Matty V.

Last week I wrote about the idiocy of a particular Ted Leitner statement. Today I write to commend the quality work put out by Matt Vasgersian on each of his telecasts. Prior to joining the Padres in 2002, Matt was perhaps best known to Padres fans as the play-by-play voice of the now defunct XFL. I guess not even true talent could save the league that was famous for outlawing the fair-catch. Upon joining the Padres, he was paired with Mark “Mud” Grant, who while not quite up to the caliber of Matty V., is one of the few announcers able to pull off the “silly shtick” persona.

What’s great about Vasgersian is he keeps the game fun, while still calling a fundamentally good game. When away from San Diego, mlb.tv forces me to watch Padres road games called by the home-team’s announcers. Nationally renowned play-by-play men do not even approach Vasgersian’s ability to combine entertainment with detailed description. Vin Scully, the longtime voice of the Dodgers is famous for his “great voice” and never-ending stock of adjectives. But, he’s boring. By the sixth inning of a low scoring affair between the Duds and Pads, I was able to take no more, and had to shut off my computer. The Giants famed play-by-play man, Jon Miller is nearly as horrendous. I had always given him the benefit of the doubt when I watched his work on ESPN’s nationally televised broadcasts; after all, to be able to work with Joe Morgan for so many years is a testament to Miller’s professionalism. Professionalism aside, Miller is dull. Sure he calls a good game, but he comes nowhere near matching Vasgersian’s quick wit and abundance of clever Seinfeld references. Lesser known announcers from other teams provide for an equally abysmal viewing experience.

As a Padres fan, I recognize that I may be biased in proclaiming Vasgersian’s supremacy over all other announcers. When watching telecasts called by others, I try to reduce this bias, and derive an impartial opinion. In fact, prior to watching Scully for the first time, I really wanted to enjoy his work. It just didn’t happen. I guess I have become so accustomed to the quality produced by Matty V., that when watching games called by lesser-skilled announcers, I quickly pick up on their reduced ability.

I leave you with one of Matt’s all-time best calls from the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (That’s right, he does more than just baseball):