The Ted Ball Era

The Padres honored Ted Leitner on Friday night, celebrating his 30 years of calling the team's games on the radio.

On occasions such as this, media types will use words like "controversial" to describe Leitner.

And for the younger Padre fans out there, who wouldn't fathom the concept of listening to a game on the radio, the reaction likely was "Ted who?"

But seriously, we don't understand why Leitner still carries the "controversial" label. Perhaps in the 1970s and '80s, his schtick was somewhat controversial or edgy -- or what passes for controversial and edgy in this town. But the present-day version of Leitner is about as edgy as a bowl of jello.

And it's sad, really, because he used to be one of the few worth listening to around here. But now he has become just another Padre cheerleader/apologist in a town overflowing with such types. One of Leitner's cute, little gimmicks is to refer to the ballclub as "my Padres" when they're winning and "your Padres" when they're losing. Oh yeah, that's edgy.

Ooooooooh, he called them "your Padres" -- better write a nasty letter to station management!

How controversial can you be when you're the guy the team has chosen for years to emcee its opening day ceremonies?

Perhaps Leitner has merely mellowed with old age, resulting in a more dull version of himself. Or perhaps it's due to the fact that the Padres currently supply his only full-time paycheck.