Marty Brennaman
Marty Brennaman | |
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Play-by-play | |
Sport | Major League Baseball |
Franchester Martin Brennaman (born July 28, 1942) is an American former
Early life
A native of
In 1971, Brennaman began his career as a baseball radio announcer for the Tidewater Tides (now
For the 1972 football season, he called the radio play-by-play action for the William & Mary Indians (now nicknamed the Tribe).
In 1973, Virginia Tech athletic director Frank O. Moseley hired Brennaman as the new voice of the Hokies. Brennaman was the first Tech broadcaster to call both football and basketball, but he left VT in 1974 to become the broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds.
Career
Brennaman joined Joe Nuxhall on the Reds radio team in 1974.[2] "Marty and Joe" became an institution in the city, appearing together in numerous radio and television commercials. Brennaman's trademark call of a Reds victory ("And this one belongs to the Reds!") was coined during his second game with the team. This same phrase was expected to be placed in lights, outside of the Great American Ball Park in 2003, but Hamilton County officials nixed the idea, citing that the ballpark belongs to the taxpayers and not the team.[3] Instead, only Nuxhall's signature signoff, "...Rounding third and heading for home." was used.
On January 16, 2019, Brennaman announced he would retire following the 2019 season. He broadcast his final Reds game on September 26, 2019.[4]
Notable calls
- Hank Aaron's record-tying 714th career home run in 1974 (Brennaman's first regular season game as a Reds announcer)
- Tom Seaver's only no-hitter in 1978 when Seaver was a member of the Reds
- Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit in 1985
- Tom Browning's perfect game in 1988
- Ken Griffey Jr.'s 500th career home run in 2004 and his 600th in 2008
- The Reds' World Series victories in 1975, 1976, and 1990
- Roy Halladay's no-hitter (second in postseason history) in game one of the 2010 NLDS between Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
- Jay Bruce's walk off home run to clinch the NL Central divisional title for the Reds in 2010.
- Homer Bailey's no-hitters against the Pirates in 2012 and against the Giants in 2013.
- Jake Arrieta's no-hitter against the Reds in 2016.
Accolades
In 2000, Marty Brennaman won the
The
In 1999, Brennaman was inducted into the
Controversies
In 1988, Brennaman and Nuxhall appeared before
"I still maintain we were right", Brennaman said. "I'll never apologize for that. They accused us of inciting a riot. I don't think we did then and I don't think we did now."[6]
On June 12, 2007, Brennaman made an on-air apology during the Cincinnati Reds Radio Network broadcast for a comment he had recently made comparing an upcoming road trip to the Bataan Death March. The Reds, who at the time held the worst record in the National League, were set to face the Oakland Athletics, the Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies on the road trip.[7]
On April 17, 2008, during the top of the eighth inning of a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Brennaman made comments about Cubs fans and the Cubs team.[8] This occurred after then-Reds player Adam Dunn connected for a home run. Several baseballs, including the home run ball, were thrown onto the field, resulting in a game delay as the field crew recovered the debris. Said Brennaman:
"This is the kind of thing, quite honestly, right now, that makes you want to see the Chicago Cubs team lose. Among all baseball fans, and I can't attest to the Yankees or Red Sox, because we don't see them with any degree of regularity unless it's inter-league play, but far and away the most obnoxious fans in baseball, in this league, are those who follow this team right here. Throwing 15 or 18 balls onto the field, there's absolutely no excuse for that, and that is so typical of Chicago Cubs fans. It's unbelievable."
"You simply root against 'em. Y'know, I've said all winter they talked about this team winning the division, and my comment is they won't win it, because at the end of the day, they still are the Chicago Cubs, and they will figure out a way to screw this whole thing up."[9]
On April 18, 2008, Brennaman appeared in an interview on Chicago sports radio station WMVP-AM 1000 in which he reinforced his position on Cubs fans, and compared Chicago Cubs fans to rival St. Louis Cardinals fans.
"If they can't understand what happened Wednesday night was completely over the top, then I'm sorry", Brennaman said. "I said how tough it is to root for the Cubs. I think a lot of people feel the same way I do, but they won't articulate it. I'm not afraid to say what I think."
"[Compared to Cubs fans] Cardinals fans are hands down the best in baseball. They respect the game. They don't go to the game to do stupid stuff."
"The Cubs have some great baseball fans. But the ones who act like idiots (ruin) it for people like me."[10]
On February 5, 2010, Brennaman was chastised for commenting that Marshall University's president must be "queer" for softball at the university's baseball banquet and fundraiser. Brennaman stated, "I probably could have made a better choice of words, but in no way does that reflect my opinion about gays at all. It's just a comment I made about the president of the university." [11]
Personal life
Brennaman has three children. His son,
On October 4, 2006, the Cincinnati Reds re-hired Thom to join his father in the radio booth as well as do play-by-play on television starting with the 2007 season.[1].
After years of making good-natured fun of his longtime broadcast partner, the late Joe Nuxhall, for playing golf, Brennaman is now an avid golfer himself and speaks of the sport often during his broadcasts. The Marty Brennaman Golf Classic takes place annually at Maketewah CC.
References
- ^ MacGregor, Scott (July 23, 2000). "Brennaman is outspoken, on the ball and fun". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ Hoffman, Steve (January 22, 1974). "New Reds' Radio Voice Is A 'Cheerleader'". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 10.
- '^ Erardi, John; Andrews, Cindi (February 18, 2003). "County balks on putting Brennaman's refrain on ballpark". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved July 28, 2008. The response from the county was, 'No, you can't put that up there. It doesn't belong to the Reds. It belongs to Hamilton County.
- ^ ESPN/Associated Press Reds' Hall of Famer Brennaman calls final game Retrieved September 26, 2019
- ^ MLB.com Marty Brennaman inducted into Reds Hall of Fame Retrieved August 28, 2021
- ^ CNNSI.com, Reds announcer Brennaman elected to Hall of Fame Retrieved on April 18, 2008
- ^ ESPN.com, Brennaman apologizes for comparing road trip to Bataan Death March Retrieved on May 27, 2008
- ^ MLB.com, Piniella defends Wrigley Field faithful Retrieved on April 18, 2008
- ^ Chicagosports.com, Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman rants about Chicago Cubs fans Retrieved on April 18, 2008
- ^ Chicagosports.com, Brennaman maintains criticism of Cubs fans Retrieved on April 19, 2008
- ^ Cincinnati.com, Reds announcer Marty Brennaman Remark doesn't reflect opinion about gays Retrieved on February 9, 2010
External links
Bibliography
- Marty Brennaman Ford C. Frick Award biography at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
- Marty Brennaman at the National Radio Hall of Fame