The linked article below is about the power of a transistor radio and a powerful personality behind the mic calling a baseball game - in this case, the great Vin Scully at Dodgers Stadium. It includes an amazing stunt he pulled early on in his stay in L.A.

"In 1960, just for fun, Scully made a request that demonstrated his reach and power. On the broadcast one night, he asked fans at the game to await his count to three, then shout “Happy Birthday, Frank!” to umpire Frank Secory.

"If fans at the game were not listening in any great numbers, Scully could have been embarrassed. Instead, Secory was startled by the loud greeting.

“That was the night I realized that, if I used it very carefully, the transistor radio could be a great bridge between me and the fans,” Scully said."

Vin Scully, Dodgers fan and the transistor radio: How an unbreakable bond was formed

I remember going to the old Exhibition Stadium (may it rust in pieces) with a radio, listening to Tom & Jerry call a Jays game. It wasn't necessary, but it just seemed like the thing to do - especially when the seats weren't close. 

There have been some great voices of the game over the years, but it's only natural that your hometown homers are generally your favourites. I was OK with Tom Cheek, who'd been there from the beginning, and I well recall the first time I heard Howarth. I have to admit I wasn't impressed. But he was new, not as experienced as he would become and eventually he grew on me so much that he became the best play-by-play voice in my estimation. 

He had the unique talent of making even a boring blow-out exciting. That is not an easy feat over three hours or more. (I had the chance to briefly work with him from a distance for a time. He had the uncanny ability to meet you once, hear your name and then run into you two years later and remember it without hesitation. Amazing.)

But it was what he did in the final game of the Blue Jays first World Series in Atlanta that has stayed with me all these years. It was his time in the bottom of the inning. But he graciously turned it over to Cheek to allow his longtime partner to call the Jays first ever championship and that final out. He didn't have to do it. But it was one of the most selfless moments I've ever heard on the radio. What a class act he was/is. I miss his voice on those games to this day. 
 
So who are your choices as the best voices in baseball broadcasting? Vin Scully is amazing, working alone in a booth for decades, never needing a partner. I know some here might choose Ernie Harwell in Detroit, but I was never a fan of his style. 

Tony Kubeck used to drive some people crazy (it wasn't a line drive!) but I was always fond of his contributions when he worked doing colour for the NBC and CTV games. (Remember when there were weekly games on CTV with Don Chevrier?) I always had a soft spot (which many have pointed out is all in my head!) for Jon Miller. 

Or maybe you were fond of Dave van Horne if you grew up listening to the Expos. (If memory serves, the old CKLB in Oshawa used to carry those games, even after the Jays were born.) I think Dan Shulman is an incredible talent and could be around for decades to come. 

Is/are there one or two of these Voices of the Game who you recall fondly? Howarth will always be my choice. But I admit my hometown prejudice. 

The Best Baseball Announcers of All Time