From Josh Lewin to y'all

We just wish we didn’t have to hear that Vernon Wells is an Arlington native more than once or twice a series… or game, for that matter.

Just keep up the good work, and don’t worry about the douchebags on here!

Keep up the good work.

especially during the GDTs. I mean, that is the reason why we gathered here in this community. To voice our opinions freely. It’s not any worse than some guy cussing out the other team at the ballpark. But, since we are not all drunken hecklers, and you nicely came here to ask, we’ll try to keep it classy.

Keep up the good work.

you and Tag still are great at your job, no matter what some of these folks say. I’ve always appreciated y’alls work… Now, about this camera angle thing… Stick to the high angle.

I don’t really think any of us have a huge problem with how you and TAG do your job. Your quirkiness is one of the reasons I like the broadcasts so much. That being said, the casual fan won’t learn anything if the game is all interviews. I don’t expect (or even want) a stoic play-by-play commentary. But yesterday was a little much. If I were a casual fan, I wouldn’t know what was going on. It’s hard to turn a casual fan into a die-hard fan with very little attention paid to the game.

However, let me voice my extreme displeasure with the new camera angles. There is a reason we have two eyes and not one. it’s so we can see things from a slight angle in order to tell teh position of moving objects in space. The far away, stright down the pipe angle takes that ability away. As for the low angle used yesterday, I got to know the 2B ump a little more than I would like. Fox has been doing this a long time. There was no reason to be all over the place like they were. Totally not your department, but please pass that along.

I hope you and TAG can stay together for many years to come.

Also, you should come by more often!

It’s an emotional game. If d-bag is the worst you get, I’d feel pretty lucky — Lord knows I’ve been called worse on this site. I believe that the posters here, for the most part, understand that you have to have to cast a wide net on the TV broadcast. I also believe that, for the most part, people here appreciate the job that you do very much. I for one am a huge fan. That being said, this site is a place for people for to vent, and let their emotions run irrationally wild. If that bothers you, screen the content before you let your kids see it.

Also, I love you.

You and Tag are one of the greatest TV teams in baseball, stick around.

But, what fun is it to be the rare die-hard Rangers’ fan if you can’t be a little pretentious about it? I hope you guys won’t take anything we say personally.

I just hate Jim Knox and his terrible, terrible segments. Don’t cut away from the action to show him….his voice alone would be bad enough.

All kidding aside, keep up the great work!

Thanks for posting.

Wow, the kids on the internet thing, that issue’s a lot bigger than this blog. If everyone here were civil though, I don’t think this blog would be nearly as compelling or fun. But I know public figures had it a lot easier before everyone with a computer could publish their thoughts as they thought them, It’s gotta be a drag to read some of that stuff.

Your point about the broadcast being for the casual fan, though, is exactly why this blog thing is so great for the hardcore. We can talk about someone’s WAR and the broadcast can have an interview with the 106th Ladies Auxiliary.

But praising Vernon Wells yesterday repeatedly was a little annoying.

If you notice, people had good things to say about your call at the end of the game.

most regular Rangers fans don’t watch 162 games a year. For those of us that do it can be hard at times to hear some things repeated over and over. That’s all really. You can’t please everyone and I think most of us here realize you have a job to do. Overall I think you and TAG do a very admirable job.

Thanks for posting here. Hopefully you will continue to do so from time to time.

I always tell people to check out MLB Extra Innings to truly appreciate what we have here in Texas.

More Sean Avery interviews. Seinfeld references are fun. Walk-off Win Girl should get season tickets.

Especially in the GDT’s, it can get pretty ugly in there. No harm is meant though, just take any criticism with a grain of salt. Most of us have great respect for what you do and are lucky to have you as the voice of the Rangers.

I heard you discussing BABIP during a spring training game – I loved it. Introducing the fans to advanced stats sure can balance hearing “Vernon Wells lives in Arlington!!” for the 100th time.

I’ve always felt myself fortunate to be a Rangers fan because of the superior TV and radio personalities we have calling the games.

You and TAG keep doing what you’re doing. I as a (mostly) hard core Rangers fan find it quite entertaining.

Has so many bigwigs posting on his board…from his humble ESPN board beginnings…

Congratulations Adam J Morris. This must be like a dream come true for you. Seems LSB is THE Rangers blog…

. . . my immediate thought was “boy, I hope he didn’t see all the vitriol we aimed at him in the GDT.”

Then I realized that was exactly what this was about and felt douchier than usual.

I love the honesty here, though:

I’m aware that the die-hards don’t need all the frivolity and BS to keep ’em eyeballed in for three hours

Don’t ever lose the quirkyness…….it’s what works for you and TAG.

Though a few less reminders of Vernon Wells and MY being best buds would be nice…lol :) Otherwise, no complaints. As a fan of Dallas/Ft Worth area teams, we are pretty lucky in that we have really good broadcast teams to cover our teams, at least IMO.
Josh and TAG are the best of a great bunch.

Of course, it would be shameless of me to take this opportunity to ask you to work in some sly references to our little gook cabal here (the kind we get and freak out about but no one else gets), but it just so happens that I am extremely shameless.

So, if we behave, can we get a ‘40 trumps all!’ or ‘rally turtle’ (although I know the current nomenclature is ‘rally amputee’, but that’s not going to get on tv.) drop sometime? Even double play dino would be awesome.

Thanks again and I hope you keep doin’ what you do.

Meantime, I humbly promise I will do my level-best not to be douche-baggy to the best of my abilities.

I’m just one poster, but I certainly don’t think you’re a douchebag, I hope I’ve never said you are, and I wouldn’t defend anyone who did. And, not to defend myself (and not even sure you’ll actually see this if it even matters), but anything I level at you I understand is actually the result of what the broadcast needs to be and you’re just the face of it, and I do apologize for anything over-the-top that was said.

The Game Day Threads are a bunch of unhinged people riding the emotions of baseball games, and our anger can, unfairly, be leveled at those who aren’t responsible for 6 no-hit innings.

Do know that I think you’re among the best broadcasters in the business, someone from FanGraphs in the chat last night brought you up as one of his favorite announcers from back in your Orioles days, and I think most people here generally enjoy what you do in the booth.

You and TAG are the dynamic duo of baseball broadcasting iMHO. So I guess that leaves Knoxie as the Joker. A little more attention to the game during interviews wouldn’t hurt but that’s my only complaint and it’s not much of one. GO RANGERS!!!!

much more than you do. It’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The moment Wells steps to the plate we get 10 posts mocking it.

Thanks for your post. Big fan..you’re awesome at what you do and very knowledgeable about baseball.

I hope people take your advice and tone down the cursing and such. As for me, I’m always on my best behavior here.. heh.. even as hard as it is sometimes when people seem to intentionally try to ‘push me’.

Good luck and hope you extend and stay with the Rangers for years and years to come.

there is no other duo in the sport I would rather listen to.

I would like to point out it’s not just Josh. Every single time I see Rangers highlights on ESPN or MLBN today, I hear “Arlington native” every time Wells is on TV.

on an other note, you’re good at what you do and I wouldn’t let GDTs get you all bent out of shape. There is no way you can make this entire board happy, no chance in hell.

but please tell the FSSW people above you that the camera stuff (particularly the completely useless shots of the ump’s derriere blocking the view of the plate) just aren’t working no matter who is watching.

a quick story. Way back in your first year, a friend of mine at TCU sent a scathing email in to FSSW about how much she hated the new play by play guy, Josh Lewin. FSSW did not respond, but Josh personally did. I remember Josh saying in the email, I’m sorry if you don’t like my style, but hopefully it grows on you. That sir, has been nothing but true. I enjoy your broadcasts each and every night and was really fretting when there were rumors of your departure this off-season. Keep up the tremendous work.

You are one of a kind, you are the voice of the Texas Rangers. The masses listen to you over the spring/summer/fall while watching thier favorite team.

If you ever go anywhere, I will hate you for life. You must be a lifer for the Texas Rangers, that much is certain in my mind.

Keep it rollin, “homie!”

Your walk-off calls are awesome…I still get chills when I listen to your call of the David Dellucci hit vs. Oakland in 2004.

The haters don’t realize how good we have it here between you, TAG and Eric Nadel. If they actually listened to other broadcasters around the league, they would have a vastly different opinion.

I’ve probably listened to on the radio or watched on TV every team’s broadcasters at some point and like Lewin and TAG.

GF (1:01:02 PM): ps. I’ve thought a lot of the things he said before while watching with you. (about the other fans and stuff)
ME (1:01:19 PM): what do you mean?
GF (1:01:54 PM): when you get mad they say something obvious. well, it’s not obvious to me

ME (1:03:33 PM): do you enjoy it more?
GF (1:05:10 PM): it pisses me off when they talk in abbriviations cause I don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. I don’t want them to talk to you all because then it seems impossible to learn the game without a hell of a lot of research

ME (1:13:02 PM): i guess the real issue isn’t him telling us that young and wells are friends
ME (1:13:10 PM): it’s that every time the rangers play the blue jays we hear it 50 times
GF (1:13:32 PM): lol. but I don’t watch every game

I think the quirkiness and the way you are brings out the best in TAG. You two are a good team. I used to not feel this way but over the last 2 years with MLB.TV and watching other broadcasts, I’ve grown an appreciation for the chemistry you and TAG have.

Just remember though, we’re the ones up at midnight when the team is on the road.

Keep up the good work, and we’re glad to still have you as a Ranger’s broadcaster.

I enjoy your laid back vibe and the easy going dialogue between you and TAG. Just get rid of Knox and the wave, and you will have the perfect broadcast.

own a special little piece of my heart.

Never leave us.

“Poultry in motion”…really?

Not implying you shuoldn’t make lame jokes like that cause thats part of the appeal… just felt obligated to mention that, so bad, but so good. Keep up the good work!

I know we complain about Knox, but I hope he never leaves as well. There may be moments where a Knox segment interrupts a moment on the field, but imagine the comedy we’d lose without ol’ Knoxy.

Something hilarious happens EVERY game because of Jim Knox.

We’re lucky to have you and Taggart.

You let your kids read the game day threads??? There’s so much foul stuff in there…I’m pretty surprised.

Anyway, I think you and Grieve are terrific and I’ve always said that on here. The only thing I don’t like about the broadcast is Jim Knox. And he’s just some guy just trying to do his job, but the problem is we’re missing part of the game a lot of time when he’s out there interviewing some random person. If you guys are going to do that, have him seek out knowledgeable fans. I think that would make it far more tolerable.

And I guess I have another suggestion: prod more scouting and GM information out of Tom Grieve. That guy has been through everything and could probably fascinate anybody watching, whether they’re like us on here or just a person at home passing time. Who wouldn’t want to know how they found Pudge Rodriguez, for example? Who was the scout? How many teams were onto him besides the Rangers? People of all walks of life would like to know that. And Grieve could explain the different kinds of scouts and what their lives on the road are like. Most people would be interested in that.

Have a great year.

If Colby Lewis fires off a fastball in the mid-90s, I want to hear something about him dealing the hard cheese.

Give me a name.
Give me an adress.

It’s go time.

Just saying, I enjoy the Josh and Tom broadcasts, and if no video, Eric Nadel, as much as any I’ve seen and heard. For Josh’s reference, that goes back beyond the days of PeeWee Reese and Dizzy Dean. First b’cast team in my experience that dishes out baseball edification as well as game description to be envied.

Your style is a bit too frenetic at times for my tastes (more of a fan of Eric Nadel’s style of play-by-play), but I respect the job that you do and how difficult it is. Ultimately, you have to be yourself. Your interaction with Tom is occasionally quite entertaining and informative. I do realize that the broadcast is trying to appeal to a wider audience, so I will complain about parts of it from time to time but try not to be overly repetitive. Making fun of some remark or aspect of the broadcast (e.g., the in-the-stand segments) is to be expected. Personal insults of you (or Tom or Jim Knox) aren’t and shouldn’t be.

Not to mention to stupid humor/puns, many of which are so bad they’re gold, and the Carroll Dragon/Texas Longhorn shout-outs…

Also, please try to put TAG’s buttons some more and get him riled up- it’s priceless when we get a Grieve rant!

Yeah, there are a few irritating parts, but there aren’t any broadcasts that are perfect. You two keep things entertaining. Keep it up.

I wouldn’t miss Knox though.

Most of us appreciate the job you and TAG do on a nightly basis. I can’t even watch nationally televised baseball games because compared to you guys they’re terrible. I’ll continue to tolerate the parts of the program designed to capture the casual fan if you two keep being yourselves.

man.

I could do without the in game interviews for the most part. Ranger dignitary interviews (JD/other front office), players, managers, and other baseball figures are excluded from that. Staubach too.

Most people don’t realize how good we have things as Ranger fans. You and Tom have an enjoyable chemistry. Watching other broadcasts hurts my brain. I can’t get through 5 minutes of an Astros game with the sound on…ditto Joe Morgan.

To echo the general sentiment..keep doing what you’re doing.

And I love it that you take the time to keep in touch with us here on LSB. I think longevity (along with talent) is ultimately what makes a great broadcaster, so I hope you never leave for another team. Please continue to be the voice of the Rangers for many years to come.

You’re one of the best in the biz and I truly enjoy you and Tom’s work. I know that you haven’t been doing Rangers games for very long but I hope you do them for as long as you can.

I don’t think there is a better person to call a game winning hit.

I know I’ve been guilty of letting you have it on multiple occasions in the GDT’s, but you have to understand, to some of us poking fun and disagreeing with the announcers is all part of the experience (and a good way to show off our baseball intelligence). Especially for the hypercritical jerks like myself.

But no matter what you’ve seen/might see me say about you guys while scrolling through a gameday thread, please know that at the end of the day there isn’t another TV broadcast team in the majors I would rather listen to than you and TAG. You guys are a great team, and have always been a huge part of the Ranger experience for me, as is Eric Nadel. I hope all three of you guys are with the Rangers for years to come.

Are these the musings of a subliterate Englishman?

I think you and Tom are the best in the business. If you want the worst listen to The Astros broadcast they will put you to sleep. I think some here would rather you and Tom act like that. Please don’t change and keep up the good work. I need something to pass the time here in NE Montana.

of course, TAG would never come around here because he “don’t give a *$&@!”

finding out that Josh peruses through the GDT makes me almost as uncomfortable as when my kids walk into the bathroom with me hard at work.

You are a public figure and thus don’t have the luxury of acting like a total clown as anonymous people on the internet are allowed to do (thanks largely to their being far less successful and accomplished in their careers than you are), especially at unmoderated forums frequented by teenagers and other poorly educated people. Not that you would behave that way if you had such a luxury, of course.

Keep up the great work.

There isn’t a single broadcasting team I’d rather listen to during Rangers games.

I don’t often voyage into gameday threaderry and have no idea what J-Lew is talking about, but this is the series of tubes.

If you don’t want kids reading words like “douchebag”, get one of those mormon computers where it eats the butt shit and poops out a sunshiney mix of positivity and people climbing mountains to “achieve” or whatever.

Also, douchebag should not cut to the core. Calm down.

You’re a generally very good announcer and I enjoy listening to you call Ranger games and I’m guessing so do most reasonable people.

You can’t please all of the people of the time, so don’t worry about it if a few of the displeased voice said displeasure on the series of tubes.

It’s fine.

I can’t imagine another voice bringing Ranger baseball into my leaving room each night. We’re all lucky to have you on our side, and I hope you and TAG stick together for years to come!

Real exciting to see you mingling with us fans here- come by more often.

If you type in “Josh Lewin douchebag” on the SBN search feature, zero results pop up besides this post. No comments, nada.

So while it’s definitely true Josh takes a fair amount of criticism around here, according to the search nobody in the history of LSB has actually called him a douchebag. Perhaps that phrase is just being used as as a random example, but I thought it worth pointing out nonetheless.