Pat Hughes Must Go

This isn’t the first time I have written this and unfortunately it probably won’t be the last, but Pat Hughes (radio play-by-play man for the Cubs) needs to quit or be fired!

I hate being negative toward someone or criticize the job someone does because I know I am the furthest thing from perfect.  But the Cubs and/or WGN Radio keep running Hughes out to provide the radio description of Cubs games and every year, for me anyway, it gets more and more aggravating.

When Hughes first joined the Cubs he was partnered with Ron Santo.  Hughes would handle some of the pre-game analysis, Ron would interview the manager.  Then Hughes would do play-by-play for the entire game and handle the post-game highlights.  Not a big deal, pretty much what every announcer does in any major league town.

During the games with Santo he would “leave the game” and talk with Ron about everything but baseball.  Some people found that cute.  That’s ok.  I never really did, but whatever.  The irritating thing started when I heard Hughes interviewed during the off-season and the interviewer commented on how much fun he and Santo seemed to have broadcasting the games.  Hughes, with an almost defiant air of superiority, mandated “My job is to make the listener really laugh two or three times a game.”  Really?  I thought your job was to describe what’s happening on the field since I’m in my car and don’t have access to a television.  If I wanted to laugh I would turn off the radio and pop in my Bill Cosby CDs.

But fine, you want to talk about Ron’s toupee or your tuna sandwich, whatever.  But then I was told about a conversation Hughes had DURING THE SEASON with the Program Director of WGN.  Apparently he said “Man I’m worn out.  Any chance I can get a short vacation?”  Fortunately the PD said “No.”  But let’s look at this a bit, shall we?  The baseball season runs from the beginning of April to the end of September (that’s the Cubs season anyway since we don’t have to worry ourselves with post-season play).  That’s six months.  Spring Training begins in mid-February, but games usually aren’t broadcast until Mid-March.  So at most he’s working six and a half months.

A baseball game typically lasts about three and a half hours.  If you’re doing pre-game and post-game stuff you’re on the air for maybe four and a half hours.  Sure there’s research and prep work to be done, but keep in mind there are A LOT of people out there working ten hour days unloading trucks ALL YEAR LONG!

So when Hughes was doing all his duties for the Cubs he was working six and a half months about five hours a day.  Yes, I know, travelling can wear you out.  I don’t travel for a living so I don’t know what effect it can have on the body.  But guess what?  You knew that when you applied for the job!  I help people invest for their financial future.  This would be like me saying “I don’t mind getting paid to do my job, but could I not talk about investments?  It’s really wearing me out.”

So somehow the Cubs/WGN have agreed to this current schedule for Hughes.  He doesn’t do Spring Training games until about a week before the regular season starts.  He doesn’t do any pre-game or post-game work.  That’s handled by Keith Moreland and Judd Sirott.  He also DOES NOT BROADCAST THE 5^TH INNING OF THE GAME!  He does not broadcast one inning per game (times 162 games = 162 innings divided by 9 [standard length of a game] =18 )  He essentially does not broadcast 18 games a year or 11% of the season.

Last year he missed at least seven additional games for (according to WGN) non-health related reasons.  He also missed three games so he could be in Cooperstown to honor Ron Santo at his induction.  The Hall of Fame time I totally get.  He should be there.  He worked with Santo for about 18 years.  He absolutely needed to miss the Cubs games that weekend and be with Santo’s family.

And all of this other stuff would be fine (well no it wouldn’t but it would be tolerable) if Hughes wouldn’t whine every time a game was played in less than 60 degree temperatures or during a ten or fifteen day streak of consecutive games.  The minute the temps are in the 50’s or the Cubs play ten days in a row or 19 out of 20 games, Hughes will comment on it as if it is personal torture.

He needs to keep in mind that there are hundreds and thousands of people that would love to work half a year and get paid to talk about baseball.

The sickening thing in my mind is that if he would just do his job; forget the damn jokes, forget the stupid ass 9^th inning trivia and just broadcast the game.  If he just did that?  He’s one of the best play-by-play guys I’ve ever heard.