I understand that Dick Enberg may rub some Padres fans the wrong way, or may just not be the preference of the new age trendy style play-by-play hype men that were popularized by ESPN. Enberg is a true professional and in my opinion, these mini-diatribes (aimed towards BOTH Dick Enberg and Mark Grant) from bloggers and on twitter, from the casual and die hard fans alike, have sunk to a new low.

Recently, Jay Posner asked Mr. Enberg about the criticism that he's been receiving on the web and throughout the blogging-sphere. The criticism primarily being that Enberg gets too excited for the opposing team. Whether it be when the opposing team comes up to the plate and he talks about their talented ballplayers, or to his homerun call, "Touch 'Em All" or his at times monotonous "Oh my!"

"Hmmm," Enberg said, "I find that a real compliment."

"I'm complimented that somebody feels that way," he said. "If you got 100 of those to one the other way, then I'm doing something wrong. But you have to balance it."

Maybe he is saying that he is not going to let that criticism bother him because he does not fancy being a homer, and the criticism is a compliment because that is exactly what he does not want to be.

Enberg, before the season, stated that he would not be a "Homer" announcer; that he would work on his craft and do his due diligence and call the game fairly and how he saw it. Now, Dick Enberg fumbles some calls, some players names, and has delayed calls on homerun shots that make it a bit awkward and hard to get excited as a fan, when the announcer doesn't know what's happening. Having said that, he is obviously rusty. Enberg has not broadcasted this game (that at times is very fast paced) for a few decades. One of the other things that is vastly different is the internet age. The way that people now can communicate is unreal. The unbelievable use of Twitter and Blackberry, along with the blogging-sphere, really allows things to drop publicly so quickly and in so many ways it is fantastic for people to be connected. What it also does has allowed the critics/fans their own play-by-play or platform to critically dissect every gaff, every miscue, critiquing every bit of their dialog or call ad nauseam.

I have been guilty of this as a die hard and very passionate Padre fan. I was one of the more critical fans of Mark Grant in years past, and have often been too harshly critical and probably even unfair. Having said that, Grant has toned down what I have in the past characterized as his "schtick." I believe Grant has been very professional this year and it has been a treat to hear him chime in along with Enberg and his analysis. Mark seems much more at ease now in contrast to in the beginning of the year, yet seems to still have freedom to be himself and be the lovable goofy "color" analyst. I give Mark Grant a lot of credit for working hard at improving his craft.

One of the many differences in the booth I have noticed are the suits - love it! The professionalism, complimented by some humor and witty banter between Enberg and Grant, do not totally distract you from the game. I also believe the difference this year, that I absolutely love, is the camera not focusing too often on the crowd or the booth. In years past, often pitches were missed because the camera/production crew were focusing too much on the announcers and the crowd, and not enough on baseball. This year that is not the case. At the end of the day, I really like the pairing of Dick Enberg with Mark Grant, and think they bring out the best in each other! Hey, we are all critics, I just think that the complaining about the announcers is getting out of control. The Padres are in first place and playing some of the best baseball throughout the majors. Many fans seem to be focusing on complaining about a certain call, or a minor mistake by either one of the announcers. Maybe it's time to look in the mirror and be happy at what they (Grant and Enberg) do bring and what we do enjoy about them. This is Baseball! It's supposed to be fun and I believe some of the joy and excitement is being taken away by unwarranted cynicism.

I am happy we have a pro like Enberg in the booth. I can live with his uncomfortable calls and his repetitious coin phrases. If he calls the game as he sees it for both teams, even when the opposing team hits a homerun, it is never going to be something a Padre fan wants to hear. I have listened a lot to Vin Scully, who I would regard as the best broadcaster of all time. I would never try to compare him to anyone. Mr. Scully is in a league of his own. I hear a very fair and even poetic called game from him, because hey, who is going to be critical of the master! While he gets excited when the other team hits a homerun, I don't know if I hear many people, criticizing him for showing some excitement for the other team.

Bottom line, I want to enjoy the game and, while the announcers make mistakes, (like we all do) Enberg and Grant have worked well together, and I have enjoyed this year's broadcast very much.

Go Friars!