Bill Schroeder

[MrTPlush]

Lol if Anderson wanted a different job he would have it. He is one of the most sought after play by play guys in sports. Actually probably is the most sought after guy in the country. I don’t know if anyone else that does as much as him or does as many sports...and most of those other gigs are playoffs.

[LouisEly]

I love these threads. Half of this place loves Bill and BA and the other half isn't too enthused about them. I have made my feelings about Anderson pretty clear in the past. Bland, boring, vanilla, uninteresting, safe. He's not annoying is about the only positive I can say about him and many say that's why he's so good. Meh, whatever. Rock is what he is. Knows about the mechanics of how to play baseball but couldn't explain the difference between OPS and the word oops. Pretty much your standard old guy baseball man. Loves to point out how every batter just needs to think the other way and all those called strike 3 pitches are just too close to take. The thing I really like about him though is he gets very upset at bad umpiring and when the Cardinals pull their typical crap.

I think the majority of those who do not like Bill don't spend a lot of time watching/listening to other team's announcers. He's not the best, but he's in the top 1/3rd. Come down to Chicago and listen to the Cubs and White Sox announcers. Yuck. There's a reason why Joe Buck gets as many gigs as he does - not because he's great, but because most of the rest of them are worse.

 

Bill's a bit old-school on the stats department, but I know enough about newer stats that I don't need the announcers to be mavens on them. I prefer the color guy to fill me in on what I don't know, which is what happens on the field, in the clubhouse, behind the scenes, etc.

[RollieTime]

I like them both, although I did warm to LePay quite a bit. Plesac, when he's on MLB Network, is tolerable, and a rare Brewer cheerleader. As a color man, recently, he was just awful. Rambling, trying WAY too hard, and a complete distraction, in my opinion.

 

Having heard most of the other commentary combos around the league, we are fortunate, I think. Many of the other pairs are frankly unlistenable. BA's time with us is coming to an end, based on his side hustles, and it's at least a coin toss that the new guy will be just as polarizing.

 

This completely. Lepay is solid, but Plesac was just bad as a color commentator. You could tell he was trying way to hard and would ramble on and on. I love listening to him on MLB Network though.

 

I’ve listened to a bunch of other television broadcasts from other teams around the league and it is pretty eye opening just how bad other broadcasts are. We are lucky to have BA and Bill. There are 162 games a year where they need to talk for more than 3 hours per day about baseball. Phrases, stats, information, and stories are going to be repeated all the time.

[ThisIsMyCrew]

Anyone you replace Anderson with is a downgrade. And it’s a 50/50 shot with Bill. Be thankful we have these two. Many other clubs fans would love to have our guys.

[Brew crew 92]

I don’t live in Wisconsin anymore so I’ve watched all the teams tv broadcasters and most of the radio. BA is a pro, one of the best in the business, not my favorite, that would be Thom Brenneman, marty’s Son, of the reds, but right up there with the best.

 

As far as Schroeder, he’s middle of the pack for me. Again I’m spoiled having Chris Welch and the cowboy, Jeff Brantley both former mlb pitchers doing color with Brenneman on the reds broadcast. That trio is the best there is, imo, better than most peoples favorite, Wisconsin’s own Duane Kiper And Mike Krukow with the Giants. Also impressed with Jack Morris, color with the Twins and Kirk Gibson, Color with the Tigers.

 

On the radio side, for someone in his mid-eighties, Ueck is amazing, and Levering is the best I’ve heard out there. Others must agree, since he’s with Fox doing one of their Saturday games.

[TigerUppercut]

Anyone you replace Anderson with is a downgrade. And it’s a 50/50 shot with Bill. Be thankful we have these two. Many other clubs fans would love to have our guys.

 

Totally agree. If you don't like BA, you're saying alot about yourself. There's a reason the guy does major sporting event after major sporting event and it's not because people dislike him.

 

Some people just like to hate and be angry.

[ecjimg]

Im tired of Rock's catching insight. By now we all know how to block a breaking pitch in the dirt. I also cringe every time he says pozizion (position) and deesizon (decision).

[markedman5]

Anyone you replace Anderson with is a downgrade. And it’s a 50/50 shot with Bill. Be thankful we have these two. Many other clubs fans would love to have our guys.

 

Totally agree. If you don't like BA, you're saying alot about yourself. There's a reason the guy does major sporting event after major sporting event and it's not because people dislike him.

 

Some people just like to hate and be angry.

 

I agree with this take. We are lucky to have BA......even if it's only for half a season per year.

[LouisEly]

I’ve listened to a bunch of other television broadcasts from other teams around the league and it is pretty eye opening just how bad other broadcasts are. We are lucky to have BA and Bill.

Wisconsin residents have been downright spoiled in just about every sport. Uecker, BA, Matt Vasgersian for the Brewers; Matt LePay and Mike Lucas for the Badgers; Wayne Larrivee, Larry McCarren, Max McGee, and Jim Irwin for the Packers; Jim Paschke, John McGlocklin, Eddie Doucette, and Gus Johnson for the Bucks. Those are some of the best in the business.

[Surhoff5]

I’ve listened to a bunch of other television broadcasts from other teams around the league and it is pretty eye opening just how bad other broadcasts are. We are lucky to have BA and Bill.

Wisconsin residents have been downright spoiled in just about every sport. Uecker, BA, Matt Vasgersian for the Brewers; Matt LePay and Mike Lucas for the Badgers; Wayne Larrivee, Larry McCarren, Max McGee, and Jim Irwin for the Packers; Jim Paschke, John McGlocklin, Eddie Doucette, and Gus Johnson for the Bucks. Those are some of the best in the business.

 

I agree we have been spoiled, but you lost me on the bolded one above. Mike Lucas is as awful as it gets. Sadly, his radio show is even worse than his color commentary.

[wallus]

This thread pops up every single season.

[IntentionalHBP]

Levering or Grindle would be a nice replacement, Levering called the Brewers fox games a couple days ago and he was great.

 

I swear rock says “that was right down the middle” five times every game.

[treego14]

Bill and Brian are both above average TV guys, and I hope each is with us for a while yet.. I am convinced they are better than half when I listen to other telecasts, local or national. That being said, Brian has one eye on the clock. He is looking for the game to be over, and it is more evident as years go by.

I agree with all of this ... BA is not a true Brewers fan ... I am convinced of that. Matt Lepay is more enjoyable to listen to in the booth with Rock. Matt Lepay doesn't seem to be in a rush -- and is honestly rooting for the Brewers with Rock.

[JohnBriggs12]

Bill and Brian are both above average TV guys, and I hope each is with us for a while yet.. I am convinced they are better than half when I listen to other telecasts, local or national. That being said, Brian has one eye on the clock. He is looking for the game to be over, and it is more evident as years go by.

I agree with all of this ... BA is not a true Brewers fan ... I am convinced of that. Matt Lepay is more enjoyable to listen to in the booth with Rock. Matt Lepay doesn't seem to be in a rush -- and is honestly rooting for the Brewers with Rock.

 

Good local announcers are able to convince fans that they are that team's #1 fan. That shouldn't be hard to do when that team is the one paying you. Watch how easily guys suddenly handle switching from one team to another. Lepay grew up a Reds fan. Deep down he probably still is to an extent. But you can't tell on his work because he's a professional. Anderson gets excited when Brewers do well, but he doesn't make it sound like every Brewer player is somehow "special" in the sickening way Pat Hughes talks about Cub players. You listen to Hughes enough and you'd swear Bryant, Rizzo, and Baez are not just fine players but that they cured cancer too.

[MillerParkSouth]

BA and rock are some of the best in the business, there are some truly awful announcing teams out there.

[Eye Black]

This thread pops up every single season.

This was my first thought as well. An annual tradition of taking roll call on who loves and hates various members of the broadcast team.

 

BA and rock are some of the best in the business, there are some truly awful announcing teams out there.

I occasionally watch (TV) or listen (radio) to other teams games and it often leaves me thankful for the Brewers broadcasters in both mediums.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

This thread shows up every year when the team hits a rough stretch. People need something to complain about, and Rock and BA are an easy target.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Here's my thoughts on Bill

 

I appreciate that he's "better" than most of the other teams' tv color guys.

 

I can know that, and still dislike his grumpy "back in my day" rants that are often wholly factually incorrect. When he says stuff like "pitchers in the 80's almost always went 7 or more innings" and it's just almost entirely factually false, and he has a computer right in front of him and he could look that stuff up, it annoys the crap out of me. I know, I know, he's the color guy, blah blah blah... it still annoys me.

 

Uecker loses track of the game (often) and that's annoying but he embraces the way the game is changing, and I appreciate the heck out of that. When he talks about the way the game is changing, he doesn't sound like an embittered old man the way Schroeder does. I (again) appreciate that Rock is "better" than most color men on tv, but the grumpy ex-player thing comes off as super annoying at least twice a game.

 

I'm not advocating rock to leave or get fired, but his schtick gets old.

[RWeeksFan23]

For all the talk about how old-school Bill is, I don't think BA is much better. He often raves about players' RBI totals like those matter, compares teams' defenses based solely off errors, etc.

[KeithStone53151]

BA is one of the best play by play guys in the country. We are incredibly lucky to have him, those that dislike him...it's for sure a grass is greener situation. I would be very surprised if he hasn't been offered way more money to work for a big market team...and we've already seen him get poached for NCAA tournament, NBA playoffs, MLB playoffs, etc. He's a star at what he does.

 

I personally like Rock, but I can completely understand some people not liking him. He does have useful insights occasionally, especially with catching...but I wouldn't mind some more fresh takes. Anytime someone gets hit with a ball or rolls an ankle, I'm just waiting for Rock's standard "welp it feels as good now as it's going to feel the rest of the game".

 

Bottom line, we are lucky to have BA...but Rock is completely replaceable.

[MrTPlush]

I would be very surprised if he hasn't been offered way more money to work for a big market team.

 

The reason he stays is because we allow him to leave for all the other gigs. All those different gigs probably gets him more money than if he just solely did baseball for one team. I doubt teams would open up their wallet to a guy who wants to leave all the time. He has definitely said in the past he really enjoys and wants to do all the different sports.

 

LePay was an absolute atrocity when he first started doing games, but he has vastly improved to where he is a refreshing voice in the booth. It was a bit more hard to deal with when the FS Wisconsin scrub team filled in constantly.

[RWeeksFan23]

I'm not much of a BA guy, but I will say he is miles better than Craig Coshun, he is just awful.

[BrewCrewForever]

I love Rock. I think I have grown to like him even more than I used to. BA and Lepay are both really good to. I think with TV (Dario, Augie, Coshun and Sophia) and radio (Uecker of course, Levering and Grindle) guys we are spoiled. When you listen to a lot of of the other teams announcers on MLB.TV you appreciate what we have in Milwaukee even more.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

BA is good. I'm calling BS on that "one eye on the clock" thing. When BA signed his extension with FSN he made it pretty public that he felt he owed them for hiring him in the first place. They also do allow him to leave as was noted. But I've never, ever gotten the sense he doesn't want to be there and he has great chemistry with Schroeder.

 

All the things that have been said against him here are pretty much true, the back in my day stuff, etc., and I just take it for the nonsense it is. Their banter back and forth is pretty good and Schroeder is just the uncle who's had too many and tells exaggerated stories. He's not the greatest ever but he is harmless and they do well together.

 

But hating broadcasters is more of a past time than this game.

[Oxy]

I hope that BA is a lifer (with many vacations/national side gigs...) Let him do the NBA playoffs and let him do golf's major tournaments and whatever else he wants to do, and then let him come back and do as many Brewer games as possible. Dick Enberg was the Padres TV announcer from 2010 to 2016. BA could be the Brewers tv announcer from 2005 (or whatever it was) to 2045.

 

Rock is Rock. I'll miss him when he isn't there. That's what makes him Rock.