“Hello everybody I’m Lindsey Nelson,” was the first phrase ever proclaimed on the very first New York Mets MLB broadcast, back in April of 1962. Nelson delivered that phrase in a cheerful, upbeat style, as he would for the rest of his broadcast days. He also spoke it in the distinctive twang of his native middle Tennessee.

It is hard to imagine certain regional accents finding favor with New York fans. For example, the classic snooty Boston “Pahk the cah in Havad Yahd” would seem likely to turn off New York baseball fans, as would the flat “Chicahgo” accent. But the southern drawl captivated the New York fans for generations. More about Nelson later, but now we will journey back to the dawn of New York baseball broadcasts, to 1938.

In 1938 New York was the broadcasting center of the country. In those pre-television days New York had far more radio stations than any other city in the country, it was the headquarters of most of the major networks, and had numerous studios that cranked out the top rated programs of the day. It was also the center of MLB, with three teams, two of which (the Giants and the Yankees) were perpetual contenders, and the other (the Dodgers) were more of a beloved but bumbling crew. Incredibly though, there were no radio broadcasts of the home games of the local teams. All three had signed an agreement where they would not broadcast their games.

Everything changed when the The Dodgers hired Larry MacPhail as their new president. One of his first moves was to scrap the broadcast agreement. MacPhail, who had been a successful GM with the Reds, brought his top sportscaster along with him to broadcast Brooklyn games starting in 1939. That broadcaster was Walter Lanier “Red” Barber, a native of Columbus Mississippi, deep in the heart of the south. Barber, with his lyrical southern drawl, became a big hit with the Dodger fans, soon moving Brooklyn to the top of the baseball broadcast ratings in New York, a position they would mostly hold until abandoning Brooklyn in 1957.

Barber is credited with many baseball sayings, including “can of corn,” “sitting in the catbird seat”, and rhubarb” (on field dispute or fight.) That he delivered his commentary in the lyrical style mentioned earlier was no fluke, Barber was a descendant of acclaimed poet Sidney Lanier.

Barber was also known for his insightful analysis of the baseball action. Barber would also render a great service to the Dodgers by recommending to Dodger president Branch Rickey that an open broadcast spot be filled by a very young Vin Scully in 1950, a move that worked out extremely well for all parties.

Yet another southern voice was featured on New York baseball broadcasts shortly after Barber started, and that was Mel Allen, a native of deep south Birmingham, Alabama. Yankee broadcaster Allen was different in his approach, he tended toward a more homerish style, and he could be bombastic at times, but his voice did soon become synonymous with the Yanks. His signature catchphrase was “how about that” after an especially good play by a Yankee.

The parade of broadcasters with southern accents continued into Gotham in the 40s. Ernie Harwell, from a small Georgia town but raised in Atlanta, called some games for the Dodgers in 1948-1949 before being hired by the Giants, where he broadcast from 1950-1953, He then worked for several teams before landing in Detroit in 1960, where he worked for decades and became a baseball broadcast legend in the motor city.

Russ Hodges, a native of Dayton, Tennessee, became the partner of Mel Allen in broadcasting home games of the Yankees and Giants, before concentrating exclusively on the Giants.

It was Hodge’s voice that is heard on the famous recording of the decisive final playoff game in the 1951 pennant race between the Dodgers and the Giants. Specifically, it was Hodges who exclaimed “The Giants win the pennant” over and over after the Bobby Thompson homer won the game for the Giants. Hodges would move west with the Giants in 1958, and continued broadcasting for them until 1970.

In 1954 Barber had a dispute with Dodger president Walter O’Malley, and as a result Barber was hired to be part of the Yankee broadcast team with Mel Allen. It was an uneasy coupling as the two had contrasting styles. The partnership would end abruptly in 1964 after the Yankees won the pennant but before the World Series started. Allen was fired by Yankee management, with little explanation.

In 1965 it was Barber’s turn to get the boot. That was the year the Yankees collapsed, finishing in 10th place. One of the final games of the season saw a paid crowd of less than 1,000. Barber, ever the journalist, was compelled to comment on the microscopic crowd. The next day he got his walking papers.

Of course there was still one southern baseball broadcaster working in New York, that was the cheerful, upbeat and enthusiastic Nelson, who had first attracted notice for his calling of college football games, particularly the University of Tennessee. As the Mets first season got underway, Nelson met with his broadcast partners Ralph Kiner and Bob Murphy. He told them that the team wasn’t very good, and the broadcasters were not to sugarcoat anything, but neither were they to make fun of the players. That principle guided the broadcasts all the way through 1968. By 1969 that principle was no longer necessary since the Mets were good, like world champion good.

Nelson later said that broadcasting the Mets incredible 1969 run was his greatest thrill in broadcasting. He called the regular season games of course and was part of the network crew that worked games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series, so he was there for the champagne soaked victory celebration.

Sadly, Nelson’s wife died suddenly early in 1973, and it was a tragedy that affected Nelson’s career. It was probably one of several reasons that Nelson decided to leave the Mets after 1978 for a new start elsewhere. From 1979 to 1982 he broadcast for the Giants, and it was not a good fit. Nelson’s style did not resonate with Giants fans, and many fans were upset that the previous announcer was let go. After he was terminated, he moved back to Knoxville and did college football for a few years. He did have a one game return to baseball when the Yankees had him broadcast Tom Seaver’s 300th victory.

It was not long after Nelson left the Mets that the final chapter (so far) of the southern connection of New York baseball broadcasters began. When the Mets had an opening in the booth in 1983, they looked to Philadelphia, where a brash young Memphis born broadcaster, Tim McCarver, was making a name for himself. McCarver, as a catcher, was an important spark plug that helped power the Cardinals to three pennants in the 60s, then finished up his long career as a personal catcher for Steve Carlton with the Phils.

McCarver, with his distinct Memphis drawl, was right there in the heart of mid to late 80s Mets excitement as the team contended year after year and of course won the World Series in 1986. McCarver continued to work for the Mets through 1998, before he became the primary baseball broadcaster for the Fox network. Perhaps McCarver was becoming a little stale by the end of his tenure with the Mets, but few would deny his knowledge and enthusiasm were well matched with the powerhouse Met teams of the mid to late 80s,

Finally, one personal anecdote. When I was a teenager, I remember having some conversations with my Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob was hardly a role model, but he knew his baseball, he was a die-hard Brooklyn fan before becoming a Met fan. One thing I noticed about his speech pattern was that he did not talk like anyone else in the family. Uncle Bob, who rarely ventured outside of eastern New York, has a distinct, if not exactly authentic, southern tinge to his voice.

Years later when I read about Red Barber and all the radios in Brooklyn being tuned to his broadcasts, it suddenly dawned on me. Uncle Bob would have been in his formative years about the time Barber started enthralling the Dodger audience. Most likely the impressionable young baseball fan, either consciously or unconsciously, had picked up at least some of the Barber deep south drawl.

14 comments on “Lindsey Nelson and the New York baseball broadcasters’ southern connection

  • Wobbit

    I was nine years old when Roger Craig threw the first pitch for the Mets. Remember distinctly where I was when Jay Hook won the first game after nine losses. I may have logged more hours listening to Lindsey Nelson than any living human, and I can say unequivocally that I despised him by the end. No that it was personal… I’m sure anyone conveying to us that many losses would have been vilified in my young mind. But I also did not like his personality… like a very very annoying uncle.
    While I hated the Yankees more than any person granted life in the world should, I alway preferred Mel Allen, Phil Rizzuto, and of course Red Barber. They just seemed smarter than the Mets’ group. The exception was Ralph Kiner, whom I grew to really appreciate, despite his verbal shortcomings. Ralph was just a decent guy, a real ballplayer and a truly gentle soul. Nelson and the intolerable Bob Murphy were a curse on my life… until I moved away from Brooklyn in 1965.
    I have often wished I could be a Yankees fan, whom I equated to rooting for the Germans in WW2. I’ve pushed to make a national holiday the day every year the Yankees are eliminated. But I inherited the Mets as an ex-Brooklyn Bums household, and I loved the National League. Still do. Let’s hope this year we get some assuaging of our battered psyches… I’m hoping Steve Cohen is the guy to actually change the franchise, but we’ll have to see. A pox on Joan Payson and M.Donald Grant and all they spawned… Let’s really go Mets!

  • Remember1969

    Interesting. I don’t remember the early Mets – I was just turning 11 when they got to the World Series in 1969 – I discovered baseball and the Mets in early 1969 and spent many hours scoring games off the radio broadcast in 1969 and the early ’70s. In my mind, Bob Murphy, Lindsey Nelson, and Ralph Kiner were the best, especially Murph.

    I never heard Mel Allen or Red Barber do a live broadcast, but loved Allen on TWIB.

    I liked McCarver and Palmer later on . .not so much Joe Buck.

    Vin Scully was hands down the GOAT.

    • Mr_Math

      OK, goat is a good thing?
      I recall that Scully didn’t really try to hide his dislike for the Mets. Maybe my memory is faulty

  • ChrisF

    Nelson is one of the most famous alumni of the University of Tennessee. He retired in Knoxville. His list of accomplishments is a mile long, and now the Tennessee baseball team plays in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

    https://utsports.com/facilities/lindsey-nelson-stadium/9

    Mel Allen on TWIB was the absolute best.

  • SiteAdmin

    I know I appreciate GKR in the moment more than I did the original trio – but I’m sure that’s a function of age. I do know I really liked the later appearances of Ralph Kiner in the booth with GKR.

    It seems to me that Lindsey Nelson doesn’t get the love that Murphy and Kiner got in later years. I guess that’s what happens when you’re the first one to leave. He should be remembered for more than his wardrobe.

    • Mr_Math

      Yeah, it’s true that Nelson’s jackets were what I most recall – they were so loud, I could hear them over the radio…

      José

  • MikeW

    I liked all three of them. I especially liked Kiners Korner.

    I watched hundreds of games on WOR channel 9. Great way to spend evenings at 7 pm. Will never forget the awkward silence and the noise of a Jet flying overhead from LaGuardia, when our announcers had nothing to say.

    I didnt know about all of the Southern roots. Thanks for sharing.

  • TexasGusCC

    Even though I was a little one in the mid-70’s, I remember Lindsey Nelson, and what I remember the most was that I didn’t like him. He seemed too self promotional and didn’t match the kindness of the other two. I loved Ralph Kiner because he was always teaching me something. Bob Murphy was great because he had a sweet voice and painted a wonderful picture and even on TV, he was easy to listen to. Nelson had a higher voice and he always seemed to debate Kiner on stuff and wouldn’t back down until Kiner did.

    Fair or not, that’s how I remember him.

    Lots of research on this piece John, great job!

    PS: I recall somewhere that original radio broadcasts were done off of ticker tape coming in from the away games and the broadcaster was in his booth or studio having to make the sound effects – like ball hitting bat and crowd noise – to make it sound real. Did anyone else hear of that?

    • Foxdenizen

      yes Gus some of the early games were broadcast in that fashion, there are stories about temporary Western Union outages when the broadcaster would have the player at bat fouling off pitch after pitch (fictitiously) until the link was restored.

    • Brian Joura

      This is true. Future President Ronald Reagan once did these ticker tape broadcasts. There was even an early episode of M*A*S*H where they did this. Frank Burns listened to these and Hawkeye and Trapper found out and did one to fool him. Even had Trapper do the bat noise after Hawkeye announced the hit.

      I’m not sure how accurate the M*A*S*H thing was, as I’m not sure these were still being done in the early 50s. Of course, in real life it could have still been provided to servicemen overseas at the time of the Korean War.

    • TexasGusCC

      Thank you guys. It amazing how much work and creativity was needed back then.

    • Hobie

      The year after the Dodgers & Gianes left there were recreated games from the W.coast on late night NY radio. Less Kyter I think.

  • ChrisF

    Wold Series games from 1969 are on web. Its great to hear Lindsey on the call…for his team no less.

  • JoeVasile

    As a broadcaster, I do have to say there is something that just feels right about a slight southern drawl that is pleasant to listen to. Like the game should be served with a glass of sweet tea while I’m sitting in a rocking chair on a front porch. These days most broadcasters come from the NY/LA/New England areas and we kind of miss out on some of those more regional voices.

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