The Late, Great Mark Holtz

So, I started to write about ways that FSSW and TX21 could improve their broadcasts:

1. E - When they show the score before and just after commercial breaks it shows the number of runs, hits, & errors.  Would it be too much to add the name of the player who made the error?  I mean, everyone wants to know (if they missed it)...and hopefully, there wouldn't be so many that we couldn't list everyone.
2. Pitch Count - This is something else we're all always wondering.  They show the pitch count in the park; how hard could it be for the TV stations to create a graphic?  Not very, is my guess.  Every few innings from the booth just isn't cutting it for me.
3. Pitch Velocity - For EVERY pitch.  This is something else we want to know and also shown in the park.  Just add the graphic FSSW, you know you want to...

But, thinking about the broadcasts made me think about the broadcasters.  We have Buzz and Mr. Ranger now and I like this combo.  Busby has a great voice and Grieve is...well..Mr. Ranger.  And I'll never forget the time he yelled (ON THE BROADCAST) at Terry Bevington (remember him?  old White Sox manager) to "Sit down and shut up!".  That was awesome.  Not to mention that they're both former big leaguers who don't sound like their IQ is lower than 75.  Also a plus.

Do you remember who was in the booth before them, though?  And I don't mean Dave Barnett.  Although, what the hell did happen with that?  I don't think any of us will soon forget the "the tying run is on 5th" episode.  Hopefully, he's well and all.  But, back to the point.  Not Barnett.  And not Josh Lewin.  Although I really did like Lewin.  He was hilarious.  The only broadcaster we've ever had that would make pop culture references during the game and somehow not make them feel out of place in the context of baseball.  I was sad to see him go.  But, I'm pretty sure Grieve had a party the day he left.

I mean Mark Holtz.  Mark Holtz!  "Hello Win Column" Mark Holtz.  "It's Baseball Time in Texas" Mark Holtz.  

Mark Holtz is the voice I hear when I remember childhood games, watching with my grandpa, or with my mom.  He had a classic broadcaster's voice.  And he even made radio baseball exciting, if you remember him that far back. "A dip is coming!" he'd say when a 2nd baseman or shortstop would fire from the bag to throw to 1st for the double play.

Anyway, I think it's awesome that the club still uses some of his phrases in the park and in advertising.  They've got Wash saying "Hello Win Column" at the end of a couple of commercials this year.  And Chuck Morgan says "It's Baseball Time in Texas" over the PA system in the park and has for as long as I can remember now.  It's too bad Mark Holtz left so soon.  Cancer sucks.  He could have been our Vin Scully.

Oh well...here's to hoping that we see this a bunch (a bunch >90 times in my mind, by the way) before the end of the year:  

15 days.