Is Ron Darling the best TV analyst in the game today?
I don't have the answer and I'm pretty sure nobody does, but at least it makes for interesting conversation.
An article published in the USA Today suggests the possibility that Darling may in fact be the best analyst on television today.
Generally I think most people recognize Tim McCarver as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable analyst (not saying he's the best) on TV today, and it appears Darling agrees. "Tim McCarver's the top of the food chain", said Darling.
Darling who calls roughly 10 regular season and 10 post-season games for TBS, along with over 100 games for the NY Mets on SNY, appears to be climbing that so called food chain.
If he doesn't want to admit he's the best, his bosses from TBS sure will. "We feel Ron is right there with those guys. Ron is not afraid to criticize players. He's not afraid to talk about umpires or managers in the course of a broadcast," said Turner Sports executive producer Jeff Behnke.
I had the privilege of growing up in New York so I was able to listen to a lot of Darling's games on SNY, and personally I think he's a really good announcer. As I stated earlier I don't want to rank him #1, but I have no problem with him being in the discussion.
At the end of the day each individual announcer brings his own little flare to the game, and each unique style appeals to different people.
Generally most people feel a sense of loyalty to their hometown analyst, which often makes any sensible discussion difficult.
However, in the spirit of competitive banter, I thought it would be interesting to hear some different opinions on who you guys think is the best MLB broadcaster in the game today.