Minor League Baseball Broadcaster Does His Best Jim Nantz Impression, Calls AB With Masters Flair

If you're going to be calling 120+ minor league baseball games, you've got to do some things to keep it interesting, and that's precisely what the play-by-play announcer for the West Michigan Whitecaps did while tipping his cap to the Jim Nantz and the Masters.

The Whitecaps are the High-A Midwest League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. As is so often the case with the minor leagues, teams will use gimmicks. The Whitecaps, for instance, have switched up their name for select games and took the field as the Beer City Bung Hammers. Why? Because it gets attention.

So much so that someone like me can remember off the top of their head that it was the Whitecaps who once masqueraded as the Bung Hammers.

Hehe... Bung Hammers...

And get attention radio play-by-play man Dan Hasty did with this exquisite pastiche of Masters broadcast cliches and style. The video has garnered more than 1.6 million views on Twitter.

The Whitecaps Broadcast Team Nailed The Masters Vibe

Damn, he even got the calming music and a "Hello, friends" right up top. Hasty did his homework. Not to mention he spit some of the best facts about Dominican Republic geography that I've ever heard. He even did so in kilometers!

Just impressive stuff.

I love the idea of having fun with the broadcasts. It keeps it fresh for the fellas behind the mics but also for the loyal Whitecaps/Bung Hammer fans who tune in.

I mean, you don't want to turn the booth into minor league baseball MadTV with sketches and the occasional semi-memorable character. But the occasional bit may not be a bad idea. I'm sure the fine folks at Gordon Food Service are loving how much facetime the Fordon Food Service booth is getting.

That'll be a nice bit of leverage the next time the team heads to the negotiating table with the largest family-operated broad-line food distribution company in North America.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle