Rangers Make the Right Decision in Keeping Broadcast Teams Together: Fan’s View

The Texas Rangers made one of the best off the field decisions that they could make on Thursday, by deciding to keep their radio and television broadcast teams the same as in 2011. They have decided that Tom Grieve and Dave Barnett will stay on the television broadcast and Eric Nadel and Steve Busby will once again be covering the radio side.

The Rangers had an interesting start to the 2011 season when they went with John Rhadigan to cover the play-by-play on the television side. Rhadigan had no prior play-by-play experience, but had covered news and sports in the North Texas area for years. While Rhadigan did not have play by play experience, his experience in North Texas allowed him to have dialogue with Tom Grieve about just about anything that had happened in Rangers’ history. While Grieve and Rhadigan were able to discuss many Arlington Stadium memories, he was unable to strike a chord with fans who wanted a change before the season even started.

By the end of May, the fans voices had been heard and the Rangers made the changes to the current lineup. Rhadigan was moved back into his role as the Rangers’ pre-game and post-game man and Barnett who had been working with Eric Nadel on the radio side was moved into the television booth. That left an absence on the radio side and the Rangers temporarily moved Steve Busby into that role. Busby had long worked in Rangers broadcasting with most of his work coming on the television side in the 80’s and 90’s.

Grieve and Barnett meshed fairly quickly and before long fans had even forgotten that Rhadigan started out the year as the play by play man. However, on the radio side there was an even greater impact as Busby connected with Nadel in a way that had not been seen since Mark Holtz and Nadel were together in the 80’s and early 90’s. Nadel and Busby provided one of the best combinations in baseball during the 2011 season and fans are lucky that they will get the opportunity to have the same experience for at least one more season.

It was sad that the broadcasting teams had to experience so much change at the beginning of 2011, but in the end the fans got what they deserved. They ended up with two great teams that they will get to experience again for the 2012 season.

John Bowman is a lifelong baseball and Texas Rangers fan that loves to ponder the deeper aspects of the game. Some of his first baseball memories involve Arlington Stadium nachos, Charlie Hough’s knuckeball, dirt on Pete Incaviglia’s uniform and the voices of Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel as he fell asleep. Follow him on Twitter @TexasWinColumn.


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