Cincinnati Reds: John Sadak, play-by-play; Chris Welsh, color
While the three remaining TV booths have unique strengths and weaknesses, they weigh out so evenly that it is pointless to choose among them. The three deserve to exist in an effective tie for the third spot.
The Reds telecast efforts were hampered abruptly last summer when long-time play-by-play voice Thom Brennaman was fired over his utterance of a gay slur. Brennaman was perhaps the most outspoken person at what he does, and his replacement, Sadak, has not had enough time to establish his own identity.
Whether Sadak will in time do so obviously remains to be seen.
By contrast, Welsh may have the strongest off-field identity of any color analyst. He is a nationally acknowledged expert on MLB’s rules, an operator of the Baseball Rules Academy website, and often sought out by his fellow commentators to provide clarity when such questions arise.
Although a former player – Welch pitched five seasons for four teams – he approaches his color assignment as very much a technocrat. His discussions of pitching performance frequently focus on mechanics, thus coming across as instructional.
But that is a sharp and often pleasant contrast with the ‘one of the boys’ approach taken by several of his peers.
Experience: 4
Likeability: 4
Knowledge: 5
Humor: 4
Rapport: 4
Oratory: 4
Total: 25