Friday, July 21, 2000
Brennaman defined by boldness
Hall of Fame broadcaster not afraid to say what he thinks
By Scott MacGregor
The Cincinnati Enquirer
He is the ultimate tell-it-like-it-is broadcaster. Marty Brennaman has never backed down from the truth. Not in the face of confrontations with players or fans who think he's too critical — not even under the threat of being fired.
Brennaman always has believed his job as the Reds' radio voice was to tell fans at home what's going on, good or bad. He doesn't hype, and he doesn't sugar-coat. He views himself as a reporter, not a shill for team.
The truth is his biggest asset. His strong opinions aren't far behind.
It's a style that has distinguished him from many major-league broadcasters and is a big reason Brennaman will be inducted into the broadcasters' wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday.
“He's in an extremely envious position,” said Brennaman's son, Thom, a broadcaster for the Arizona Diamondbacks. “I can't think of more than a handful of guys around baseball that have the basic editorial freedom he does. I really admire his brutal honesty.”
There are many facets of Brennaman's style: his banter with partner Joe Nuxhall about everything from their tomato gardens to their golf games, his wordy turns of phrases (a double is “a hit of the two-base variety,” a game is a “titanic struggle”), and, of course, his signature phrase, “And this one belongs to the Reds.”
But his reporter's instinct is what has defined him.
“I think I'm objective,” Brennaman said when asked to describe his style. “I think (being a reporter) is something that goes with being extremely unbiased.”
Example: Last Sunday, the Reds left 12 men on base in a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Brennaman said, “When you waste as many chances as this team has, you don't deserve to win.”
Not even the most die-hard fans can argue with that.
Some over the years have said he's too harsh. But that ignores the excitement in his voice when the Reds do something good. It's not a homer's excitement, but it is a fan's excitement. The moment sounds as appropriately big as it is.
The hard-edged style used to rub his boss, then general-manager Dick Wagner, the really wrong way. Wagner kept asking Brennaman to back down, and Brennaman refused, despite the fact that at the feud's height, 1983, he was coming to the end of his contract.
The war kept on until Wagner was fired. Brennaman has enjoyed blissful independence since. Only once, during the Broadway Commons-Riverfront stadium debate, has he been asked to cool it by Reds chief operating officer John Allen. And that was mostly because Brennaman's words wield so much power to the listeners.
But Brennaman doesn't use that as a chance to take cheap shots. He makes a point to walk through the clubhouse every day to face the players. His relationship with Barry Larkin is cool, partly because Brennaman has criticized the Reds' captain for his perceived role in the firing of manager Ray Knight in 1997.
“You lose any credibility you have if you're critical and then don't have the guts to show up,” Brennaman said. “The players I have the most respect for are the guys who have heard something I've said and have challenged me. The majority will say nothing but talk behind your back. I respect guys that have a bone to pick with me, one on one.”
Thom Brennaman says that in the end, his dad is best defined by his passion. “He has an unbelieveable amount of that,” Thom said.“There aren't a lot of people like that around anymore. When you come upon them, it separates them from the rest of the pack.”
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Brennaman defined by boldness
