The Braves, Brewers and Memory

With all of the sensational news lately -- Roger McDowell's tirade, fans cheering bin Laden's death -- I started thinking of happier topics. At the top of the list are my earliest memories of heading to the ballpark.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in Milwaukee where big league baseball was part of the fabric of the city. The Braves are a fuzzy memory for me. I was only 6 when the Braves headed South, but I can remember going to a game. The only images in my mind's eye are walking in the concourse at County Stadium. It's a pleasant memory, if scant on details.

The next Braves memory I have is of my cousins, who lived in Atlanta, telling me my team was headed their way. I can still feel the shock of hearing that. Maybe it was city pride, but I was saddened when my Dad confirmed the bad news.

Brewers Step Up to Keep Braun

It's an exciting day to be a Brewers fan. After a couple of high profile misses -- C.C. Sabathia and Prince Fielder -- they locked up Ryan Braun through 2020 with an option for 2021. In effect, Braun will be a Brewer for life. Hopefully, he will be this generation's Robin Yount.

That's a lot to ask, but Braun has been a star since he first hit the big club. During that time Prince Fielder has grabbed the headlines, but Braun has steadily banged out home runs and run the bases like a demon. It doesn't hurt that Fielder bats after him forcing pitchers to throw to Braun.

His home run production gets him mentioned in the same breath as sluggers like Kiner, Pujols and Mathews. He is fast on the bases and runs out every ground ball. The only knock on him is is his defense. At times he can make spectacular catches in left, while at other times he is reticent to come in on fly balls. His throwing can be erratic: He has a strong arm but he can make wild throws.

The Sounds of Baseball

As a change of pace, I am writing about one of the best parts of baseball: the announcers. Maybe it's because no other game translates as well to words or that the pace of the is perfect for analysis and chatter, but there's something soothing about hearing your favorite broadcasters.

Some of the best announcers shine brighter when the game is dull. My favorite in those situations is Bob Uecker. After 40 years, Uecker has developed into a fine play-by-play man, but early in his career he was strictly there for color. He knew the game, but listeners couldn't wait for his next great line. Whether it was tales of his rookie signing bonus (his Dad couldn't afford to pay the Braves much) or his method of catching a knuckler (wait till it stops rolling and pick it up), Uecker was entertaining, even if the Brewers weren't (which was more often than not).

Harry Caray was another original. He had almost the opposite career of Uecker. By all accounts, he was a fine announcer when he started out with the Cardinals. Sports Illustrated (flip to page 82 of the link) once did a story on him complete with a photo of him wearing only polka-dot boxers while announcing a game on a sweltering St. Louis day. By the time he was with the White Sox, it sounded like his famous carousing was beginning to affect his announcing. He frequently would say players' names backwards (Bill Melton would be Llib Notlem), or he would say things like "This game reminds me of a recipe for chicken salad," leaving the listener to figure out what he meant.

It helped that his broadcast partner, Jimmy Piersall, could be equally obtuse ("Ted Kluszewski must weigh 300 pounds without arms") Piersall was the subject of the movie "Fear Strikes Out."' Later, after a strong first few years with the Cubs, Caray jumped the shark. By the end he was a caricature of himself, even when doing his signature rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

Of the present-day announcers, I like the Mets color team of Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling. They both offer sharp analysis and have a goofy sense of humor that keeps them from sounding like know-it-alls. And Hernandez, of all the announcers I have heard, seems most like someone you'd want to have a beer with. His cultural references include mentions of TV and music of the 1960s and 1970s. He really does seem like the guy on "Seinfeld."

Other announcers I enjoyed were Lou Boudreau and Vince Lloyd with the Cubs, Ernie Harwell of the Tigers and Merle Harmon, who was Uecker's early partner.

Who are your favorite announcers? Let's get a discussion going.