Has anyone heard of Dave Barnett's status recently? He was the Rangers' main TV broadcaster until that he had that mental meltdown in San Diego, which was when Steve Busby took over for the rest of the season. I hope Dave is back for 2013. I enjoyed listening to him on TV and think he did a much better job than Buzz, who needs to stay on the radio IMO.

I like Buz way more than Barnett and have no desire to see Barnett back. Zero. Zilch. Zip. Nada.

Why? Because with Barnett as my regular PBP announcer, Ranger broadcasts gave me an announcer who was impatient at their good times and excited by their failures. Lots of regular recitations about how player on Team X was doing great, and how Ranger player Y was failing.

He sounded most gleeful when they played LAA and the Angels did well, so I figure he was an Angels' fan. Yuck. Ptoooey.

It's not that we need a homer, but rather that we the regular watchers should be gifted with the game filtered through someone who shares our rooting interests, and will rejoice or mourn with us rather than against us, when it's something we're going to watch every day. It's a Texas Rangers' Baseball broadcast, dangit, and the primary audience is we Ranger fans. Barnett's reverse bias eventually made the games almost unwatchable to me, and while I don't relish his physical malady, I was relieved when he was gone and thought it took too long to have him outta there.

(Maybe he was trying to prove how "professional" he was, by making sure NOT to show a Ranger bias in any way - and I think that was the absolute opposite of what a Texas Rangers' regular PBP announcer should do. The all-time greats who announced for years for a team, you never had a doubt who they rooted for, and that was their appeal. That's how it SHOULD be done. Barnett didn't get it, or he didn't care, and he needs to work elsewhere.)

I have no idea where you get that from, but okay, I respect your opinion. I was hoping if someone could actually answer my question.

I thought Barnett was a pretty big zero and thought Busby was better. Then again, I'd rather get a new PBP guy, retire Grieve, and slide Busby to Color.

Last I heard, Barnett's malady was brought on by reoccuring migrain headaches that could have been brought on by pressure associated with doing live PBP. The Rangers have no plans of bringing him back.

It's safe to put Barnett in the 'will never call another TV game' column and I'm perfectly okay with that.

I have not heard anything about Barnett's status but IMO Barnett + Busby > Busby + TAG. Actually, as djcahill eluded to, !TAG > TAG    where ! = not.

I'm hoping for Busby/Tag next year. Once Busby came on, Tag seemed to perk up and be engaged. There were times before Busby when I though TAG was napping. I wouldn't be shocked, or upset, if we see McLemore doing some color on road trips, as I assume he's the heir apparent for the color job.

I personally liked Busby/Grieve better. I really miss Josh Lewin though, I didn't care for him when he was actually here much, but now that he is gone I see how good he actually was.

On September 4 Barnett called a UNT football game (Barnett is an alumnus). In the news report (DMN, but it was posted in a way I couldn't copy or link). He said the doctors have not diagnosed the cause. He has no discernable tumors and no new migraines. He said he will not broadcast any more Ranger games and the article did not discuss his broadcasting or employment future.

Best wishes and good health to Barnett, his family, and all their futures.

Good to hear that he's doing well.

Although I wish the best for barnett, he really couldnt touch the magic that Josh Lewin and TAG had in the booth. Even though he was annoying at times, that dude was magic in the booth. His enthusiasm even through the bad years made the rangers so much fun. His passion for the game is hard to deny. Miss him while he is doing NYM broadcasts

Josh Lewin. 'Nuff said.

I liked Josh Lewin. I don't believe that TAG liked him and that is my guess as to why he (Lewin) was not invited back. TAG would lay out on him unlike anyone I have ever seen, or heard. Regardless of my opinion of Dave Barnett (neutral at best), it is good to know he is doing well.

Busby is just barely above Rhadigan in my book. I just don't like his voice for PbP. He screws up a lot of calls or gets frozen in the middle of a play which you wouldn't think could happen in baseball. I don't agree with the assertion of Barnett being an overly-negative anti-homer but I think the Rangers can do better nonetheless. I'd rather have that Hicks guy from radio than Barnett.

Hey Mark Followill already does Mavs and FC Dallas and some college football why not try his hand at baseball during the summer? He's certainly got the voice and the right amount of homerism but not sure about his feel for the game.

Why not Eric-he's good at EVERYTHING! He could explain WAR to 70 yr old listeners or viewers. Or how about Andy or Scooby to TEACH us.

I liked Busby, for the most part... what I didn't like about him (and, I hope he works on this) is he often stated the location of the pitch and the pitch was nowhere near there...

Pitch was low and away [pitch was actually high and away or was inside]

It's like he tho't he was still on the radio and no one would actually be seeing where the pitch went!

Go Rangers! Go Buzz! (but, get some glasses or something)

@ Ed. I totally agree. Even after he moved to tv, he stilled called games like he was calling it on radio. Which means being way more descriptive, and talking too much at times I feel like. Thats my only complaint for Buzz.

To me TAG is the weak link and that's not alluding to his technical baseball knowledge which is fine. I understand he was a math major in college, but he sure acts like a "humanities" guy with his bake sales and his reprise of Willard, the weather man, looking for the oldest Ranger fan at home listening in and giving them a shout out even when the bases are loaded and they're down one run....he's going to get that segment in!

I'm guessing he's hard to bounce things off of when there is an emotional moment or great play because he's hard wired to not to get emotional and keep an even keel

I did like Josh Lewin as long as he didn't get sidetracked reciting lyrics to songs or plots of Gilligan's Island....

I also liked the guy who played who went to the Angels as an announcer...dad was quite a player/manager at one time....he would call out the mistakes (mental and physical) of the TRs when he was here and I guess that bought his ticket out of here!

Also like Mike Bacsik who is on 105.9 FM with a no-holds barred commentary about their foul ups we just witnessed on the tube.