Joe Buck ends an era.

I always thought Joe was a great announcer...Not his dad obviously, but still one the best out there right now.  I used to try very hard not to laugh every time I'd see him and McCarver, b/c Buck's skills are the power of a thousand suns higher than McCarver's in the booth.  

I'm a little sad to hear this too...I guess that means we have 162 games of Al acting like Dan is some dumb shit...Sweet.

criticized as an announcer a lot on this site, but I have never really seen why. I think he shows he has a good knowledge of what's going on in a game and i have always thought he would make a good manager.

I have also sensed a little hostility towards the Cards in his announcing though but I can understand why. Mc Carver had a good career and was clutch in his hitting and defense. I remember him well and he was great at getting a hit when you really needed it. He was a "big play" kind of guy. Kinda' like Biggio.
He was a great Cardinal and should be remembered as such but unfortunately there was a lot of bitterness in his departure (mostly not of his fault) and he has never been celebrated in old time events as he should.
But as a long time Card fan he provided me with as many thrills as most of the other greats I remember. I guess that is why I am a little forgiving is his faults as an announcer.

As cardinals fans, we'll always compare him to his father.  Joe tends to more critical than his Jack was. call it a generational thing.  But IMO, they both stand up to the best - at least in the baseball radio broadcast world.  I've lived in several cities and had a chance to listen to alot of different broadcasts via satellite radio.  After making the rounds, you realize how good KMOX & the Cardinals had it. There was a comfortable, conversational ease that they both Bucks had. They both understood the intricacies of baseball.  Every sentence was thoughful and meaningful and absent of pulpy, filler comments.   Vin Scully is/was similarly good.

All-Time (no particular order):

Jack Buck
Harry Caray
Curt Gowdy
Vin Scully
Mel Allen
Ernie Harwell
Red Barber

I think the Dan and Al do an acceptable job on FSN, which is where I watch most of my Cardinal baseball (finally in HD this summer -- can't WAIT!!!)

I'm not a fan of McCarver either, he's just to nit-picky and callous for me.  I really wish they would have offered Steve Lyons or Kevin Kennedy his job way back when Fox got that contract -- those guys bring a lot more to the game than McCarver and don't tend to beat a dead horse until it's in pieces.  

I will miss hearing Joe call some of the Cardinal games for sure.  He is a top-notch baseball announcer, but I wish he'd hang up the football microphone -- he and Aikman during the Super Bowl were so bad that we turned off the audio and listened to Marv Albert call the game on Westwood One.  

This news really bummed me out. I't shouldn't because I no longer live close enough to STL to get local broadcasts but it still sucks that there won't be a Buck in our booth anymore.

I think that the Bucks are a major reason why the teams fans are considered "The most knowledgeable fans in baseball". They fostered a culture where we wanted to know everthing about the team, players and the game itself. They both engaged and entertained the fans in a way that made you want to be a Cards fan.

Sad day but I wish Joe the best and we'll still get to hear him on national broadcasts. I doubt I'll see it but I bet when he's in town at a game he will stop by the booth for a in-game interview. That's when it will happen, in the middle of an answer there will be a base hit and without missing a beat he'll jump back into play by play mode and start calling the action without letting either of the other broadcaster a chance to butt in. It would be nice, even if it is just for one play.

the only one who could rein in Hrabosky when needed. Dan just lets Al run roughshod over him.

I thought Joe was hilarious during Cards' broadcasts... the few that I've been able to see, anyway.

Vin Scully would have to be my all-time favorite.

Alright, this definitely sucks about Joe Buck.  I loved listening to him much more than Dan Mglaughlin (don't really know how to spell it)

Now we just need to get the Mad Hungarian to stop broadcasting games.  I've talked to many many people and 90 percent of them feel the way I do about Al. None of us can stand him.  Listening to the constant name dropping and the dumb downed comments he makes about the game absolutely make me want to throw up.  I don't care how well he pitched in the 70s.  He can't broadcast a game.  

Listening to Dan kiss his ass makes it even more unbearable.  

Get Hrabowsky out of the booth for God's sake.

I think that Jay Randolph is atrocious.  Remember last year when Shannon wasn't traveling to be w/ his wife?  There was this one game where Pujols hit a liner to Hanley Ramirez, who of course dropped it.  I mean, this thing was a pee-rod.  Ramirez bent over, picked it up, and threw Albert out...Well, I'm listening on the radio, and Randolph was completely baffled as to why Pujols was out.  The color guy (don't remember who the hell it was that night) sounded like he was about to strangle the guy, b/c he said about 4 times in a increasingly angry and desperate tone that Pujols was still out, even though Ramirez dropped the liner.  It was awful, esp. for someone who is supposed to know what the hell he's doing.