New York Mets: Gary Cohen, play-by-play; Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, color.
Cohen is in his 15th season as lead play-by-play announcer for the Mets. A native New Yorker, he got a degree from Columbia and has worked play-by-play in hockey and basketball as well as MLB.
The secret to the telecast team’s chemistry probably lies in its stability. Cohen, Darling, and Hernandez have been a unit for all of those 15 seasons.
You can detect their mutual familiarity in the seamlessness with which their telecasts develop, and in the casual banter that flows naturally among them regarding all things Met. While obviously and naturally fans of the team that employs them – and which made champions of both Darling and Hernandez – they are entirely capable of critical analysis when that is called for.
They also manage to avoid being cerebral, a potential concern in a booth two-thirds populated by Ivy Leaguers. Darling, a Yalie, fits particularly comfortably into the analyst’s role. Hernandez, more spontaneous and less predictable than Darling, adds a quirky element that can occasionally be distracting, but manages to stop short of being off-putting.
To a non-Mets fan, the most valid criticism of the trio is the sense of tonal sameness that can make one wonder whether it was Hernandez or Darling who just spoke.
Experience: 5
Likeability: 4
Knowledge: 5
Humor: 5
Rapport: 5
Oratory: 5
Total: 29