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Franchester Martin "Marty" Brennaman (born July 28, 1942 in Portsmouth, Virginia), is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the longtime radio voice of Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds.
Early life
Brennaman graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1965 and began his broadcasting career at WGHP-TV in High Point, North Carolina, and followed with stints in Salisbury, North Carolina and Norfolk, Virginia.
In 1970, Brennaman received his first job as a play-by-play announcer for the Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association before the 1976 ABA-NBA merger.
In 1971 Brennaman began his career as a baseball announcer for the Norfolk Tides, the New York Mets' International League affiliate.
Cincinnati Reds
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And this one belongs to the Reds! |
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In 1974, Marty Brennaman was selected (from among 200-plus applicants) to succeed Al Michaels as the Cincinnati Reds' play-by-play announcer on 700 WLW (AM). His hiring paired him with former Reds pitcher Joe Nuxhall, who started a career as an announcer after retirement as an active player in the 1960s. The pair worked together for thirty seasons. (Nuxhall announced sporadically during his semi-retirement after the 2003 season until his death in November 2007.)
"Marty and Joe" became an institution in the city, appearing together in numerous radio and television commercials.
Marty Brennaman's much beloved traditional signal of a Reds victory: "And this one belongs to the Reds!" was coined during his second game. This same phrase was expected to be placed in lights, outside of the Reds new Great American Ball Park in 2003, but interference from Hamilton County officials nixed the idea, citing that the ballpark "belongs to the taxpayers" and not the Reds.[1] Instead, only Joe Nuxhall's traditional phrase of "...Rounding third and heading for home." was used.
Memorable moments
Highlights of Brennaman's career include calling Hank Aaron's record-tying 714th career home run in 1974, Pete Rose's 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, and the Reds' World Series victories in 1975, 1976, and 1990.
In 2000, Marty Brennaman won the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame to a broadcaster "for major contributions to the game of baseball".
Brennaman has also been named Ohio Sportscaster of the Year twelve times and the Virginia Sportscaster of the Year Award four times for his versatility in calling baseball, football, and basketball games on both the collegiate and professional levels. In addition to the Virginia Squires and the Norfolk Tides, he has called games for Virginia Tech and William & Mary, and formerly called NCAA men's basketball tournament games.
Controversial moments
In 1988, Brennaman along with Joe Nuxhall, appeared before National League President Bart Giamatti at the NL office, in New York, New York in regards to accusations that Brennaman incited the crowd, causing a delay, after an incident at a ballgame involving the ejection of Pete Rose after bumping umpire Dave Pallone. After the ejection, Reds fans littered the field with debris causing a delay in the game, while Brennaman criticized the umpire's call. Brennaman had this to say regarding the incident.
"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." [2]
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.[3]
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.[4] His statements were aired over the Reds Radio Network broadcast of the game on 700 WLW (AM).
"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. Ya'know, I've said all winter they talked about this team winning the division, and my comment is they wont 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." [5]
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." [6]
Family
He has three kids, a son named Thom and daughters named Dawn, from his first wife and Ashley with his current wife, Sherri. He also has four grandchildren, Dylan & Cal Venerus and Ella Mae & Luc Brennaman.
His son, Thom Brennaman, has worked with the Reds and the Chicago Cubs, and was a television broadcaster with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the number two baseball play-by-play man (behind Joe Buck) on Fox Sports' Major League Baseball broadcasts. On October 4, 2006, a press release by the Cincinnati Reds reported that Thom will be joining his father in the Reds' booth in 2007.[1] Brennaman was elected to the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2005.[clarification needed]
After years of making fun of the late Joe Nuxhall for playing the sport of golf, Brennaman is now an avid golfer himself and speaks of the sport often during his broadcasts. He also has a Golf Classic that bears his name that takes place annually.
Notes
- ^ Erardi, John; Andrews, Cindi. "County balks on putting Brennaman's refrain on ballpark", The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved on 28 July 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.' "
- ^ 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
External links
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