The Biggest Irritant in your history of umpiring

[greymule]

When I lived in NJ, one of the cable TV channels broadcast the (time-delayed) games of the local high school. The kid announcers were far from the plate, but they still did their play-by-play for the benefit of the enormous TV audience. (One motionless camera, somewhere in foul territory down the LF line. Not a lot of slow-mos and replays.)

Every called strike was announced as, "Right down the middle for strike [x]."

Every swinging strikeout was announced as, "Strike 3! Caught him looking!"

Texas-leaguer that fell in front of F7 announced as, "Ruled a ground rule single."

R3 out at home on a ground ball to F3, while BR safe at 1B announced as, "That will be ruled a ground rule single, but no RBI."

A couple of the local high schools used to let a student do basketball play-by-play through the PA system. Bad enough even with a good announcer, but it was intolerable with a total amateur at the mike screaming, "Dat ball got stole by Jimmy Stigetti, and he goes up fuh TWOOOO!!! Nooooo!! He missed it!!"

[Robert E. Harrison]

On every foul ball that goes out of play. There is glass breaking. Gets old quickly.