East Coast Reception ALDS, NLDS

[Ct Yankee]

With the LDS games a day away, I thought I'd share night time reception for those on the east coast by home team radio broadcasters.

New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians - Yankees: WFAN 660am Unabashed homer John Sterling is terrible and bombastic, often loses track of the ball, but his home run calls are so over the top they have become a must listen - sort of like an accident you have to peer. Color analyst Suzyn Waldman is one of the few women in the business, keeps John awake and tells him where the ball has landed.   Indians: WTAM 1100am Tom Hamilton is a joy to listen, he just loves the Tribe.  His opening line for Indian home games "And we're underway way from the corner of Carnegie (enthusiastically pronounced Car-NAY-kee) and Ontario...."  is one of baseball's classics.  I have been blessed to be at that corner a half dozen times and heard his radio call dozens of times, it gives me chills.  This Yankee fan will be listening to WTAM with the TV turned down and switching to WFAN for the homers.

Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros - Red Sox WTIC 1080am Hartford, CT affiliate only 50k station in the network.  (There are so many tiny affiliates in New England that I think Skipmunk and JoeFlips are in the top 10 powerwise).  UConn sports trumps the Red Sox on WTIC so the later the Red Sox play in October, the greater chance of conflict.  Play by play announcer Joe Castiglione is a pro's pro, great radio guy.  He is a homer but a solid listen who has been there going on four decades.  It has come to the point with Joe's rate of speech, inflection, and tone that I can tell how many runs the Sox are up or down before he gives the score.  He does a true classic presentation upon the end of the Red Sox last game, he recites the late MLB/Yale President A. Bart Giamatti's "The Green Fields of the Mind."  Go out of your way to listen.

Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs - Nationals WFED 1500am  Slowes and Jageler are excellent.  I listen to many Nats games through out the season just to have them pleasantly doing a game in the background.  Cubs: WSCR 670am I listen to very few Cub games, I seem to recall they were overboard with there adoration of the Cubs.

Arizona Diamondbacks or Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodger - No reception out east.

[Ct Yankee]

Oct. 5

2313z WTIC 1080 am  Excellent reception.  "Pitch to Mookie and again the high strike is called.  8-2 Astros here in the 8th. ( )  Mookie lines the next pitch to Center, runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs and we'll have a pitching change."

2339z WTAM 1100 am Excellent reception.  Tom Hamilton "First pitch a called strike and we're underway at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario!  "
2345z "Sw-w-w-wing and a miss and Bauer strikes out two in the first.  The defending American League Champions are coming up to bat. No score after a half inning."

[Ct Yankee]

Oct. 6-7

2015z WTIC 1080am Hartford Excellent Reception.  "Peoria grounds to short, over to first, and that will end the inning.  We are halfway through, 4-1 Astros." Editor's note:  With Altuve tearing up the Sox the past two days, Castiglione bemoans how it would be an injustice if he was not named MVP.  But he contends there is always that NY Bias.  Dear Mr. Castiglione:  In the past 31 seasons, the Yanks have had 2 MVP winners, the Red Sox 3.

2115z  WELI 960 am New Haven Excellent Reception  (Also Excellent Reception on WFAN 660am New York and WICC 600 am Bridgeport, all three Yankee Radio Network)    "Here's the 3-1 to Sanchez.  It's going wayback and it's gone.  He's the Santino.  A two run homerun by Sanchez and it's 2-0 Yanks" (An unusual low key home run call, I think he was surprised by it, as mentioned - he loses ball a lot).

2207z WTIC 1080 am "Strike three and it's over.  For the second day in a row, the Astros beat the Red Sox 8-2."

2253z WFED 1500 am Washington, DC Excellent reception Pre-game show "Hello everybody, welcome to Washington, DC and game 1 of the Divisional Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals.  It will be Strausburg versus Kendricks tonight"

2257z WTAM 1100 am Cleveland Excellent "Time for the Cleveland Clinic (my son's employer  ) Shout Out.  Tribe trail 6-3 in the fourth.  Lindor grounds to deep short, a long throw, and he gets him"

2320 WTAM 1100 am "Swing and a drive, way back, off the pole.  Lindor with a grand slam, Yankees 8, Indians 7.  Lindor does ir again.  A pitching change, you are listening to the Cleveland Clinic Indian Radio Network.  Don't you love October baseball?"

0027z WSCR 670 am Chicago  Good Reception.  "Here is Rizzo, he struck out his first time up.  Now nothing and two to Rizzo and he pokes one foul.  Rizzo swings and misses, 2 outs.  Seventh strike out for Strausburg in this 0-0 game in the top of the fourth."