...
I might be wrong
But as far as I can tell, Hudler worked for Fox Sports West, not the Angels. The two parties must be in some sort of consultation because of the TV contract, but I don’t think we can ever know how involved the Angels were in the firing, or if they have any power to bring him back.
That said, I couldn’t stand Rex and I’m glad I don’t have to listen to him any more, but best of luck to him taking his act elsewhere. He’s far from the worst color guy in the game. Unfortunately, Mark Gubicza is not much of an improvement.
Hell Yes
Because as this post alluded too at least in regards to younger fans, I practically grew up on Rex Hudler as the color analyst for the Angels.
Flashback...
…to what I wrote about Rex after meeting him almost a year ago during spring training. The more I reflected on this encounter, the more I enjoyed the guy. It’s unfortunate he will not be back.
cool article, soth
I do borrow from it several times up above and provide the link…
Great shot of him and the spouse: How ‘bout ol’ Rex movin’ in on the lovely wife, bro!
It's all good until he moves in on the stash...
;)
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Feb 4, 2010 4:00 PM PST up reply actions
I don't know how I missed it in your post...
…but my eyes are open now.
If Rex tried moving in on Mrs. Sothball, gloves off man. Rex would…be…going….D-O-W-N.
Here's my problem with Rex
The Rex Hudler show featuring Angels baseball is what he gave us and he’s out of a job.
If he gave us Angels baseball featuring Rex Hudler he’d probably still be on the job.
by California Cajun on Feb 4, 2010 6:35 PM PST reply actions
Hud is better than...
1. That Jersey Shorr bitch "broad"casting for the Yankees.
2. That Shytown ICON who used to broadcast shit-faced by the 5th inning.
3. Joe Suck
4, Mr. “even-keel” Vin Scully who reminds me how boring baseball can be.
Brand schmand. If the Yanks can have Snooki in the booth and the Cubs can have a beer’d up clown…
We can have a HUD. He actually provides more insider insight than any of the above
Rex Fucking Hudler!
I have to say.....
While I wantHudler back as well, your assessments of Caray and Scully are flat out ridiculous.
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
Not really
I can’t stand listening to either of them. They are icons, but not my glass of beer.
R.I.P. King Ad-Rock #34
But he was actually a little kind to Waldman
She is absolutely unlistenable
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.
Vin Scully is a legend
but I have to say, I’ve talked to a lot of young people (between 10-25) the last few years, and they generally find him pretty boring. Chick Hearn was a lot more compelling, speaking of legendary LA sports announcers.
They broke the mold after they made Chick.
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
No, no... you misunderstand...
It was a Jell-O Mold!!!
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
Did you ever hear the Chick Hearn rap?
classic stuff.
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Feb 5, 2010 9:52 AM PST up reply actions
For the record
I don’t think Vin Scully sucks. He’s actually very good but, (as you point out) he bores me, so I prefer Hud and his player’s perspective.
I DVR’d the game where the Dodgers hit 4 consecutive 9th inning HR’s in a legendary comeback, (and I hate the Dodgers), and I was more excited than Vin. His demeanor sucked a little air out of the moment.
Also for the record
I think Caray was awesome, too. His public drunkenness was endearing, go figure.
My point really is: I don’t think the brand would suffer from a little Hud color. I think it would BENEFIT. It would take years IF EVER to develop a popular voice when we already have one. Besides, he’s JUST A COLOR GUY.
Mota butchering two languages is a downgrade.
Yea, that's my point about Vin exactly
He’s too much of a limp fish. I mean, get excited dude! Chick was always enthusiastic. So was Rory and so is Terry and Hud obviously. For instance, if anyone can find that video of Rory Markus calling the double by Abreu against Boston in the playoffs (I can’t find it…)—that’s the way you call an exciting play for the home team!
Story about Chick...
Back when Jack Kent Cooke owned the Lakers, there was a game where the Lakers stunk, and he called them on it on the air.
Cooke called Chick into his office, and said that he heard that Chick had ripped the team. Chick’s reply? “Did you watch the game?”
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
Gubicza and Mota
do NOTHING to enhance the Angels brand. They’re both embarassingly bad. Gubicza is just as unprofessional (I would say more so—his self-satisfied, frat-boy demeanor is nauseating) as Hud minus the energy and entertainment. Mota’s commentary consists of tired cliches and catchphrases that wouldn’t be acceptable for any other English-speaking analyst. Neither one of them convey an ounce of originality or sincerity.
Hudler was responsible for recruiting more young fans than any other employee in franchise history. That goes directly to the bottom line of the club for years and years and years. It’s like Joe Camel selling cigarettes to twelve year olds except Hudler doesn’t kill the customers.
This nonsense about Hudler adversely affecting the brand is ludicrous. He was a cash cow.
by tolbs1010 on Feb 4, 2010 9:55 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
love the Hudler/Joe Camel analogy--brilliant, t1010
But I still think Rev is probably right; I mean, why else?
Because
Arte doesn’t like guys that smoke the mota. He just likes dimwits named Mota.
Clearly, Arte sees the situation quite differently
I think it’s evident that he did the rotation of teams to TV in order to evaluate each, with the intention to keep only one of them. I can’t imagine that he didn’t take audience feedback into account when deciding which team to keep. You may hate Gubicza, but apparently your opinion is in the minority. I certainly disagree respectfully with you; Gubi related well to Rory, and even better to Terry (the two are in fact friends from childhood). I find him quite likable, the very opposite of the frat boy you describe. I see him as a tough but self-effacing scrapper. And he is at least professional enough not to step on the play-by-play man’s calls constantly, as Hud did.
While I tend to agree with you that Hud did not adversely effect the Angels brand, it strikes me that if he were indeed a “cash cow”, he’d still be with the team. Arte is a shrewd businessman with a constant eye on the bottom line.
Don’t get me wrong; I think it was a mistake to get rid of Hud entirely. Getting him out of the broadcast booth during the game, on the other hand, is something I’ve been advocating for a long time.
100% agree.
Gubi is a joke. He says “staying within himself” about 5 times per inning, and he brings nothing new to the broadcast. I’ve learned more about baseball from Rex than Gubi even knows himself.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of His Saints." - Psalm 116:15 Rest In Peace, Nick.
You don't need to be Vin to be iconic
Hud didn’t follow in Vin’s classy, old-time footsteps. Hud marched to the beat of his own colorful, zany drum and it worked so well for him. Hud was our Harry Caray and I’ll always love him for that. Besides, we have to share a market with the Doyers and legendary Vin. To me, it seems futile to try to stand out as a broadcaster while under Vin’s shadow. The only way to make a name for yourself while staying true to the team was to do what Hudler did, be the “Anti-Vin.”
With Rory gone (RIP), Terry Smith is the most Iconic broadcaster we have. Nothing against Terry, I personally love him, but he doesn’t stand out like Hud does.
I voted “Hell Yes”
Sorry Seattle, 2010 still isn't your year.
Hell yes!
If I have to listen to Gubi say ‘qwawity’ at least 25 times per game, I’ll lose it.
It was a qwawity pitch for a qwawity start by a qwawity pitcher on a real qwawity team – I don’t mind the speech issue itself, but the over-use of a word that emphasizes it seems almost intentional.
Damaso Garcia (Part 1)
(From “Splinters, A Memoir” by Rex Hudler, 2008, pp 58-61.)
Back With Buck
Next spring I went to camp with the Expos and I was back in Buck Rodgers’ office. "Kid, I just want to tell you that you’re my utility player this year. I brought Damaso Garcia into camp to platoon with Tom Foley at second base because I needed a Latin leader and I think he is going to help us."
"Hey, wait a minute! It was one year ago that we sat in here and you told me I couldn’t hit, I couldn’t catch, and all I could do was run and that I wasn’t good enough to be your utility player! I don’t want you to settle for some bootleg player."
So I made Buck eat his crow and tell me how good I was! "Kid, you showed me last year that you could play."
"I told you I needed two months to get into shape. And now I’ll tell you another thing. That Damaso Garcia is a dog. He’s going to quit. He won’t play hard for you. He’s very temperamental. You’ve got the wrong guy! I should have that platoon job." When I left his office, I thanked Buck because this was the first time in my career that I made a major-league team out of spring training. I was happy about that and let my manager know how I felt about it.
Jennifer and I went to Montreal to start out our married life together during the baseball season. The Expos had good players in 1989 and we battled the Mets for first place. The Mets were tough and they had good players too: Darryl Strawberry, Ho Jo (Howard Johnson), Sid Fernandez, Ron Darling and David Cone. I loved going to play the Mets in Shea Stadium because I could feel the heat. We’d go in there and we’d battle. It was awesome! I was in a pennant race in the NL West with New York right where I wanted to be!
I’ll never forget that I was at Shea the first time I’d ever experienced a kid cussing me out. This kid was saying words that a sailor wouldn’t say. And he was standing next to his mom and dad! The parents were cussing me. The kid was pointing at me and cussing me. I was trippin’, but I loved that negative stuff because it made me even tougher. I said to myself, "Wow, welcome to the world!"
It turned out I was right about Damaso Garcia. He quit after 200 at bats! He left the team and went home – and those were my 200 at bats he took with him! I didn’t say anything to Buck Rodgers, but I told him Garcia would quit on the team and that’s exactly what he did. I was not a poison slinger so I let the whole thing go. There were times when I really got frustrated! Even though we were struggling, I wasn’t getting a chance to play and I was a good player. Sometimes I would stand up in the clubhouse and yell, "Who doesn’t want to play today? If you don’t want to play why don’t you tell that man (Buck Rodgers) and I’ll play for you. I’m tired of sitting on the bench; this is getting frustrating. Let’s go!" They all knew I could play outfield and infield and so everyone was quiet. They were a little nervous about me and my intensity.
Those Expos teams had lots of good players: Tim Raines and Tim Wallach were the top position guys and we had a terrific pitching staff with starters Bryn Smith, Dennis Martinez, Pascal Perez, Kevin Gross, Mark Langston and Tim Burke was our closer. I had finally arrived and they knew I could play. I wasn’t afraid to be myself. I was stealing bases, and in one game I hit a big pinch hit home run off John Franco who was the Cincinnati Reds closer that year. I came up to bat with two runners on base and Buck said, "Kid – go get him!" Tim Wallach called me over to the dugout and he said that when Franco goes to his change-up, his glove gets big. "He’s a fanner, Hud." That’s a baseball term for opening up the glove when you’re going to throw the change-up.
I got in the on-deck circle, got loose, went to the batter’s box and saw the glove fan open. I took a change-up off the plate – ball one. I knew it was coming. They knew I was an aggressive hitter. I swung at a lot of pitches and they tried to get me to swing at balls out of the strike zone. Franco was very good at coaxing hitters to swing at that change-up in the dirt. The glove fanned open again and the pitch was a ball and it was now a 2-0 count. On the third pitch, Franco narrowed his grip so I knew a fastball was coming. I hit a three-run, pinch-hit dinger in a nationally televised game on CBS! Beautiful!
A big crowd in Montreal saw that blast – it must have been a giveaway day – ha ha! I circled the bases after the hit and we won the game. I was doing the post-game show on the field and the team was waiting for me when I got into the clubhouse. They were cheering for me! "Hud, way to go!" We had a three-game lead in the division and that win kept us tight in the race. We were right at the top of the standings and I wept with joy. Here I was, challenging guys in the clubhouse to enjoy playing the game or I’d take their spot and when I came through, they were genuinely happy for me. It made me feel good.
(From “Splinters, A Memoir” by Rex Hudler, 2008, pp 58-61.)
Damaso Garcia (Part 2)
My apologies for the long selection above. It starts at the beginning of that chapter because I did not want the statement regarding Damaso Garcia to be taken out of context.
In December 2009 I was shopping in the Tustin Market Place. I browsed through the book section in Costco and saw a sign stating Rex Hudler would be autographing his book "Splinters" at this store a couple days later. I did a quick calculation and concluded I would not be returning to Costco that soon. I picked up a copy of "Splinters" and purchased it then and there. A week later in the same Costco I came across a stack of "Splinters" that Rex Hudler had autographed. I did not need a second copy, so I did without the autograph. I read my copy of "Splinters" this past weekend.
The above selection rang a bell with me. I only went to four games at Stade Olympique in Montreal. Those were during a four game series versus Cincinnati July 20-23, 1989. The Expos swept the four game set and appeared to be serious contenders to win the NL East division. In the Saturday July 22 game the Reds led 5-1 entering the last of the ninth. Reds closer John Franco was in his third inning of work. Tim Wallach and Nelson Santovenia got things rolling with back-to-back singles. Rex Hudler then pinch-hit for Jeff Huson. Rex gives a fine detailed description of that at bat in "Splinters" which is quoted above.
For this Saturday game I had a field box seat down the right field line. In the eighth inning I moved behind the Expos dugout on the first base side. I was behind the home plate side of the dugout. After the Reds tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the ninth and were then retired I moved to the front row. For the four games in Montreal I had that seat for all of half an inning. John Franco was only able to retire one batter in the bottom of the ninth as the Expos rallied for five runs to win the game 6-5. When Hudler hit his three-run home run he hustled around the bases and ran straight towards me. Rex high-fived a half dozen teammates before disappearing into the dugout. Hud was pumped! The crowd was into it. The Reds still led 5-4 with nobody out.
Mike Fitzgerald then coaxed Franco for a walk. Otis Nixon proceeded to sacrifice Fitzgerald to second. Here is where "Splinters" gets strange. The page before Hudler hits this pinch-hit home run Rex states "Garcia would quit on the team and that’s exactly what he did." Not on July 22. None other than Damaso Garcia came to the plate in the bottom of the last down 5-4 with one out and the tying run on second base. Damaso proceeded to sock a sayonara walk-off home run. It was pandemonium in Montreal! There was joy in Mudville! John Franco was only able to retire one batter in the bottom of the ninth as the Expos rallied for five runs to win the game 6-5.
On September 9, 2002 I took my wife and two year old son to Tommy’s Sushi in Tustin. We sat in a booth and ordered sushi, soy beans, miso soup and sake. Roger noticed the man sitting in the booth across the aisle from us was wearing an Angels cap. I looked up from the menu and exclaimed "That’s the Wonder Dog!" Rex conversed with us during the rest of his meal. That was for at least twenty minutes. The Angels were hosting the Oakland Athletics in a four game series that was starting that night. I told Rex that I would be going to three of the A’s games. Rex enthusiastically said I should go to all four. I told Rex that I was at the July 1989 game when he hit the three-run pinch-hit home run off of John Franco. I told him I also saw him hit a home run against the Dodgers in May 1989. Hud immediately replied "That was off Ricky Horton. It was the only home run I ever hit at Dodger Stadium!" Rex was very gracious. He made a much better impression with me in person than he does while broadcasting.
We need a sports psychologist here to figure out why Hudler would slight Damaso Garcia and two paragraphs later NEGLECT to say that Garcia hit a walk-off home run. Pull up a shrink’s couch. What is the rest of the story there? Damaso’s last game with the Expos was on September 12, 1989. Garcia did not leave the team and go home until that date or later. Garcia’s walk-off home run off of John Franco was the second to last of his career. Garcia’s last major league home run came was on August 15, 1989 off of Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky. That was the last hit Dravecky ever allowed. Two batters later Dravecky broke his arm throwing a wild pitch and never pitched in the majors again. For the record Garcia had two major league walk-off home runs. Hudler never had one. In 1989 Hudler did lead Garcia in go ahead hits (all hits where the team went from tied or behind to ahead) 3-1. Garcia does not get that go ahead hit on July 22, 1989 if Hudler had not at least base in the same inning. Hudler wrote that negative stuff made me even tougher. Evidently negative stuff also made Damaso Garcia tougher.
John Franco
The difference in John Franco’s 1989 performance before and after July 22 is night and day.
Dates IP H R ER BB K HR HBP ERA OBA OBP SLG OPS
4/3/89 – 7/16/89 45 39 11 8 19 31 1 0 1.60 .215 .298 .247 .545
7/22/89 – 9/29/89 35.2 43 24 20 17 29 2 0 5.45 .305 .375 .383 .758
1989 vs Montreal 9.1 11 10 10 6 4 3 0 9.64 .314 .415 .629 1.043
1989 Totals 80.2 77 35 28 36 60 3 0 3.12 .258 .334 .311 .645
Add the scoreless seventh and eighth inning that Franco pitched on July 22 and his ERA entering the last of the ninth inning that day was down to 1.53. Franco gave up only three home runs during the 1989 season. Two of them occurred in the last of the ninth on July 22. The third home run Franco allowed was hit by the Expos’ Tim Wallach on July 13. The Expos roughed Franco up in 1989. The consolation prize for Franco was he earned two saves in the five games he pitched against Montreal in 1989.
Four times in 1989 Franco was asked to pitch more than two innings. Franco had three inning stints @CHC on 5/26, @ SDP on 6/15, and @ SFG on 9/13. Franco’s July 22 five run disaster at Montreal was his fourth longest outing by innings in 1989. From 1984 to 1989 Franco had innings pitched totals of 79.1, 99, 101, 82, 86, and 80.2. From 1990 to 2005 Franco only exceeded 60 innings pitched three times with a high of 67.2 in 1990. Interestingly Franco was traded to the Mets before the 1990 season and the Reds promptly won the World Series. Franco was capably replaced by Officer Dibble, Randy Myers and Norm Charlton in the Reds bullpen. Lou Piniella would say "Look ma, no more Rose!"
Please, No Rex Hudler.
Hud is a moron.
Go turn on Dora the Explorer if you want listen to toddler spew. How anyone could like listening to his bs is beyond me.
I want insights into the game and interesting stories about our players, as well as the opposing team’s. Instead, Hud delivers “awe shucks” commentary about his flame-out career.
Invite him to speak at your 5year-old’s birthday party or go read his book. Please don’t subject us to his inane commentary.
You are what you type.
Actually
He had plenty of insightful snippets of information about the game that I didn’t know about. Little things players did and why they did them, etc.
Maybe it’s just me because I stopped playing competitive baseball around 16 or 17, but I thought it was worthwhile information from someone who knew the inside of the game. Most other announcers only give you the sanitized, cookie-cutter version.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 5, 2010 1:28 PM PST up reply actions
No Nate, I guess we're all "morons" too since we like Hud
That makes 140 out of 153 of us (according to the current poll results above) who are “morons” and apparently don’t know anything about baseball, announcers, entertainment, etc. What, did Hud spell your name wrong when he was signing your ball, rj?
didnt mean to offend you
I just can’t stand the guy. I guess we disagree. Thankfully, someone in the angels organization shares my take.
You are what you type.
it's all good, my brother
(just a tad demeaning, is all…)
But, hey! When Dora shows how to hold a 2-seamer, that really helped my Little League team out a few years ago
You know how sometimes bad people bring out the worst in you?
That was the biggest problem with Hud, was when he worked with Phyzz. I liked Hud when he had Terry or Rory in the booth. It was when Phyzz and him got together that the broacasting went to hell….
So bring him back but dont bring back Phyzz…
Let's make it "another halo victory" for Rory...
by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Feb 5, 2010 11:57 AM PST reply actions 5 recs
I remember when Hud was on a national broadcast
alongside Joe Buck, I believe, a few years ago.
Hud was extremely well-spoken, offered key insight, and maintained a cool, charismatic color aspect to the commentary.
Seeing Rex leave the team signaled to me the team really is trying to become the Yankees: winning is priority number 1, fan-connection has fallen by the wayside.
by shiftyeyedgoat on Feb 7, 2010 11:53 AM PST up reply actions
Hud was our fan
Many of you know my son was married at the Big A last summer before an Angels/Rangers game.
We reached out to both the Angels and Rangers to let them in on our big event. The Rangers basically sent a form letter in response.
We had asked the Angels to pass an invitation to Hud. Both Tim Mead and Hud showed up in the suite for the ceremony and Hud gave the happy couple his game ball. It will be a family heirloom.
I know Hud was goofy and over exuberant at times but, you know, he loved us Angels fans as much as he love the team.
Its too bad that the love wasn’t always returned…
All the best Hud.
Arte, bring him back, we want our wonderdog!
Im not a big hudler fan, but he kept a bad broadcast going with that moron physioc
Seems reasonable to give him a year or two with a normal human being to see what he’s like… unless there is some way we can get a guy like Salmon in the booth…
by Balls and Strikes on Feb 5, 2010 2:07 PM PST reply actions
thank you for pointing out one of the typos
do I still get the A, or did that knock me down a grade?
I've heard and read they wanted someone to appeal on the national level...
I loved Hud, but heard on at least two talk shows (one was XM) and forgot where I read it, but the general thoughts on why Rex was let go was that his geekiness and homerism, while loved my some local fans, wasn’t a persona that could appeal at the national level.
Whether true or not, I can see how, if you are trying to compete with the Yankees and Sox in all regards, you need professional-caliber commentators as well.
I don’t think Hud is someone you can ever groom in that regard since what made him loved by local fans is his silly, homeristic ways.
Like a couple posts said above, he limits how you can brand your product.
I LOVE him, but I also don’t own the Angels :)
And sadly, you won't see Hud coming back.
Forgot to add that I highly doubt it was a money/cost-cutting thing. Especially not in the big scheme of things and how much you already have on payroll.
NO company lets go of a resource they like over $$$, at least not that I’ve ever seen or heard of. If you add value to the organization and they like you, you’ll always find a way to make it work.
While I think he still added value, I’m not sure Arte and the brass saw that value quite the same, and possibly just didn’t like that style any more.
But there is no way he’s going to be let in. I know…never say never…but I think this is one you can bank on. Sadly…
You may be right Redfog
but once Rev shows Arte this letter, Hud will be back in a flash!
(Btw, wasn’t he “let go” before and they brought him back?)
Are John Sterling
and that idiot broad who call Yankees games not homers? You can literally hear their disgust when the other team does something good. Hudler always pointed out great players and plays by the opposition with zeal and the love of witnessing superior performance
Creating a national brand has nothing to do with the announcers being homers or not. Harry Caray, Wimpy and Hawk, that dude for the Mariners, Jerry Remy, the list goes on and on—all homers. It’s about winning, merchandising, and selling advertising.
I contend that Hudler probably had no negative effect on advertising. I think Arte just clearly didn’t like him and his style.
He’s made it clear that he will snub his nose at those he doesn’t like. Is it a smart baseball move for him to publicly diss Scott Boras and his clients? No. But he drew a line in the sand and basicaslly said, “I don’t want to do business with you.”
Sadly I think Hudler is simply on Arte’s do not call list.
Well it is true every announcer...
…has some homerism to them, including everyone the Angels still have on their payroll.
I just think, as you also touched on, that simply Huds way of being a homer and portraying the Angels didn’t fit the image/model that Arte has.
But also I think Huds ‘professionalism’ was never quite on par with the other nationally known announcers.
First, I don’t consider Remy that well known or to have national status by any stretch. I bet if you asked 8 out of 10 fans down here who he was, they would have no clue. At work here there are 4 other Angels fans and I asked them who he was, no one knew.
As for Harray Caray, he was a unique beast in a unique time and I don’t think many of his attributes would do well in todays age of media coverage and broadcasting.
I assume you are referring to the Yankee’s John Sterling. Anyone who isn’t a Yankee fan HATES him because you also hate the Yankees, but I think he is quite a good announcer if I remove my emotions from my valuation of him.
How many times did you listen to a Rex broadcast and about 20 times a game think “Damn, he’s so stupid” or “Lay off the weed” or “insert_criticism_here”. But then because he’s your announcer, most took it with a grain of salt and a lovable quirkyness to his personality.
The problem is I don’t think Arte saw it that way when wearing his national brand hat.
Either way, as a fan I wish he was around but as a business owner, not sure if I would disagree – depending of course on the direction they take long term.
I CAN’T STAND MOTA and I don’t care what our hispanic demographic is, they need to get someone else. Shit, teach Hud spanish and I prefer that :P
Nobody is going to make the Angels appeal to fans in other cities
Not even the Angels themselves. The only exception would be in the postseason if we are playing a team the rest of baseball doesn’t like, such as the Yankees or Red Sox, like last year. Even then it’s only temporary.
I can attest to this. I’ve lived in San Diego for about 4 years now and have used the Godsend that is MLB.tv since it’s creation. I’ve seen bad announcing, the Padres crew for example. I sometimes have to use the away feed of a game on MLB.tv instead of the Angels feed because of errors or whatever. Many of them are worse than the Rex and whoever he was teamed with for the night. Even if they were great, it wouldn’t have made me like that team any more and buy their stuff. If they sucked, it just made me wish I could get the Angel feed back. Vin Scully is touted as a legendary announcer, yet how many people from San Francisco, Kansas City, or Boston has he converted into Dodger fans over the years? Probably none.
You want to appeal on a national level? Win. Host a good All Star Game if you get the chance. Then, win again. That’s the only way you have a chance of converting people worldwide.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 5, 2010 5:47 PM PST up reply actions
I agree to a point...
…would you say Vin Scully and the Dodgers have national appeal?
Can’t be due to winning since until recently they have not done squat in a couple decades! Obviously Scully is a HOF broadcaster, so does he appeal because of his quality and professionalism…? Because again, it can’t be the winning and I don’t think the old Brooklyn ties make much of a difference for the new baseball fans in their 20’s and 30’s.
They have some national appeal, but Scully has little if anything to do with it
They were one of the first baseball teams to move to the West Coast almost 60 years ago and have had a decent amount of success and HoF players. Thus, they have a couple of generations of established fans, who may have moved around the country over the decades and kept up with the Dodgers whether they started following them in Brooklyn or LA.
The Angels are a native West Coast team, whose success is a relatively new thing. Notice you’ve seen more Angel fans in visiting stadiums over the past decade. These people are likely So Cal natives that have moved and always liked the Angels or just picked them up because of the success of their hometown team.
I doubt there is anyone raised on the East Coast or in the Midwest who has recently decided to follow the Angels or Dodgers as opposed to their local team without any prior ties to them. If these people do exist, I guarantee it has more to do with the on-field success of the team, not Vin Scully or whoever was doing the play-by-play.They might know who Vin Scully is, but that’s about it. People tune in because they want to watch the game, not the announcer.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 5, 2010 6:35 PM PST up reply actions
Good points...
I dig the back and forths with you Nate. At least you supply some substance behind your replies and not one liners of crap :) I don’t think in these type of light hearted discussions there is ever a wrong or right (except where stats are impossible to ignore).
Not saying I have a mancrush on your or anything (the wife wouldn’t like that), unless you are also a great songwriter and can help me with my new culinary love. Ha!
Ha!
Not a great songwriter. Used to be sort of an amateur one.
What can I say, I like a good debate.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 6, 2010 10:04 AM PST up reply actions
Vin Scully is held in very high regards across the baseball and sports-broadcasting world, I’d say he gets them better TV ratings than they’d otherwise get.
Ohh! You guys!
So you're saying people watch the Dodgers because Vin Scully is announcing?
I think it’s more likely they watch the Dodgers because they are Dodger fans or fans of the team the Dodgers are playing.
Maybe it’s just me because I’m only in my mid-20’s, but I’ve never tuned in to watch a game because some legendary announcer was calling the game, Scully included.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 7, 2010 10:28 PM PST up reply actions
Ive always loved to watch baseball but...
When I was a kid, I loved watching the cubs on wgn because of Harry Carey but I couldnt stand the braves because of their awful announcers.
by Balls and Strikes on Feb 7, 2010 11:03 PM PST up reply actions
Vin Scully is the ONLY reason we ever watch a Dodger game
Honestly, I suspect that it is precisely because of your age that you don’t get what’s so great about Vin Scully. Try watching him do one of the Freeway Series games next season, as we always do once a season; I bet you’ll hear some interesting things about our guys that you’ve never heard before.
You have a perfect right not to like his style, of course; for my part, I think Dick Enberg is a better play-by-play guy. Nevertheless, Vin is the real deal. He is a national treasure, and unarguably one of the best the sport has ever seen.
Now get offa my lawn!
In support of rspencer...
…I was always amazed by the number of people that listen to Vin on the radio while attending Dodger games. I didn’t quite understand why. Until I started listening to what Vinnie was saying.
He actually has some great stories to tell, along with lots of minor bits of information that you otherwise wouldn’t know. And he has a way of weaving these anecdotes and footnotes without sacrificing the play-by-play of the game.
The difference is a bit like eating a 5 star meal vs. eating a 5 star meal while having the 5 star chef explain the ingredients, where they came from, how he intends the flavors to interact, and so on. It’s the same meal, but it makes the experience much, much better.
/rides bike over rspencer's flowers ;)
I guess it is an age thing then. I’ve lived with 3 Dodger fans over the last two years here in San Diego and I still live with 2 of them and hang out with several more. We’re all in the same 2-3 years of each other in age. We get into arguments all the time about Angels-Dodgers stuff. They love Scully, but from what I can tell they don’t view him as essential to the Dodgers.
I guess in the era of X-Mo and HD, etc the younger crowd of baseball fans doesn’t view the announcing team as all that important. For example, I hate listening to Joe Buck and Joe Morgan, and can only tolerate Tim McCarver to a degree. Yet, I still watch The ALCS and WS, plus national games the Angels are in. I just try to ignore what they’re saying.
"You gotta have nuts." - Torii Hunter / Part-Time Nemesis of the HH Reply Function
by Commander_Nate on Feb 8, 2010 9:23 AM PST up reply actions
(laughs at cat poo embedded in Commander-Nate's tires)
It is an age thing. Like I wrote above, I thought it was strange, being able to walk around Dodger (Doyer) Stadium and not get away from the sound of Vin’s voice…coming from thousands of portable radios brought by fans. In my 20’s, I didn’t understand it. It wasn’t until I was in my 30’s – when I started to really listen to his stories – that I started to understand his popularity. Now, I understand the interest. He makes the experience much better.
Agreed - Vin Scully is the ONLY reason
I hate the dodgers but I like to tune into radio just to listen to Vin Scully… he’s great… God gave him a gift and it’s his voice.
Angels 2009 WS Champs
When Rex involuntarily cries out in victory when Napoli hits a late inning-game winning home run
I love it. I absolutely love it.
Every
Single
Other
Person
Who
is
Not
An
Angel
Fan
Absolutely
Hates
It
I brought sexy back, but they only gave me store credit....
You are part of the 18.5%
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Feb 5, 2010 7:28 PM PST up reply actions
Please bring him back!
The time is out of joint; oh cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right.
by chairmanofthebar on Feb 5, 2010 6:51 PM PST reply actions
Wait, I figured it out.
Rex and Granderson doing the games!
ok, fine...
you’re quote gets deleted from the letter
and your membership in the Hud Club has been revoked; turn in your Hud baseball and Hud stick
I did not like Gubi’s constant moniker of trying to be like hudler. I thought this year wouldnt be too bad and gubi would find his own personality, when not having to compete with hudler. Which would be good. My ideal casting team would be jose/gubi radio and terry/hudler tv..
if angels don’t hire him, you can bet I will watch every game he casts for MLB Network… which is where i think he is headed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTvSUCCqPo
I'd really like for Hud to return.
Some of the “homerisms” that some mention remind me of Dizzy Dean. I personally don’t look upon Hud’s passion negatively.
When I was a kid, I would watch the Falstaff Baseball Game of the Week, with Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese, every Saturday afternoon. Dizzy Dean butchered the English language and made me laugh. I learned more about the game, the history, the intricacies, and the personalities of baseball while watching and listening to those broadcasts, than any other time in my life until the inclusion of Rex Hudler in the Angels’ telecasts.
Those of you who aren’t old enough to have witnessed Dizzy Dean perform (or act naturally) will probably never truly know what is meant when the phrase “He’s such a character!” is used. What I see in Rex Hudler reminds me of the full-of-fun lives of the guys who are playing the game; they’re just grown-up kids anyway. Obviously, I identify with Rex.
This might be a good time for those who haven’t seen it, to search for a DVD rental of The Pride of St. Louis. At lease for me, this is a nostalgic, realistic episode in the history of the game we all love. I love old baseball movies!
That would be............
The Fallstaff Baseball Game of the Week, on CBS.
Falstaff was the main sponsor of the very first Angels game
And Folgers coffee, too, for that matter.
Since baseball and beer seem somehow intertwined,
read this if you have the interest, and a little time. This chronicles some fascinating shtuff if you ever wondered about all those beer brands you used to see on the shelves and in the coolers when you were a kid. It’s rather lengthy, but gosh, I had no idea so many moves were made in the brewing business.
Thanks, I'll check it out
but actually I’ve long been interested in such things. I’m a homebrewer and beer judge, so I’m naturally interested in the history of beer. I remember Burgie and Oly and Hamm’s and Brew 102 (“Perfected After 101 Brews”), and when I was a kid in San Jose we lived very close to the Falstaff brewery there, but I’m too young to have drunk any of those brands very much.
Hamm's had the bears, right?
And Brew 102 used to have a facility in downtown LA, right by the 4-level.
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
Oh, yeah, Oly -- It was the water (and a lot more)
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
Ha!
I recall that caption (“It’s the water, and a lot more…”) on T-shirts with a picture below showing an Indian peeing into the river. Crude, but funny.
Another Oly moment
In Dirty Harry, the remnants of a sixer of Oly is just about all Harry has in his fridge.
Right!
“Hamm’s: From The Land of Sky Blue Waters”, complete with bears. And Brew 102’s plant was right off the 101 along the “Downtown Slot”, a mile or so from the 4-level. It was available in huge 2-quart bottles we called “depth charges.”
"...using pure LA River water..."would have made a catchy ad campaign...
…if there was such a thing.
The timing couldn't be better...
We miss you already Hud Dog!
Let the Halo power flow...mofo!
by HALO N BRIMSTONE on Feb 6, 2010 4:27 PM PST reply actions
I voted "yes" to bring him back in some capacity, but not as a full-time announcer
If you need & want to pay for a roving goodwill ambassador, great. If he still wants a broadcasting job, he should get it somewhere else. He’s pretty useless as an analyst, it’s way too much about him, and unlike the rest of our mediocre announcers people identify him with the brand (as the Rev pointed out in his shrewd analysis above). Yes, that means he’s being punished a bit for his one comparative advantage over the other stiffs.
But we had to start somewhere to break the chain of broadcast mediocrity that has been holding back an otherwise elite organization.
But why......
….. would the Angels front office care one whit about what the national audience thinks and about any “brand”? For one, win ballgames and that alone becomes your “brand”. Your team is a winner and who cares who the announcers are? Two, why pander/cater to an audience that isn’t your fan base? Shouldn’t Moreno be trying to please the 80% of his audience that want to see Hudler back?
I admire the hell out of how Moreno has transformed this team. When it comes to the broadcasters, however, I have NEVER understood the decisions. The mish-mosh of what seemed last year to be picking names out of a hat to pair up on broadcasts was ridiculous. Jose Mota is flat out horrible, and Mark Gubicza, with minimal ties at best to the team, is nothing more than a talking cardboard cut out. If Hudler is permanently banished, Mark Langston, Chuck Finley, Bob Boone, etc., weren’t considered/available/interested? Arte’s gone to great lengths to fabricate and contrive this Orange County based team to be one of the large Los Angeles market. THIS is what he comes up with???
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
by BeerCub on Feb 7, 2010 3:01 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
your 80% assumes that this poll is scientific
But it is not.
Also, branding is important for any business, big or small. If you want to grow your business, it’s good to have a strong brand. Arte has tried to improve the Angels brand in a number of ways, most of which seem to have helped. The broadcasting decisions this offseason are another way he’s trying to improve the brand. Improving the brand = more fans = more $$ for players = better team (hopefully) = happy fans like us.
I'd be willing to bet....
…. that even if 80% is not accurate, the majority do still want to see Hudler return. And again, if the team wins, and this team has for several years now, this issue about branding and using it as a reason to fire Hudler seems disingenuous. The “brand” is that the Angels are a well run organization with a good on and off field team. How someone like Hudler could negatively affect that says more about the organization than Hudler. Obviously his peers like him (see the two awards- and to say the voting was affected by his dismissal is a crock without proof), and if your peers respect your work, I’d say you’re doing something right. No one can say with a straight face Mota and Gubizca are a marked improvement over Hudler.
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
I will say with a straight face that I prefer Gubi to Hudler
While Hud only occasionally gave us some insight into players’ mindsets, Gubi offers much more pitcher-hitter strategy, which I personally find more fascinating. Perhaps others in the FO thought the same…
Agreed, it isn't scientific....
….. BUT, even so, since there is such a large majority on the poll who do prefer Hudler, it would at least strongly suggest there’s a strong groundswell of support, given the cross section of people who inhabit this site.
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
scientifically it means nothing
You’re absolutely right that there’s a boatload of people here at HH, and a very diverse group to boot. But in order to accurately gauge opinion of users on HH you’d have to poll a cross-section of users that fairly reflects the true diversity here. Instead, it’s a voluntary poll of people who feel compelled to read that particular post and who feel like sharing their opinion on that particular poll. Just because people want to give their opinion doesn’t mean that that opinion is a majority.
Jesus, did you twist that enough?
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
My name's not Jesus, and I'm just talking basic science
It’s like Communications 101, or maybe something your high school science teacher covered.
Notice that this site has a disclaimer under the poll that reads “This is not a scientific poll”. That is because they don’t pretend to claim that the poll is accurate. Just like that poll doesn’t claim to represent the opinions of all Americans, neither should we believe that the one on this page represents the opinions of all Angels fans.
and you need to redefine your terms, Matt
If anything, Hud can’t be aligned with “mediocrity”. That might include Phiz, Jose and Billy Mac, but Hud stetches the envelope of broadcasting, and that’s definitely not mediocrity. But then, 209 out the 219 who have voted so far that want Hud back may be wrong or misguided or know nothing about baseball or broadcasting.
If anything, I agree more with Beercub in that there doesn’t seem to be a logical or shall we say visionary plan for the broadcast. Certainly losing Rory didn’t help, but they are definitely blowing it.
you might need to redefine yours
Just because Hud had a huge personality doesn’t mean he was stretching the envelope of broadcasting. Other broadcasters in history have had big personalities AND have been talented broadcasters. Hud, in my opinion, isn’t one of them. Likeable guy? Yes. Enthusiastic and fan-friendly? Yes. Qualified to be a broadcaster for a top-tier franchise? No.
And Mota and Gubizca are more qualified? Please.........
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
How do you measure that?
Both have had long major league experience. One can talk about things from a hitter’s perspective, one from a pitcher’s. It sounds more like personal preference to me, which is fine, but it isn’t like one has a vast advantage over the other.
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
And BTW these polls are in no way scientific
Nobody should take the results of any of the polls here as anything more than the opinions of those who decide to participate in the polls. Just because someone posted an article about Hud doesn’t mean that the poll accurately reflects the opinions of all HH-ers, let alone all Angels fans.
The "fact"
is that the large majority of Angel fans liked Hudler and would like to see him return. The poll on this page is not the only testatment to that. The Times, OC Register, and other Southern California publications received huge numbers of letters in support of Hudler. And check the comments on angelsbaseball.com or any other website that had an article about Hudler being fired and you will see that his supporters far outnumber his detractors.
Then, for fun, check the comments on any article mentioning Jose Mota or Gubicza being promoted to primary analysts and you will find a trail of derision long enough to circle Angel Stadium.
Put it this way, if the Angels held an election among fans to vote on who should be the color analyst, who do you think would win by a landslide? Gubicza and Mota would garner Mondale and Dukakis-like support.
I’m resigned to the fact that Hudler isn’t coming back, but this notion that we’re stepping up in class by letting him go is false. Our current analysts are not better at the job and don’t have enough personality to engender the kind of fan loyalty that Hudler did. Thems the “facts”.
Arte and Carpino just do not like the guy, just like Arte doesn’t like Boras. He better find a way to deal with Boras soon though. That’s more important than re-hiring Hudler.
you're talking about opinions, not facts
Our current analysts are not better at the job and don’t have enough personality to engender the kind of fan loyalty that Hudler did. Thems the "facts".
That is your opinion. That is not a fact.
While you may well be right that a majority of Angels fans would support the return of Hud, I was merely making the point that this poll is not a factual poll. Scientifically it is not a reliable gauge of Angels’ fans opinions because it wasn’t taken in a scientifically accurate way. That’s all I was saying.
And as far as Arte and Carpino not liking Hud, I’d like to know where you read that fact. Was it a quote? I’d like to see it myself, because I’ve never heard or read that.
I’m not that worried about Boras, though. He’s an agent, and his job is to do his best to get the best deal for his clients. Yes, that makes things tough on Arte & Reagins, but that’s life in baseball. I just hope we have enough starting pitching and outfielders.
As long as we're at this.....
… any word on a Markas replacement?
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
Hud
Raadad makes very strong points in his tome on the Hud question…here’s the thing – the points about corporate image aside, Halo fans are going to be Halos fans no matter who is in the booth…but if the youngsters dig the Hud, and he hooks them on Angel baseball, then he is serving the corporate image by bringing in new fans…again, nothing succeeds like success – the Halos are in contention every year these days, and that is the surest way to get/retain fans…so long as the product n the field is perceived as having a shot at the whole enchilada, the booth isn’t that important…but as I said a few weeks ago, while I was not a huge Hud fan, things have changed – Rory’s gone, Lackey, Chone and Vladdy are gone, and this coming year seems to have the most uncertainly in years…The Hud opening the season with all his enthusiasm, fun and raw “in the dugout” baseball knowledge would act as a comforting presence as our beloved team begins it’s most uncertain season since the WS win…Let’s face a few facts – the Ms and Rangers are potentially MUCH improved, the A’s are a little better, and we are a little weaker, at least on the mound and perhaps on getting on base/stealing bases…we still believe that we are the class of the division, and want to be one of the feared teams in the American League…all the uncertainty produces stress within the hard core fan base – the familiarity of Hud on the air saying ANYTHING about the Halos would be calming, and would release fan tension…I am putting on my game face “Halos are the Best” attitude as Spring gets ready to go, but deep down, I am terrified of what this team will do in their first 25 games…if we open 10-15, and the Rangers and M’s start super hot, I’m afraid our spot at the top will be in jeopardy…Hud would just make us all feel better about things until the ship is righted…
Could Not Agree More
Rex Hudler is exactly the kind of guy you want representing the sport and your team. He’s constantly positive, enthusiastic and supportive of all that is good in the game. He was the main reason I was able to stomach most of the other Angels commentators the past few years without just muting the commentary altogether. Hud deserves better than this. Bring him back!
by AybarIsTheNewFiggy on Feb 8, 2010 10:54 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I'd want Hud to be a community leader or Little League president
You’re right about his positive, enthusiastic attitude.
Bring Hud back please!!
We loved him!! Mota a national brand?! Where? Latin America? He’s so boring!
Well, Fox network apparently considers Jose national material
They’ve used him on their Saturday broadcasts.
They also like Buck and Brennaman...
… so that doesn’t say much.
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
Point EXTREMELY well taken
but my point, more or less, was that sadly our opinions don’t seem to count for much with the networks. Fox Sports likes to imply that they have ’tude, but the only ’tude they really like is torpor.
Still, I do think that you all are rather too harsh on Jose Mota. Yes, he was terrible when he was doing play-by-play for us, but he was alternating innings between the English and Spanish broadcasts. I think that can be pretty tough mentally, switching between languages constantly like that. But I like the guy, and I think he does a great job with the postgame interviews.
Good points as well
I actually like Jose Mota and Gubi, I just dig what Hud brought to the table, which certainly blows away that standard “torpor ’tude” (great phrasing btw) we see and listen to in so much of sports and television and radi in general. Hud reminds me of guys like John Madden in the booth, with experience in the game, knowledge of the game and a festive passionate somewhat idioscyncratic attitude which—like all such people—resonates well with some, and turns others off.
Obviously, as the poll above suggests, Hud resonates well with a lot of fans. I guy like Petros P—at least on the radio—serves to indicate the limits of such broadcasting personalities; in other words, I think HE takes it too far.
Ducks fans hate their color guy for the same reasons Angels fans liked Hudler, which baffles me as I like them both quite a bit because they’re both former players who can give some interesting perspectives.
It’s like, who cares, it’s on the local goddamn channel, don’t give me someone who’s going to be bored calling a game, give me someone who wants to be there for more than just a paycheck.
Ohh! You guys!
Hockey ≠ Baseball
In hockey, the players APOLOGIZE for winning, give CREDIT to the other team, no matter how MISERABLE the other team played, and then, GEE WHIZ, they have to admit, under duress and no small amount of cajoling, that they won the game.
It’s such a fake dog and pony show, why can’t they act like professional athletes and just be honest. If the announcer is reserved and not a homer, that stems from hockey culture. I’m so glad baseball largely avoids that.
Just Another Halo Victory / Rory Markas 1955 - 2010
by LazorkoRules on Feb 13, 2010 11:49 AM PST up reply actions
Bring back Hud
Hud was great. He fires you up for every single game. He loves the game and is a dihard angels fan like all of us. Besides being enthusiastic about Angels baseball was that he was not afraid to tell it how it is. He will flat out tell you that the Angels sucked tonight or they really need to improve. He combines bluntness and zealousness into one which is why the Angels should give Hud his job back.
Now that Lackey has turned to the enemy lets kick his ass
by Angelsrthebest101 on Feb 13, 2010 8:56 PM PST reply actions
HUD is good for the Angels
bring him back please. I say this not because I care about his announcing skills but because I think he promotes good image for the Angels.
Angels 2009 WS Champs
Wonderful argument for brining Hud back
I hope Arte somehow sees your post & realizes how much we miss him — I hope Hud sees it too for that matter
"All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine."
Those of you who want Hud back so bad
Would you accept him as a more restrained performer?
I like the enthusiasm like everybody else does, but I want the game to take center stage. That can’t happen unless he talks a lot less.
In Baltimore last year he didn’t show up to read the starting lineups because he was getting Jim Palmer’s autograph for a charity of his, and he took 2-3 opportunities after that when he got back on air justifying what he did.
My guess is that he was warned many times in the past about being disciplined, putting the game first, and he didn’t heed them and was replaced.
The Angels obviously like him, bringing him back after a brain aneurysm and a marijuana conviction, but they are in a ratings competition.
If given another chance, would he accept the limitations of an analyst’s job and would the fans who want him back be happy with that kind of performance?
by California Cajun on Feb 15, 2010 10:16 AM PST reply actions
Rex ain't coming back.
I keeping hoping to see Magic suit it up again but ain’t gonna happen either. Actually I think Magic still has a greater chance of coming back than Hud.
Once Arte makes a decision, he has never reversed. Hopefully Hud can find somewhere else in MLB to keep his gears going.
They just need to name who the heck is replacing Rory already.
And somehow someone needs to plant some Columbian Supremo in Mota’s bags as I can’t stomach that guy. I try and eat Menudo every Sunday and watch Telemundo a couple times a week but still makes it no easier.
No mas.
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