With 162 games in a season for each team, a fan watching an entire year’s worth of games on television will spend 19 days, 19 hours and 12 minutes in front of a rectangle showing baseball. This is a lot of time, and it is only natural – especially in today’s world – that there will be distractions.

So, how do broadcasters bring you into the game? This year, Sporting News is grading announcers on how they grab your attention. This time, it’s the Mariners on Root Sports with Dave Sims and Mike Blowers.

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(via ROOT Sports telecast) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/ac/75/dave-sims-mike-blowers-050914-ftrjpg_k203xgu0o7pb1bpfdpypnv4ip.jpg?t=-490041811&w=500&quality=80 HOME RUN CALLS

The Mariners have a three-run lead in their matinee with the Rays on May 11 when Nelson Cruz leads off the bottom of the third inning against Chris Archer. Sims’ pacing is relaxed — he’s just recounted how Seattle got its three runs — so when Archer delivers his 1-1 pitch, there is nothing distracting.

Here’s his call: “There’s a drive, LEFT FIELD! LINE DRIVE! GIDDYUP! GONE! BOOMSTICK BABY! His second home run here at home, and for the season, Nelson Cruz, his sixth! The Mariners extend the lead to 4-0. Nellie, Nellie, Nellie! Hit it on a 1-1 count.”

That is a lot of home run call, managing to include both cheeseball shtick and information at the same time. No matter which part is for you, it’s going to make you look. How does an analyst respond to a call like this?

“Looked like it was the slider,” Blowers says. “Archer wanted to throw it on the outside corner, ended up leaving it middle-in. Letter high, right on the inner half of the plate. You could tell by Archer’s reaction, he knew where that one was going to end up.”

It would be better if Blowers played off Sims a little more, but there is nothing wrong with some standard analysis in this spot.

How does this booth handle a big home run for the other team? In the sixth inning of the same game, Corey Dickerson bats for Tampa Bay with the bases loaded…

“Slicing drive, left-center field,” Sims says softly. “All kinds of trouble. We’ve got a tie ballgame. Corey Dickerson with his eighth home run. A grand slam. Just like that, 4-4 game.”

“First pitch curveball,” Blowers says. “He’s used his curveball to try to get ahead of hitters throughout the entire game. Middle of the plate, right at the knees.”

“That hurt,” Sims says. “First career grand slam for Corey Dickerson.”

Blowers is going to give you what he is going to give you. Sims has more of a choice to make here, and it’s fair to quibble with soft-playing a game-tying grand slam. It might be bad news for the home team, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be played up to grab the viewer’s attention. Sims is not alone in this, but if you’re slanting the game in one direction, why not make the most of it and act truly upset by the development?

Grade: 5 out of 10

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GREAT DEFENSIVE PLAYS

It’s the bottom of the first inning in Houston on May 6, and Taijuan Walker goes to a 2-2 count on George Springer. Again, Sims pauses is just the right spots so that when there’s a swing, his call can be clean.

“That one’s tagged,” Sims says of the ball Springer launches to the outfield. “Deep right-center field, going back MARTIN TO MAKE THE CATCH! Two down!”

“You talk about how valuable it is to have a center fielder that can cover a lot of ground at Safeco Field,” Blowers says. “Well, it’s important here, too – 436 feet to dead center. And on the seventh pitch, an elevated fastball out over the plate. Drives it out to right-center, but there he is, Martin, he’s been able to run down everything.”

Martin was at it again at a much smaller park over the weekend, making a superb running catch in Cincinnati.

Sims’ crescendo into the catches works well and Blowers is fine with what he adds. There is nothing to dislike, but also nothing that really stands out and makes you say, “Wow!”

Grade: 6 out of 10

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EIGHTH INNING BLOWOUTS

On April 12, things did not look as rosy for Seattle as they do now. Getting their doors blown off, at home, by the Rangers, the Mariners were on their way to a fifth straight loss and an overall record of 2-6.

Nick Vincent pitches the top of the eighth inning in the 8-0 game. He gets Rougned Odor to pop up and Elvis Andrus to ground out before striking out Ryan Rua. In the bottom of the frame, Phil Klein strikes out Luis Sardinas and Robinson Cano, then gets Nelson Cruz to fly out.

It’s two quick half-innings, but the commentary is so focused on the game as to make you able to believe that this is a video game. There is a lot of recapping of what has happened throughout the game, which is nice if you’re just getting home from an evening out, and you’re wondering how it got to be 8-0. Other than that, we learn that Klein went to Youngstown State. We do not get to have a discussion about Youngstown State’s teams being the Penguins.

The best part of the inning probably is Cano appearing as if he is giving side eye to a Pizza Hut ad.

(Root Sports) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/d/34/robinson-cano-ftr-root-sports-jpg_37aea5lze3ah11a3hc1gu8n4p.jpg?t=-391113140&w=500&quality=80

That’s probably not on purpose.

Grade: 5 out of 10

REPLAY REVIEWS

Nori Aoki got caught leaning toward second base just a tiny bit when Angels reliever Joe Smith made a pickoff throw to first base on May 13, but Aoki was called safe as he beat the tag by C.J. Cron. Mike Scioscia decided to challenge the ruling on the field.

“I think he’s safe,” Blowers says, correctly. “You can see him leaning, though.”

The review drags on, but that does not mean the play needs to continue to be dissected. It’s a simple pickoff throw, the result of which will be either safe or out. Sims does well to take the opportunity for a quick recap of the game up to this point, a 6-5 game in the eighth inning. It’s a spot where other announcers might bemoan the length of the review. This is a far better use of the time.

Grade: 9 out of 10

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WALK-OFFS

Back to that May 11 game. After Corey Dickerson’s grand slam, the Mariners took the lead back in the bottom of the seventh, only to see Nick Vincent give up a homer to Kevin Kiermaier in the ninth, so it went to extra innings.

Chris Iannetta bats in the 11th, and that is where Sims’ effusive calls of Mariners home runs really works.

“Solid smash,” Sims starts. “DEEP RIGHT-CENTER FIELD!”

OK, time to nitpick just a little bit. Here’s Kiermaier going after that ball, ultimately unsuccessfully — he’s in front of the Mariners logo.

(Root Sports) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/8e/87/walkoff-ftr-root-sports-jpg_a7pkd8pisxv1145rwrrnmu2dn.jpg?t=-391010268&w=500&quality=80

This is center field. Center field has to be more than just the area directly in front of the 401 sign on the wall. When you say “right-center” or “left-center” the implication is that it would be possible for either the center fielder or someone else to be involved in a play. Here, only Kiermaier is even in the wide frame, because the ball is hit to center field.

Again, it’s nitpicking, but it does seem rather constant through Sims’ calls that he identifies balls as being to a hybrid field when really they are only a few feet wide of dead center.

Anyway, the home run call…

“Solid smash. DEEP RIGHT-CENTER FIELD! GIDDYUP! GONE! BALLGAME! MARINERS WIN IT! CHRIS IANNETTA WITH HIS FIRST HOME RUN SINCE APRIL 15, AND THE MARINERS COMPLETE A SWEEP OF THE TAMPA BAY RAYS!”

Blowers chimes in: “What a great at-bat for Chris Iannetta. Seven pitches in the at-bat, ends up hitting it out to right-center field. Gets a fastball, 94 miles an hour on the outside corner, belt high – barreled it up and hammered it into the seats.”

Say this much: Blowers is consistent with where he chooses to take his analysis. It’s dependable, which is why if you turn on a Mariners game, you’ll be just fine — you know what you’re getting, a baseball broadcast that leans toward the home team but doesn’t try to hide the truth while giving you a perfectly pleasant time watching.

Grade: 8 out of 10

FINAL GRADE: 33 out of 50