I am deeply honored by this tribute…I think Reds fans will truly enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed living it.
—Marty Brennaman, December 2006
There are many reasons why Cincinnati Reds fans have loved Marty Brennaman for all these years. His voice is easy to listen to, with a pleasing inflection that evokes his southern upbringing.
He’s articulate, accurate and consistently prepared to announce a ballgame every day. He’s compelling, opinionated, and as honest as a broadcaster can possibly be. Marty can deliver great drama when necessary, but with his humor, charm and natural talent, he also could often make a dull game sound interesting.
Compared to other baseball announcers, Marty has had more than his share of opportunities to call historic plays and games, including Henry Aaron’s 714th home run, the record setting base hit by Pete Rose, Tom Browning’s perfect game, a no-hitter by Tom Seaver, Ken Griffey Junior’s 500th homer, and 3 Cincinnati Reds world championship seasons.
You will hear all of these Marty Brennaman classic play-by-play moments on this CD and many more as well.
In the summer of 2000, Marty entered the Baseball Hall of Fame Broadcaster’s Wing by receiving the Ford C. Frick Award. The induction officially puts Marty into the legendary category, along with, among others, men like Vin Scully, Mel Allen and the first two subjects of this series, Harry Caray and Jack Buck.
If you are a fan of Marty Brennaman, I can promise you will enjoy listening to this CD! In fact, I want you to enjoy listening to this program over and over again! At least, that’s the way I tried to create it.
I first started listening to Marty on a regular basis in the early 1980s when I worked in Columbus, Ohio. I was working in the minor leagues, with aspirations of a big league baseball announcing career. It was great listening to Marty! I felt like I learned something every game: a different way of describing something, or a new way of handling certain situations. He was simply masterful.
Producing this tribute to Marty was the proverbial labor of love. When it was finished, I sent the demo to Marty for his reaction. I can’t tell you how happy I was when he called to express his sincere appreciation of my work! I told him “a winning Kentucky Derby jockey once said, ‘I had a good horse to ride.’ In producing this tribute, your career gave me a great horse to ride.”
Please enjoy this CD. After listening to it, I think you will agree with me. Marty Brennaman is simply one of the greatest baseball announcers who has ever lived.
Pat Hughes
December 2006
Track Listing
1. Open
2. Intro
3. Voice of the Reds
4. 1990 Wire to Wire
5. 1990 Post-Season
6. Young Marty
7. Hired by the Reds
8. Henry Aaron #714
9. Big Red Machine
10. This One Belongs to the Reds
11. Joe Nuxhall
12. Tom Seaver No-Hitter
13. Pete Rose Hitting Streak
14. Pete Rose #4192
15. Tom Browning Perfect Game
16. Ken Griffey Jr. #500
17. Cooperstown
18. Thom Joins Marty
19. Personal Memories
20. Legacy
21. Close
22. Credits