Mel Allen and Red Barber on the 1947 World Series

[leftyspade]

as a little kid in the fifties, my dad always loved red barber. i thought him too stoic and

loved allen and scooter- now, i understand dad...

[VinceLA91]

scully is the best , i thought you guys knew this, and he 's still on the radio , i grew up in t he sixties listening to vinny , i heard the others too , but i m partial ,  vince sully , living working legend

[elcash53]

Mel Allen is a distant cousin of mine, and I'm just now learning how famous he really was. He is famous for his "Going, going, gone! and How about that!" phrases.

[justsandmann]

RIP Mel Allen.... This week in baseball was my favorite show. I miss him and the show

[CarlDuke]

In addition to being an incredible announcer, Mel Allen was apparently someone near genius level. He was admitted to the University of Alabama at age 15, graduated at 19, and then went on to law school which he graduated at the age of 22 and shortly thereafter passed the bar. During his studies he also found time to announce the University of Alabama football games and serve as an instructor at the regular university while studying at the law school. One of his students was Bear Bryant.

[fgldnglbs]

Oops! As I was saying, listening to audio online, I'd have to say the most distinctive voices belong(ed) to Allen, Buck, Prince, and Kalas. Scully maybe, but what a shame that generation is almost gone with nobody in this generation(Niehaus?) to succeed them. As far as I know, Aside from job one, Kalas really learned how to use his voice when he was with the Phillies, bending names and phrases, taking his place with the greats.

Anyone in any market that is on track to equalling those guys?

[fgldnglbs]

Listening to whatev

[Farinadog13]

I interviewed Mel Allen back in 1984. I even drove him to O'Hare Airport after a White Sox-Yankees Game. We taped the interview in the United Airlines Lounge. What a wonderful experience. he was delightful. Of course I still have the tape.

[CarlDuke]

Before Cookie Lavagetto's winning hit, Brooklyn sent up Pete Reiser to pinch hit. Reiser had a broken leg, but so great a player was he that Bevens walked him. Had Reiser hit a ball on the ground he never could have made it to first. A runner was sent in for Reiser and later came that great hit.  The Yanks pitcher Bill Bevens said that after the game radio stations kept playing a famous record of the day called Lookie, Lookie, Lookie, Here Comes Cookie, and boy did he come to hate that song.

[CarlDuke]

Red Barber was a great announcer and Mel Allen was the best I've ever heard. Only Vin Scully comes close.

[KimTrails]

How do these announcers compare with Sterling and Waldman?

[condensedclassics]

No comparison Mel Allen & Red Barber are classics!

[grabastic]

Absolutely!!!!!!

[jpwjr1199]

Obviously, Barber and Allen were both great play by play men. There is no question about that. I will say, however, when Michael Kay was teamed with John Sterling, both Sterling and Kay were very, very good, in spite of what you may otherwise hear. When Waldman entered the booth, the broadcasts have become error-prone to say the least. I don't know, if Kay called Sterling out on his stuff, when they were together, but he was MUCH sharper with him - not to mention that Waldman is just awful.