Jim Ross says he wants to call Pirates games

Jan 3, 2016 - by Steve Gerweck

MLB.com

By Mike Bertha

From Vin Scully’s storytime to Hawk Harrelson’s emphatic “HE GONE!” call, every MLB broadcaster brings their own personal flair to the booth when they call a game. Sometimes they wax poetic, sometimes they get out of the way and let the action speak for itself and sometimes they excitedly call a walk-off home run as if their hair were on fire.

But even the most passionate calls in the history of America’s pastime pale in comparison to what might be possible if one legendary Oklahoman gets his way. Former voice of the WWE, the immortal Jim Ross, recently took to Twitter to throw his iconic 10-gallon cowboy hat into the ring for the vacancy in the Pirates booth:

I’d relocate to Pittsburgh to broadcast @Pirates baseball. https://twitter.com/natesarnese/status/683439779762016256 …

Good ol’ J.R. is referring to the spot made available by the departure of Tim Neverett, who left the Buccos earlier this offseason when he signed on to call Red Sox games in the forthcoming 2016 season. So, J.R. wants in and we couldn’t endorse him any harder if we tried.

Imagine Ross calling an Andrew McCutchen walk-off home run with all the fervor as if someone had just been thrown off a Hell in a Cell and through the Spanish announcer’s table.

Plus, the Pirates — and their fans — hold a soft spot in their heart for professional wrestling to begin with.

Ross played high school baseball, has decades of broadcasting experience under his belt, previously called football games for the Atlanta Falcons, and already has an iconic catchphrase just begging to be applied to home run calls. The only real issue with hiring Ross is that Pirates brass would have to immediately trade for Athletics outfielder and WWE superfan Josh Reddick to keep the universe in proper balance.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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