FW: Air-Ball, Slam-Dunk

[Frank Abate]

Replying to Larry H, Rich K:

>>

|o| I don't know what the evidence would be for his inventing
|o| the terms, and I suspect the popularization claim is more on target.
|o|

Dunno.   Just reporting the obit atrib.  I imagine this is one of the banes
of a career as a play-by-play broadcast guy; you don't leave very traceable
footprints on the vocabulary.   Chick Hearn was quite creative, obviously
enjoyed using the language in new and interesting ways, and kept a lively
side patter running during his PBP.  However many games in a season x 40
years would be a lot of tape to sift for evidence one way or the other.

Probably better for being remembered as a possible for these than a definite
for "look at that little porchmonkey run."

<<

This could be a valuable thread -- terms established (if not coined by)
sportscasters, and also quotes attributed to them.  There are a number of
famous ones from Grantland Rice, Red Smith, and the like, and some can be
found in the quotations dicts.  But a few that (I suspect) aren't:

Ernie Harwell (longtime Detroit Tigers radio voice, in the Baseball Hall of
Fame):

"He kicks and deals" (of a pitcher delivering from the windup position;
others have copied Ernie on this one)

"He was standing there like a house by the side of the road" (of a batter
who looks at strike three)


Jack Buck (who recently died, and I think some of his were mentioned on
ADS-L then):

"I don't believe what I just saw." (comment after seeing LA Dodger Kirk
Gibson come off the bench to pinch hit, despite a badly injured leg, and hit
a game-winning home run in the 88 WS


There are a number of baseball sportscasters who have signature calls for
home runs and for a win by the their team; in fact, they all seem to try to.
No time just now to detail here, but I can think of Mel Allen (former NY
Yankees radio voice), John Sterling (NY Yankees radio voice now), Jimmy
Dudley (former Cleveland Indians radio voice).

>From the legendary, widely known, and much-experienced radio voices (besides
those mentioned above) there are plenty of quotes and such, some recorded in
Q dicts.  To name a few such: Dizzy Dean, Harry Carey, Phil Rizzuto, Johnny
Most (Celtics), Marv Albert (Knicks), Marty Brennaman (sp?; Cincy Reds), Vin
Scully (LA Dodgers, though he has done lots of other stuff), Dick Enberg
(NBC and CBS PBP guy for decades, all sports).  No time to give their stuff
here and now; maybe later.  But maybe this will prompt others to add names
I've missed.

This all would be good stuff for a quotations dict.  Anyway, let others take
it from there; I'll get back to it when I can.

Frank Abate