Jeff Brantley...

[AviatorX]

anyone just hear his call on the Encarnacion walkoff? He spent the time between Edwin failing to get a bunt down two strikes in a row complaining about how "he is not a clutch hitter" (direct quote). As faith would have it, next pitch is quickly planted in the right field bleachers.

[jdm2000]

I did. Great job, Edwin!

[THRILLHOUSE]

that was awesome. I immediately jumped out of my seat and yelled "SUCK IT BRANTLEY!"

[AdamtheFlyer]

That was beyond awesome.

"He's not a clutch hitter. I would have pulled him for someone who can bunt."

Thom- "Jeff, the numbers say different..."

"I go by what I see, and he's not clutch".

Tater.

[THRILLHOUSE]

That was beyond awesome.

"He's not a clutch hitter. I would have pulled him for someone who can bunt."

Thom- "Jeff, the numbers say different..."

"I go by what I see, and he's not clutch".

Tater.

During that whole exchange I was thinking Brantley is an idiot because Edwin's numbers with runners in scoring position are great and then he jolts the game winner which causes me to celebrate like we just won the world series

[Juice]

I agree Brantley did sound like an idiot there, but he was half right. Edwin looked like an idiot trying to bunt. They should have had him swing away the whole time for obvious reasons.

[jdm2000]

During that whole exchange I was thinking Brantley is an idiot because Edwin's numbers with runners in scoring position are great and then he jolts the game winner which causes me to celebrate like we just won the world series


Exactly. How is Brantley saying "he's not clutch" at the same time they show he hit something like .360 with runners in scoring position last year? What the hell, Brantley? You have to hit .400 with men on to be "clutch"???

[Stonebreaker]

Just got back from the game. Doc said that I'm a true fan because I went to the game after opening day.......I guess that's true whether or not my tickets were free.
The Reds need better pitching, but what a great ending on a chilly evening!

[AviatorX]

Just got back from the game. Doc said that I'm a true fan because I went to the game after opening day.......I guess that's true whether or not my tickets were free.
The Reds need better pitching, but what a great ending on a chilly evening!


You, sir, are a true fan. Hell, it looked like the place was completely empty toward the end.

[xavierdude]

Just got back from the game. Doc said that I'm a true fan because I went to the game after opening day.......I guess that's true whether or not my tickets were free.
The Reds need better pitching, but what a great ending on a chilly evening!

Were you the one that caught edwins ball?

anyway...I remember my dad and I staying until the bottom of 11th in misty rain and below 40 degree whether to see griffey hit a walk off hr a couple years ago (maybe last year). It was worth it.

[Stonebreaker]

I wish I caught the ball! I wanted to wear Xavier gear, but I still need to get some. LOL

(I'm working on it!)

[xavierdude]

I wish I caught the ball! I wanted to wear Xavier gear, but I still need to get some. LOL

(I'm working on it!)

i just heard someone he talked to on extra innings say that he caught the ball and called him a true fan. I thought it may be you.

I'll be there friday night. Would've been there tonight, but had to work :(...would be there tomorrow, but already skipped enough classes cuz of the tourney...so I'll be there friday, no excuses

[Cheesehead]

I yelled at Brantley too. He thinks he's God's gift to broadcasters; so smug. Never cared for the guy. I'll take Steve smith over him any day of the week.

[yougotdbagged]

Were you the one that caught edwins ball?

anyway...I remember my dad and I staying until the bottom of 11th in misty rain and below 40 degree whether to see griffey hit a walk off hr a couple years ago (maybe last year). It was worth it.

I was there too. It was 2 seasons ago against Washington in his first game off an early season DL stint. I remember there were maybe 2000 people left in the stadium when he jacked it. Definately a night where only the true fans were left

[Jumpy]

I yelled at Brantley too. He thinks he's God's gift to broadcasters; so smug. Never cared for the guy. I'll take Steve smith over him any day of the week.

Do you mean Steve Stewart, the guy that he and Brennaman replaced? If so, you are a masochist. He was as dry and boring as a bingo caller.

Brantley may have stuck his foot in his mouth last night, but he is a great addition to the rotation of announcers. He is definitely an upgrade to the Welsh/Grande combo when he does tv. Welsh is OK, but I can't stand Georgie boy.

In his defense, that at bat was the craziest thing I've seen. Like Jeff, I was wondering what the hell was going on. Dusty asked a guy who can't bunt (inexcusable mistake #1) to lay down the first sacrafice bunt of his career (inexcusable mistake #2). The whole at bat screamed disaster, but somehow Edwin bailed the both of them out.

[Cheesehead]

Yes, I meant Stewart. I thought he sounded like a real broadcaster. Got a job pretty quick too after not being retianed by the Reds. Brantley sounds like some guy in my basement doing the games. I don't like his drawl or how he thinks he knows everything and I mean EVERYTHING.

Granted, tt was a bad at-bat for Edwin but even after being told Edwin's average w/ RISP as a Red, he just couldn't accept the facts and replied, "This guys's not clutch." I was more happy about Brantley having to eat his words than about the win.

[Cheesehead]

Also, please tell me Nuxhall wasn't boring. He was a great guy but I for one was glad he was pushed into retirement. Half the time, I couldn't tell if there was game going on. That's not good broadcasting.

[spongebob]

Also, please tell me Nuxhall wasn't boring. He was a great guy but I for one was glad he was pushed into retirement. Half the time, I couldn't tell if there was game going on. That's not good broadcasting.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, Brantley did apologize and said something to the effect that if he had to eat his words and the Reds win, he was glad to do so. I, for one, like his perspective during the games. I think he is value added.

[XU 87]

The reason I like guys like Marty and Brantley is that they will offer you their opinions. Sometimes their opinions are wrong, but they just don't give you the "party line" when announcing.

[xavierdude]

The reason I like guys like Marty and Brantley is that they will offer you their opinions. Sometimes their opinions are wrong, but they just don't give you the "party line" when announcing.

exactly. I would rather him say what he did than say "I think edwin's gonna hit a HR here"...heck, he reversed-jinxed the whole situation by what he said. Good job brantley, by not falling into the "he's a good FT shooter...oh, it's short" trap.

[Xman95]

First, Brantley is pretty much a jackass as an announcer. He was the same way on ESPN.

Second, he was both correct and wrong with his comments. If the plan was to have the batter bunt to move the runners up and Encarnacion isn't a good bunter, the correct move to execute the plan is to pinch hit with someone who can bunt. However, when he went down the road of saying Encarnacion isn't a clutch hitter, despite the numbers and several examples of the opposite, he ventured into the wrong zone. Not being able to get a bunt down doesn't mean someone isn't a clutch hitter, it usually means he's not a good bunter. I'm sure it's not something Edwin has done too often in his career.

[Cheesehead]

X-man95: You and I are basically in agreement. I'm not slamming Joe. Like I said, he was a great fixture in the community and a very good person. God rest his soul. He just never did anything for me as a broadcaster.

[XU 87]

I will agree with one thing- why was Edwin up there bunting when he can't and has never bunted? either let him hit or pinch hit for him with someone who could bunt. Edwin looked pathetic trying to bunt.

It was nice to see Dunn go down third base when they put the shift on. I wish Griffey would do that as well. Both those guys should learn how to bunt and lay bunts down third base. That would stop that shift.

[XUOHTX]

O man I fell out of my seat laughing when Edwin hit the HR. I still say pull him and put Freel at third. Edwin is tracking 162 errors this season...I think that would be a record.

[thywillbedone]

the only thing more ugly than his throwing error was his attempt to bunt. One is on him and one is on Dusty. I was listening to the radio and Marty had just uttered"he should be on the bench at games beginning" then bam, ballgame. I didnt get to listen to the postgame homily, but hopefully Marty apologized. Anyway, that kid is MENTAL with all the errors on basic, simple throws.

[nuts4xu]

I am a huge fan of Jeff Brantley announcing the Reds games. His perspective is right more often than not, and I really don't care if he went out on a limb with EE last night. Edwin's attempt at bunting were nothing short of a disaster. He has never in his career put down a bunt in a game, and that was not a good decision to ask him to do it there.

I like Edwin, but before that homer, he was a big goat for the first 2 games and would have had a hand in the Reds' first 2 losses if he didn't yank that pitch into the seats.

[Jumpy]

Also, please tell me Nuxhall wasn't boring. He was a great guy but I for one was glad he was pushed into retirement. Half the time, I couldn't tell if there was game going on. That's not good broadcasting.

I loved Joe, and it's for the same reason that I like Brantley and, for that matter, Dave Lapham. As someone above me said, they aren't afraid to speak their mind. Also, it comes across the airwaves quite strongly that they are first and foremost fans of the team/game and announcers second. I like that they get upset when the team makes a mistake and go nuts when they have a big play.

did Joe fall asleep late in the game, leaving only the sound of the crowd to prove that my radio was still working? Yeah, but I liked it. It was like listening to my Grandpa call the game for me.

[jdm2000]

I haven't liked Lapham since he covered The Run back in '04 for one of the local stations (Channel 5?). He was terrible--as basketball reporters go, he was a good football color guy. Might as well have gotten the Cyclones color analyst to follow the team.

[Kahns Krazy]

O man I fell out of my seat laughing when Edwin hit the HR. I still say pull him and put Freel at third. Edwin is tracking 162 errors this season...I think that would be a record.

He's also tracking 243 RBI and 81 walk-off home-runs. It's not retarded at all to extrapolate after the second game of the season.

[Fred Garvin]

Marty was in rare form today. I loved him slamming Bowden and waxing nostalgic with Trumpy. The businessman special games definitely have a different vibe.

[spongebob]

He seemingly never passes on the chance to slam Bowden. and, quite frankly, I dont mind a bit. He also has a salvo or two for the umpiring when Cueto was still in.

[Jumpy]

It's amazing how a person's change in allegiance can change another's perception of them. When Bowden was here, I loved the guy as a GM (most of the time, he was a little "five tool player" happy). Now that he is in DC, I can't stand the guy. He pulled a greaseball move against Krivsky and has proven that he is a singleminded baffoon. I mean, the guy is in love with the SAME "five tool players" that he loved back in the late 90's, early ott's. For a few years there, He was inbreading that team worse than Rick Pitino.