The MLB playoffs are in full swing and the games have been very exciting and controversial at times and that has brought out some of the best and worst in the game announcers and broadcasters this postseason. The studio shows across TBS, Fox Sports and ESPN have been solid, while this week on Sunday night football Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth have shown again why they are the best in the business
The TBS broadcasters have done a strong job so far this postseason and the vibe between Ron Darling, Ernie Johnson and Cal Ripken is a positive one. The three do a good job of letting each other say what they need to say and Johnson has only gotten better over time at calling play-by-play. The choice to put Darling on the Mets was a strong one even if he does have some homer tendencies (not much) as he can give some really good insight from being with the team all season.
The TBS booth was particularly interesting during the Mets-Dodgers Game 2 after the Chase Utley slide situation, as Darling and Ripken had opinions on the situation. Darling felt the slide was late and a bit uncalled for, while Ripken saw it more of a "hard-nosed" play. Both made good points about the play and the difference of opinion only added to the broadcast. Grade: A-
FOX has also put together some solid crews and John Smoltz brings a lot of insight to things, especially when it comes to talking about pitching. Smoltz has a ton of playoff experience from his career with the Braves and Cardinals and he can give fans a perspective that not many other broadcasters can give. Grade: B+
Many around the media are tough on Harold Reynolds, but he has been solid to start the playoffs. Tom Verducci is one of the best baseball writers in the nation and he has been particularly strong this postseason after performing well for Fox in the World Series last year. The fact that Verducci is not a former player/manager/coach makes him a rarity among analysts. Grade: A
--The TBS graphics have been solid overall and the strike zone the broadcast uses has not been distracting.
--The Fox studio show has been very entertaining at times with Pete Rose and Frank Thomas giving good insights as former players.
--The NBC Sunday night football crew continues to have one of the best announcing teams in football with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth and they did a great job with the Giants and Niners this week. The game was exciting and that only highlighted how well Collinsworth and Michaels worth with each other. Eli Manning had to lead the Giants to the winning score with less than a minute to go and both Michaels and Collinsworth knew when to let the game dictate itself and when to interject.
