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New York Baseball: Ranking the City’s Best Broadcasters

By Steve Contursi

Sep 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A fan watches from the second-to-last row of the stadium during the first inning of a game between the New York Mets and the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A fan watches from the second-to-last row of the stadium during the first inning of a game between the New York Mets and the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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#3 Ken Singleton

Well before he joined the ranks of baseball broadcasters, Ken Singleton played for 15 years in the majors and finished with a more than respectable .283 lifetime average. A member of the New York State Hall Of Fame, he has been in the Yankees broadcast booth for another 15 years.

Singleton doesn’t try to finesse you or preach down to anyone with his wisdom. But, he does indeed have a treasure chest of baseball wisdom and knowledge. And that’s what he gives you night after night.

He’s confident in his delivery and he’s smart enough to know that 90% of his listeners wouldn’t have a clue as to what he was talking about if he started telling stories about the “good ole days ” of his playing career So, he doesn’t.

He’s not afraid to ask a question of his partners in the booth to stoke up conversation either. But, he doesn’t ask the question so he can pontificate later with the answer to his own question. Rather, he seems genuinely interested in learning something from the people he works with.

While he’s not as blunt as some of his colleagues tend to be these days, and he’s not trying to grab a headline, he’s really good at getting his point across with plain and simple talk. He fills the added role as play by play man well enough, but he’s much better at depicting the game within the game.

He can speak from the heart when it’s appropriate as in the case of the video above, but he’s not overly emotional and seemingly understates his “home run call” that usually becomes a staple in every broadcaster’s repertoire. In fact, I don’t believe he even has a signature home run call.

Singleton is then, the working man’s broadcaster. He shows up for work every day prepared and ready to do the job expected of him with little or no fanfare. Then, he packs up his briefcase, goes home, and comes back the next day ready to do the job for us again. Can’t ask for more than that.

Next: 2. Keith Hernandez

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