Hawk Harrelson A Homer? You Don't Say!
By Benjy Lipsman in News on Sep 26, 2012 4:00PM
As we learned last week, business publications have no issue butting into topics that stretch beyond their perceived areas of expertise. The latest such transgression has the Wall Street Journal examining all of Major League Baseball's announcing crews to determine whose are the biggest homers. After the numbers were tallied, it should surprise nobody who has watched a White Sox game that science has proven Hawk Harrelson to be the biggest homer in baseball.
Hawk's unabashed homerism inspired the study, in which the WSJ decided to analyze a game called by each of baseball's 30 TV crews. The Sox booth of Harrelson and Steve Stone topped the list with 104 biased comments. IN ONE GAME! Make no mistake, those 104 comments were all from Hawk, while Stoney quietly goes about his business in the booth. The Indians' Rick Manning and Matt Underwood came in second with 23 homer comments, which less than a quarter as many that came from the Sox broadcasters. The researchers looked for comments like referring to the team as "we" and "us," as well pro-team comments like enthusiastic home run calls ("Stretch! Stretch! You can put it on the board... YES!").
Perhaps it's our Midwestern upbringing, but we don't mind a little homerism when watching a game—Deadspin notes that the top four booths on the list and eight of the top 15 come from the AL or NL Central. But even as a die-hard White Sox fan, we cannot stand Harrelson's constant barrage of corny catch phrases and uncontrollable exasperation at any perceived wrong committed against the South Siders.
Hawk's comments got him in some big trouble last May, when he melted down on-air after umpire Mark Wegner ejected Jose Quintana for a pitch behind the batter. Harrelson's tirade earned him a sit down with team owner Jerry Reinsdorf and commissioner Bud Selig. But did that cause Hawk to tone down his schtick? Not for more than a game or two before he was back to his usual "dadgumit" and "Mercy!" filled caricature of a broadcaster.