Wayne Hagin

[Gwreck]

For all those (including myself) who aren't fond of Wayne:

http://firewaynehagin.blogspot.com (written by Paul Lukas)

[metirish]

A bit weak no?

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: A bit weak no?

a bit.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah, Paul can really write and I agree with the general premise that Hagin drives you crazy but I think fans are outta control with the "Fire _______________" thing already. I wish it had a different name.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm a bit surprised by this. I mean, I know Wayne isn't popular, but I wasn't aware that he was so unpopular that a blog like this would be created. I have no opinion on him myself; it seems I'm rarely in the car anymore when the Mets are playing, and since I have the MLB Extra Innings package, I really don't ever have to listen to the games on WFAN while I'm at home.

Is he really that bad, or is this blog over the top? I'm sure there are very few people who could speak extemporaneously for nine innings without saying something lame or awkward at least once.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think if the Mets were seven in front, nobody would be bothered by Wayne Hagin.

[metirish]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm a bit surprised by this. I mean, I know Wayne isn't popular, but I wasn't aware that he was so unpopular that a blog like this would be created. I have no opinion on him myself; it seems I'm rarely in the car anymore when the Mets are playing, and since I have the MLB Extra Innings package, I really don't ever have to listen to the games on WFAN while I'm at home. Is he really that bad, or is this blog over the top? I'm sure there are very few people who could speak extemporaneously for nine innings without saying something lame or awkward at least once.

That's part of why I think it's weak , he's not that bad IMO, a little annoying but his banter with Howie is OK, yesterday he gave a good talk on why Keith Hernandez should get more or any consideration for the HOF.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

For me, it's not that Hagin is bad all the time, it's that he's really bad sometimes, good only other times. But he really hasn't improved much since arriving.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: For me, it's not that Hagin is bad all the time, it's that he's really bad sometimes, good only other times. But he really hasn't improved much since arriving.

He is a little clunky and indirect at times. I think if they cut down the innings he actually did play by play people wouldn't mind as much.

[Frayed Knot]

I rarely hear him on radio either for more than a few innings here and there so maybe he just hasn't had enough time to get on my nerves.
What I do think is over the top is that a lot of the criticism I hear almost inevitably gets around to "he's not a Met", as if his lack of NYM pedigree and dearth of stories about romping around old Shea as a youth like Howie & Gary automatically disqualifies him from the booth.

[Guest sharpie]

He's fine. Heard better, heard worse. Of course, this is a real person's livelihood we're talking about, and not a millionaire athlete. I don't know anything about his personal life but I would imagine it would be tough for him if management decided to just up and fire him. Those kind of blogs really get me. Yeah, he makes some mistakes and we could prolly get someone else we'd like better but get a life, guy. We were, however, both at the same Sonic Youth concert.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Is he really that bad, or is this blog over the top? I'm sure there are very few people who could speak extemporaneously for nine innings without saying something lame or awkward at least once.

You're right. But you'd expect most people in professional broadcasting to keep it to a minimum, or talk less.

When the stumbles and weird circumlocutions continually keep me from knowing what's happening in a close game, that's when I reach for my revolver.

"Fine?" He tops out at "not very good" for me, and it's been getting worse-- if only slightly-- over the last three years.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Frayed Knot wrote: I rarely hear him on radio either for more than a few innings here and there so maybe he just hasn't had enough time to get on my nerves. What I do think is over the top is that a lot of the criticism I hear almost inevitably gets around to "he's not a Met", as if his lack of NYM pedigree and dearth of stories about romping around old Shea as a youth like Howie & Gary automatically disqualifies him from the booth.

I don't know if I hear any "he's not a Met" criticism, but I do think Howie is having a crap season also, and he doesn't get nitpicked for it.

[Gwreck]

Personally, I don't know if I'm qualified to address Wayne's overall performance as I don't listen to WFAN enough (my Mets exposure is 35% in-person/55% SNY/10% WFAN)

From my perspective, though, I think Wayne does a poor job addressing in-game action in a timely fashion. I hate that he is slow to tell the listener where the runners have advanced to during a play and the key details of what's happened.

A good test of a radio announcer is whether you could keep an accurate scorecard while listening to them. Never had that problem with Gary/Bob, Gary/Ted, Gary/Howie or even Howie/Tom. But I think I would go nuts if I tried to do it with Wayne.

[Gwreck]

Edgy DC wrote: I think if the Mets were seven in front, nobody would be bothered by Wayne Hagin.

I wasn't a fan of Tom McCarthy in 2006, and as I recall, plenty of other people here weren't either.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'll admit that my main annoyance is that he gets disporportinately excited at (even modest) opponent come-from-behind rallies.

[ashie62]

He is better than Joe Morgan.

[Guest themetfairy]

Gwreck wrote: A good test of a radio announcer is whether you could keep an accurate scorecard while listening to them. Never had that problem with Gary/Bob, Gary/Ted, Gary/Howie or even Howie/Tom. But I think I would go nuts if I tried to do it with Wayne.

That is a good test.

I learned about baseball from my late grandfather. He was blind, and preferred the radio calls because the television announcers often didn't give him enough details to follow the action (figuring, accurately, that most of the viewers could actually view what was happening). Wayne's failure to provide a complete account of the action would have driven him bonkers.

[Guest themetfairy]

Ashie62 wrote: He is better than Joe Morgan.

That's a huge grey area....

[Frayed Knot]

btw, how cool was the advice (demand?) Gary claimed Cashen gave him prior to hiring him for the NYM radio (later TV) job?

- on radio, Cashen said, the ball should always be described at being hit to a position not a person, whereas on TV the direction is obvious so the announcer should use the player's name.

Now I never thought about that before but it's a good point. A description of "Line-drive towards Pagan ..." might cause the radio listener to have to think back to who was sitting (Beltran, Francoeur, Bay) that particular night and therefore where Pagan was playing. "Liner to Left, Pagan coming in on it ..." on the other hand negates that problem.
On TV, "Lined to Left" is obvious since you're watching and the announcer still has to tell you who's out there. But "Lined to Pagan" says the same thing in a shorter time.

[Fman99]

Wayne Hagin blows dead bears.

[DocTee]

I don't know Hagan's faults, but I find it deplorable that Paul Lucas would invest so much time to getting this guy axed.

Stick to critiquing uniforms, nerd.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, it would be a better world if fans would root for redemption instead of blood, but here we are.

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: A bit weak no?

And more than a bit picky. (I just got around to reading the link - or part of it anyway)

I mean if you're going to go nuts over the pronunciation of 'Roof' I think it's reached the point where you long ago made up your mind and are now in the mode of trying to hang the guy for every announcer equivalent of jay-walking you can find.

[Guest Number 6]

Ashie62 wrote: He is better than Joe Morgan.

I'm sure that broccoli is more tasty than feces, but I won't eat either.

When listening, I'm frequently bothered by not getting a good (or quickly and concisely delivered) picture of the game's action. Just too many gaps to fill, or the information is provided in such a disorienting way that it takes me time to rearrange the pieces into something that makes sense. I also am annoyed by his bizarre overemphasis of mundane details, like saying "and now the count is two and two," delivered as if the 2-2 count is a bizarre statistical oddity that has him confused and fascinated.

That said, he's not that bad, and the blog is already a dead horse. I probably would've applauded something similar back in the Fran days, though, so I'll cut the guy some slack.

[G-Fafif]

Gwreck wrote: Edgy DC wrote: I think if the Mets were seven in front, nobody would be bothered by Wayne Hagin. I wasn't a fan of Tom McCarthy in 2006, and as I recall, plenty of other people here weren't either.

Amen, brother.

[G-Fafif]

Hagin isn't great and I'd prefer he not be renewed when the time comes. Slap a dot-com on that and it makes for a pretty catchy URL I would think.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Hagin certainly beats Tom McCarthy, no?

[bmfc1]

Hagin's much better than McCarthy. I'll take the Mets #2 radio guy over the Phillies #1 TV guy.

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Hagin is just awful. I'm with Paul Lukas on this.