Martinez back with the Jays; Shulman is SI’s broadcaster of decade
December 10, 2009 · 30 Comments
This one came out of left field. Buck Martinez, returning to Toronto to call Blue Jays games? The announcement by Rogers Sportsnet this afternoon was a big surprise, but it was also a smart move by the network.
Martinez is a first-rate broadcaster. He is popular with viewers and fans, and he has a history with the club dating back to the glory days of the 1980s and early 1990s.
“With his stature, I thought the upside for us was tremendous,” said Rick Briggs-Jude, the Sportsnet producer who contacted Martinez at the end of the season to ask if he was interested in the job.
As for Martinez, accepting the offer was an easy decision, even though he will be doing play by play rather than his usual assignment of game analysis. He could have returned to Baltimore Orioles telecasts, where he’d been since 2003 providing analysis. However, he quickly accepted the Toronto job, signing a five-year contract.
“The Toronto market was wonderful to me as a player, a manager and a broadcaster,” he said in an interview. “There’s a terrific amount of appeal to going back to what was my home for 21 years.”
The only question about this move, and it’s an important one, is Martinez’s ability to do play by play of baseball games. It’s a new role for him. He has worked almost exclusively as a game analyst. However, he says he’s confident that he will be able to make the switch.
“Obviously it’s a challenge,” he said. “But Rick Briggs-Jude and I talked a lot about it, and nobody knows me better as a broadcaster than Rick. He is the one who fine-tuned me and developed me into a serviceable analyst.
“He was right there on my shoulder when I started, and he’s confident, as am I, that I can make the transition.”
Briggs-Jude and Martinez worked together at TSN in the 1980s, when Martinez was the Jays game analyst working with Jim Hughson and then Dan Shulman.
But Martinez also did some play by play at TSN. And he called games for ESPN Radio as well.
“I’ve heard him do play by play,” Briggs-Jude said. “And I know what he can bring to the role. And I know who else he’s worked with over the years, and what he gleaned from other guys.
“Buck is an incredibly quick study. He’s a sponge who absorbs these things. He’s always excelled at anything he’s worked at.”
Martinez said he has learned from some of the best.
“It probably will take a number of games to get into rhythm,” he said. “But I’ve been around some of the greats. There was Tom Cheek, Jim Hughson and Dan Shulman. And I’ve been around Chris Berman (at ESPN) and Gary Thorne (with the Orioles) and Sean McDonough.
“These are terrific play by play people and I’ve taken a lot from all of them. But, I’m still going to be Buck Martinez. I’m just going to talk a little differently from the booth.”
Martinez, 61, replaces Jamie Campbell, who called Jays games on Sportsnet for the past five years. Campbell is a good broadcaster who never really connected to baseball. He wasn’t a bad play caller, but he didn’t fully adapt to the style, pace and easy cadence needed to be a strong baseball voice.
Briggs-Jude said Campbell handled the news that he was being replaced professionally.
“He really appreciated the opportunity that we had given him,” he said. “He was obviously disappointed, but he said ‘I really thank you for giving me a chance.’ ”
Campbell will stay with Sportsnet, where will do studio work and perhaps news features. He’s calling freestyle skiing for the CTV-Rogers consortium at the Vancouver Olympics.
“I think Jamie improved every year,” Briggs Jude said. “What struck me was he shone during the post-season when he was in the studio. Different jobs suit different people in different ways, and in that role he showed what an excellent broadcaster he is. It made sense from my perspective that we weren’t using him in his best area of strength.”
It was Briggs-Jude’s idea to pursue Martinez.
“I put the thinking cap on, and there was an idea,” he said. “I said, you know what, why don’t I see the interest level?”
Martinez said his friendship with Briggs-Jude was a big factor is his accepting the offer. As well, his return also brings an element of closure to his Toronto years, which ended suddenly when he was fired as the Jays manager in 2002.
“My TV relationship in Toronto was the best in my life,” Martinez said. “I worked with wonderful people for 14 years, and then got into managing, and then very abruptly left town.
“That wasn’t the way I wanted to leave, but I never thought I’d have the opportunity to go back. But I am thrilled about it. It’s a great time in my life.”
UPDATE: Another surprise: ESPN voice and Toronto resident Dan Shulman has been named Sports Illustrated’s best national play by play announcer of the decade. You can read the Toronto Sun report here.
Ratings show AM 640 making gains
The radio audience measurement figures were released this morning, reporting for the first time results from the new Portable People Meters in the Toronto and Vancouver markets.
The PPMs produce a more accurate figure than the old diary system because it’s a system in which everything is recorded electronically. The diary system required the respondent to fill out a diary and send it in.
The measurement period consisted of 13 weeks, from September to November. The important demographic for advertisers is the adult 25-54 group. The male 25-54 demo is key for stations broadcasting a large amount of sports.
In Toronto, the Maple Leafs rights holder, AM 640, did well. The Corus station, which airs a mix of news and sports, made gains on its competitor the Fan590.
One of the big fights is in the afternoon drive slot, where Bob McCown’s show on the Fan590 goes up against the Bill Watters show on AM640.
McCown still dominates. His show grabbed a market share in the male 25 to 54 demographic of 9.8 per cent, up two points from a year ago. The Watters show earned a 4.4 per cent share in the same demo, making a good gain from last year’s 2.9 share.
The noon hour programming is another contested slot. The Fan590s’s Hockey Central held 5.6 per cent of the M25-54 demo compared with 4.9 per cent taken by AM 640’s Leafs Lunch. The two shows are basically neck and neck.
However, the Fan590 took a beating in prime time. In the 7-9 p.m. slot, AM 640 had a M25-54 audience share of 8.2 per cent compared with the Fan590’s 5.6. This is basically a case of AM 640’s prime time Leaf broadcasts outperforming the Raptors and Blue Jays on the Fan590.
For the Fan590, the morning results were weak, leading to speculation that the station’s new head of programming will make changes in those areas.
John Oakley’s morning show on AM 640 had a 7.2 per cent share of the M25-54 demo compared with the Fan590’s 6.0 share for the Don Landry-Gord Stellick show. In the 10 a.m. to noon slot, AM 640’s Mike Stafford ate Mike Hogan’s lunch. Stafford had a share of 6.5 per cent compared with Hogan’s 3.2 on the Fan590.
In Vancouver, the new measurement system made virtually no difference to Team1040’s numbers.
A year ago, the diary system showed the station holding a 4.3 per cent share of the male 25 to 54 market. With the PPM measurement this year, the share is up marginally to 4.4.
The PPM audience figures were less encouraging for the Team1040 morning show with Barry Macdonald and Scott Rintoul. A year ago, the diary system had the show grabbing 7.6 per cent of M24-54 market. This year, the PPMs showed the share dropping to 5.9 per cent.
The afternoon drive with David Pratt and Don Taylor did better. A year ago, the share was 10.4 per cent. This year, using PPMs, it was up slightly to 10.8.
One steamer, two steamers . . . .
This is what passes for smart, urbane talk on the Fan590 morning show:
Don Landry: “The Leafs were rolling along, too, on Saturday when they played Boston, and dropped a steamer.”
Gord Stellick: “The big difference now is that steamer is amidst a pretty decent streak, winning
streak for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“So part of the 82-game year is the odd steamer or two. … The first 15 games, there were like a dozen steamers. . . . Vesa Toskola is back playing, so there’s been way more positives than that one steamer in Boston.”
Landry: “To stay with the steamer theme, they were so bad in the early season some of the giveaways were plastic bags and also free shoe cleaning on the way out of the building after a Leaf home game.”
Just the sort of conversation we need to hear in the morning.
- Jennifer Mather, the wife of Toronto Maple Leaf general manager Brian Burke, has landed a job as a news anchor at CTV. Burke met Mather in Vancouver where he was in the Canucks front office, eventually becoming general manager, and Mather worked in radio and for CBC Television.
- TSN’s coverage of the Olympic curling trials wraps up this weekend. The women’s final is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET and the men’s final Sunday at 3 p.m. Winners go to the show in Vancouver.
- Still with TSN, it drew 1.191 million for the New York Islanders-Leafs telecast on Wednesday.
- Next Thursday, at 7 p.m. ET, The Fight Network will air an interview with Hulk Hogan who talks about his new book and also a civil suit, scheduled to go to trial in 2010, which “could leave him broke.”
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Hearing that Buck was coming back to the Blue Jay booth was a bolt of good news last week. Like Tony Fernandez and Vin Scully, he’s smooth as a bowl full of silk. Next up, Briggs-Jude should try to entice the underutilized and talented Paul Hollingsworth away from CTV/TSN, as Gameday Host. For a young broadcaster he’s got a wealth of experience, a distinctive delivery, and a solid professional demeanour. He’s proven his MLB chops with his coverage of several recent World Series for TSN. He could do for the Jays on Sportsnet what James Duthie has done for the NHL on TSN.
I gave up on McCown a long time ago – His ego and insecurities were too much…(ever hear someone disagree with him? He almost cries, then hits the kill button) – - – Watters is far better because Greg Brady runs the show and Watters adds some flare…McCown had Jim Kelly for so long I was nauseated by that (why an unemployed US typist? And a poor one from a weak market to boot?)
…Mike Hogan?? – - How has he kept a job? (does he pay them to work there?). Toth and he were well suited…both were/are (gawd) awful and obnoxious… I see Toth in a mid size market to finish his career. (He should go back west – say, Calgary or Edmonton – I have heard their brand of sports radio, he’s well suited. In fact when he tries to do it straight – and even pronounces words correctly (like PTS for a short while filling in) he can pass for a professional announcer…but lose the bad use of english, the awful sense of humour and lack of common sense…this is not Communuty College broadcasting
Somebody told me they heard Toth on CFRB…Anyone else hear him?
Apparently Toth is filling in temporarily for Rick Hodge, who left CFRB recently
Good call on this one – Jamie Campbell seems like a very nice guy – but way too boring and no flare at all
- In baseball broadcasting, you have to be either interesting and cool (like Vin Scully or Ernie Harwell), or entertaining like Jon Miller & Chris Berman – or a combination of both types (like Tom Cheek)
…Jamie had a good long run and didn’t get it mastered…Maybe he can be the Fergie Olver host guy at field level – - anyway, this has “Paul Beeston” written all over it
I was never quite sold on why Jamie Campbell got the gig anyway. As generally accepted, he’s a solid enough announcer . . . but what, really, was he going to offer either markedly different or better than the guy fired before him, Rob Faulds? Again, decent broadcaster, but essentially one of many decent broadcasters in this country. Campbell was put into the unenviable position of trying to be the face and voice of a product that, quite bluntly, is pretty darned boring and mediocre. And, to make matters worse, his bosses kept rotating colour commentators in and out beside him. If that was what he was going to be up against, why not just keep Faulds there? The results would essentially be the same.
As for Martinez? He’s different . . . and that’s good. (And, compared to his first TV gig in Toronto, he won’t have that annoying Just Like Mom co-host Fergie Olver sucking around him this time either.)
Campbell sounded like he was doing an impression of a play by play guy, he adopted a very stereotypical delivery, almost a parody.He never really made an impact, I still remember guests to the booth either calling him by the wrong name, or in Goose Gossage’s visit, he both virtually ignored him and bypassed his handshake.
Too bad Greg Zaun caught a gig with the Brewers, he would be a great TV analyst to work with Buck..
I think you will see him back in Toronto some day!
Now it’s time to lower the boom on Tabler, how he has kept his job in the booth is astounding
I agree that the fan line-up is pretty weak after PTS.
I like Stellick’s hockey analysis, but I think he loses credibility the minute he goes to any other sport.
Hogan is an interesting guy, good discussion, but I usually couldn’t care less about his topics.
Why don’t they give Wilner a daily 1-2 hour afternoon show?
Because Wilner couldn’t see his way into the booth with those rose coloured glasses, or fit the pom poms thru the door…for that matter.
Totally agree re: Wilner. He was an uber apologist for Ricciardi (sp?) and I anticipate he will be for the new kid manager.
+1 for giving Wilner a show. I think he’s great. I know people tend to either love or hate him, but that’s probably a good thing in radio.
“In the 10 a.m. to noon slot, AM 640’s Mike Stafford ate Mike Hogan’s lunch. Stafford had a share of 6.5 per cent compared with Hogan’s 3.2 on the Fan590.”
You also have to remember that Hogan was paired up with Mike Toth for most of this time too. Toth was pathetic, a wannabe clown who couldn’t crack a decent joke, handle an interview at all well, and his attempts at steering around clichés while asking a question or making a comment were brutal. He would be driving away listeners all by himself. I’d be interested to see what Hogan’s numbers would be post-Toth alone.
Hogan’s numbers have been awful for years. It’s crazy to me that they keep this lineup of C players on the Fan. I guess that’s what you get when you have to pay (and rightfully so) Bobcat all the cash.
Hogan has the worst forced laugh of all time. Totally forced and annoying. Almost annoying as the pregnant pauses/dead air that you hear during the broadcast while he's collecting his thoughts. BRUUUUTAL!
Right on regarding Toth, the worst – EVER – on radio or TV. He drove me away from many interviews with his idiocies many times. As for AM stuff, the so-called humour on the morning is almost never funny and way too often downright embarassing. A definite turnoff.
Wow couldn't disagree with Kevin more.
Mike Toth was great. The pretty women as sports reporters p-lease? I really miss him and his off-beat smarts were entertaining and enjoyable additions that perked up an otherwise dull show. Bad move to let him go. He is way too bright for Sportsnet, that departure I got.
I grew up listening to Martinez and he always delivered great analysis on the games. I’m sure he will do very well as a play by play man. Buck knows the game, the Jays and of course the fans in Toronto, great move by Briggs-Judd and Sportsnet.
It’s the sports fan in this city who keeps both AM640 and AM590 alive. If Oakley had solid competition in the morning slot, I think the FAN590 could go head to head. It all comes down to the personalities on the air and that’s where Stellick and Landry lose to Oakley. Take some chances and revise the conventional morning show format. Take a page out of Bobcats book and talk about the issues of sports business. The highlights, scores and schedules are all covered in the 20-20’s.
I think it comes down to personality!
Mike Hogan is a strong host but the subject matter of his shows don’t always appeal to me. I love watching CFL football but that’s where it ends and that’s why the station remains on AM640 after 9.
Joel, I went back to read your posting and we’re on the exact same page. They need to mix it up and lay off the goofiness of sports. I can get that on the Edge.
William, do you have data on if the sports radio stations made any gains vs. the conventional radio stations (talk and music?)
Does this new ratings measurement system take into account internet and satelite listeners? More often than not I listen to the fan via Bell Express Vu, particularily in the morning and during Prime Time Sports.
Landry & Stelick have likely run their course but comparing them to John Oakley and Mike Hogan to Mike Stafford is really comparing a couple apples to a whole bag of oranges. Oakley & Stafford don’t do sports and draw a much larger audience as they have a larger, and potentially more interesting selection of topics to choose from. If you’re going to be all sports all the time you’re going to accept the limits.
Maybe Rick Hodge would improve the mornings. Maybe have some interaction with 680 news to bring some diversity to the conversations. When Deringer & Marsden were together they seemed to touch on more than just sports and it really worked. Even my wife would intentionally tune in. I preferred Gord in the Afternoons anyways.
Mike Hogan presents a pretty good show. I am engaged when I listen, though I don’t care for football.
I occasionally listen to Watters at noon, but more often to Hockey Central. I can only take “Wilbur” in small doses. “Blowhard”, “Jock sniffer”, “doofus”, he can act like any one of these from time to time.
Prime Time Sports is far more interesting than the Watters show.
You really are comparing “apples and oranges” in the morning show category. The fan is much more sports-centric. I like Landry and Stellick becasue there is some humour to it as well. I enjoy Hogan as well although I did like it better with Toth on board as well. I listen to both noon hour shows depending on the topics but I really don’t care for the Fans’s afternoon shows with the two basketball guys who half the time are on the road and have fill-in hosts. McCown is great and I enjoy most of his sidekicks and I do listen to “wilbur” if I don’t like Bob’s topic.
I enjoy your blog to keep up on the information side but don’t usually agree with your comments but what the hell.
Judging by the ratings, it seems that 640 does a better job competing with CFRB than it does with The Fan. Oakley and Stafford seem to do better than the sports shows.
Since Prime Time is really the only high quality show on The Fan these days, wouldn’t it make some sense for 640 to say, switch Oakley and Watters time slots? Or something like that? Prime Time is probably the one show on The Fan that isn’t really vulnerable to sports competition. But the rest of the day sure is.
Why not do something totally different opposite Prime Time, like Oakley, and then use their sports show to attack a different part of the day when they could actually win?
I may be in the minority but I am disappointed to see Jamie go. He has a good voice for baseball, and Buck’s twang grates on my nerves. Plus, he’s a Canadian, right?
Glad to hear that Buck Martinez will be back in the Toronto Blue Jays booth, where he always belongs.
And yeah, the Fan 590 can start by flushing out Landry and Stellick. Stay classy as always you two.
Buck’s a good hire…really glad to see Campbell gone – seems like a nice guy, but a terrible announcer.
As for the FAN..they need retooling from about 7PM to 4PM..
I’m extremely happy that Sportsnet has replaced Campbell. Campbell was just not up to par as a play by play man. I have no doubt the Martinez will be a vast improvement. Nice to see Rogers invest something in the TV product.
As for the Fan, I definitely think it could use a retooling from about 6am to 2pm. Prime Time is really the only show I make sure not to miss these days. McCown really is the best, in my opinion. I also enjoy the Jays broadcasts a great deal. There’s something great about baseball on the radio even when the team stinks.
I would be willing to give the Watters show an odd listen, but it’s just way too hockey focused for me. I’m interested in what’s going on with the Leafs, but they overdo hockey to the point that my eyes glaze over. Same with the two noon time shows.
I was shocked to hear Sportsnet hired Buck Martinez as a play-by-play. I saw him on PTS and McCown said he’s the new pbp, but I thought he meant colour commentator. Only time will tell if he does well.