Philadelphia Phillies: Tom McCarthy, play-by-play; John Kruk, color.
It is impossible to consider the Phillies telecast team without beginning with Kruk. For better or worse, he is the dominant personality.
From his days with the 1993 National League champions, the gregarious infielder-outfielder has always been a popular figure in Philly. His outsized personality has a lot to do with that popularity. A Kruk telecast is a fun telecast.
The problem is that Kruk often appears not to take his own duties seriously. For starters, his command of the basics of language and presentation are at best casual. From time to time a Kruk-like figure arises in the baseball booth – those of a certain age can recall Dizzy Dean, the John Kruk of his day.
The problem is that the desire to have a beer with a guy will only get you so far. In that sense, the attractiveness of the Phillies telecast team is capped by Kruk.
McCarthy, the team’s play-by-play man, is almost lost in Kruk’s shadow. As competent as anybody who does what he does, McCarthy approaches his task as the consummate veteran that he is. Re-joining the Phillies, for whom he had previously done pre-game work, in 2008, he took over full-time play-by-play when franchise icon Harry Kalas died in April of 2009.
He has all the reportorial skills a play-by-play guy needs. The problem is that Kruk’s personality is so dominant that any effort at rapport is almost naturally overwhelmed, and humor – while at saturation levels, is sometimes stylistic, unintended, and therefore harmful.
Experience: 3
Likeability: 4
Knowledge: 3
Humor: 5
Rapport: 3
Oratory: 3
Total: 21