So, my Vine of Dick Enberg’s “touch-em-all?” call on Chase Headley’s triple has gone national. Awful Announcing has posted it. Larry Brown Sports posted it. (Irony here is that Larry Brown blocked me on twitter… still no clue why.) That’s cool to get a bunch of national folks looking at my stuff and all, but it also bums me out in this particular case.
I’m not trying to bash Enberg. I’ve said it before here on LobShots, and I’ll say it again… I think Enberg is a hall of fame announcer. However, he’s lost a step. He’s almost 80, and the reality is that it’s time to hang ‘em up. And for the record, this isn’t just about age… I know that. Vin Scully is as good as ever. But it’s not fair to compare anybody to Vin Scully. Enberg is a legend in his own right, but nobody wants to remember him as the guy whose eye sight is failing him on play by play calls.
“And he will … touch ’em all?” … As ball is rolling back toward infield. Come on, @Padres & @FOXSportsSD that’s totally unacceptable.
— Jay Posner (@sdutPosner) July 8, 2014
Enberg could play role w/FSSD doing interviews, essays, features, etc. But he’s had too great a career to have us remember him like this.
— Jay Posner (@sdutPosner) July 8, 2014
I love Enberg. Just think he’s lost a step. (I’d say “too old” – but there’s Vin) Like @sdutPosner said, I don’t want this to be my memory.
— Brady Phelps (@LobShots) July 8, 2014
I want to make something else clear… in an age where announcers are often getting themselves into trouble because they’ve said something offensive or mean or derogatory… I applaud Enberg, because he didn’t do any of that… he just blew a call. In the grand scheme, it’s minor. It happens. I’m sure I’ve written more terrible blogs than Enberg has blown calls. Imagine if Enberg called me out on the air every time one of my blogs sucked. That kinda scrutiny is harsh. So harsh that everybody is mocking Dick because of this call. Tough business he’s in.
Here’s to hoping FSSD can gracefully find a role more suitable for Mr. Enberg.
-bp