[greymule]

Part of the problem not mentioned here is the way the dead time is filled. It wasn't that long ago that baseball announcers had some credibility, not to mention just ability. They could keep you interested between pitches, and even educate. Now, it's meaningless (and often simply incorrect) drivel between two guys who seem to occasionally stop watching the game entirely, and just talk through the action as if we were tuning in to hear them.

I could not agree more! The (local) announcers in the good old days could keep your interest even during long rain delays. Now I can't stand to listen to any of them. They hype coming shows for the network, they over-over-analyze obvious plays, they spout nonsense about rules. On the rare occasions that I do watch, I put music on and mute the TV sound.

Oh, for Red Barber, Waite Hoyt, Richie Ashburn, even Dizzy Dean!