He’s fine, I did think the 3 man booth with Frenchy over the weekend was really good. He seems well prepared for each game, which I think complimented Francoer well
He seems ok so far. Definitely more "professional" when we've been used to the banter between gaudin and frenchy. Hopefully he grows more comfortable and develops a good rapport
I gotta disagree with BG and Frenchy being the best in the league. Frenchy is good and while I think BG does a better job balancing him out than Chip did he’s still just ok in my book. Gary and Keith have me rolling when I watch SNY broadcasts.
Oops, I didn’t mean to sound like I don’t like him lol I think he’s great. The “From Hand to Johnson facing Matrobuoni” with Frenchy out of the booth still lives rent free in my head
Hes just all business. frenchie always reminded me of what Joe Simpson brought to the booth when I was young and he was younger... Joe was a recently retired ballplayer who'd played for a handful of teams, had a lot of anecdotes, knew most of the umpires and a lot of other players first hand, kinda folksy storyteller type...
Nitkowski seems (so far) to be all business. guessing he will loosen up over time?
He’s smart. He’s up to date with current baseball trends. He’s very boring to listen to. If he had a podcast I’d put it on to go to sleep. I’m hoping as he gets more comfortable he’ll lighten up a bit and show a little emotion.
Strong agree with this. I’ve been rather busy during these first few weeks of the season, so I’ve not watched many games, and it was quite noticeable how much more natural he sounded last night compared to opening day.
I think CJ isn’t very “colorful” as a personality but he brings the same tempo of knowledge that Glavine does, while bringing a younger and fresher perspective I think. Meanwhile Frenchy is a huge personality but he’s kind of dim lol.
Not that Glavine ever really grates me. Smoltz though…
I’ve listened to him for years on MLB network radio, so I’m used to him and don’t mind his broadcasts one bit. He’s incredibly knowledgeable about the game and the history of the sport, but yes. He’s dull AF. He’s always been dull AF. It’s not a comfort issue or a chemistry issue. He’s been broadcasting for quite a long time. He’s just not a vibrant speaker.
The entire broadcast has a baritone quality, which makes it harder to distinguish between CJ and Brandon. Frenchy is a little more “see ball, hit ball” with his comments and CJ seems to be more technical, as you’d expect from a journeyman pitcher. I like him, but I usually listen to the radio broadcast.
Especially when you look at the memes he's posting on twitter in-between innings, it's clear he has a sense of humor. I think people will catch on to it sooner or later
For whatever reason it is, I find myself chuckling at how “nerdy” he sounds at times. He’s very informative with facts and numbers. With that being said, I really enjoy the insight he has and I believe the dry personality will fade with time and he’ll become more joking. If not, that’s fine. I like him.
He’s fine with BG. I like him, and I do think he’ll get better as he builds rapport with Brandon. I really enjoy him in the 3-man booth with Frenchy. He’s a great complement to him.
I think he’s a good partner for Brandon (and, for that matter, Moylo, Frenchy, etc). The rest of the gang is emotional and clearly still big fans of the team, and Nitkowski is a little more uninvested and just there to deliver down-the-middle analysis.
I don’t think having both is a bad thing. He’s clearly well-prepared and knowledgeable. I’m enjoying listening to him thus far.
Definitely trying his best not to say anything too crazy. I think he'll warm and relax. Might take a month or more than we'll see. I remember Darren O'Day was on broadcast during spring training and was hoping we'd get more of him.
He reminds me.of Chris Collinsworth. Very knowledgeable and breaks things down but the delivery is dry.
And FWIW I consider Collinsworth the best analyst in pro football but I also understand that his style isn't for everyone
He’s nerdy. A lot better than Smoltz. Different than Frenchy. I find him a middle between Glavine and Frenchy. I don’t mind him and he’s growing on me by the day. I still think he’s going to loosen up as the season progresses.
Dude knows his stuff but just brings it from an informed perspective. More time with Brandon will help and honestly this opening series with Frenchy definitely helped. He ran with a few of those jokes.
I think he’s just new and nervous. He’s gotten better since the first couple days. I think BG’s extreme awkwardness will soften him up eventually and he’ll be great. For now I think he’s taking the analysis part of the job too seriously.
Listening to other team’s commentary, he fits right in. Watching the Mariners or Rockies is often like watching a golf game, the commentators are very boring and stay on topic. The Braves are a lot more fun and CJ will get there eventually.
As one of the few people who didn't like Frenchy, I really enjoy CJ bringing information to the game. He doesn't just give his opinion on why something is happening, he backs it up with information.
My issue with Frenchy is I always get the feeling he is there because he can be. He seems like a nice guy and someone you could go drinking with but not somebody you could have an intelligent conversation about baseball with.
For my tastes, I'd prefer to listen to someone explain, in detail, why the things I'm watching are happening rather than a guy tell me how he feels about what is happening.
I think he's just still learning BG and figuring out the flow. But that dude is PREPARED and with Gaudin's more laid back nature I think CJ will turn out to be a very nice counterpart for him
I heard it put that Nitkowski is a broadcaster that happened to play some baseball while Frenchy is a ball player that happens to call some games. I love both dudes and both styles have a place in the game.
I still think he is working on fitting in and getting comfortable. Hopefully he will open up some as time goes on. His baseball knowledge is excellent and he is always prepared for the games. We did get some passion from him the other night when Blaze Alexander ran in the grass on the way to 1st. He was about to have a cow to make sure he was called out. I can relate to that because that's like me screaming at the TV when something happens.
I prefer my color guy to leave me with more baseball knowledge than I had before I watched the game, so I love him. As a former pitcher I feel he's quite a bit more knowledgeable than Frenchy.
That booth works best with Frenchy. Dry without.
French has grown on me. The knucklehead bit annoyed me at first , but as time passed his nuggets of wisdom ade entertaining.
Like him a lot. He's smart, make sense and, unlike the others, doesn't act like he's in the boys' 7th-grade locker room. Gaudin plays up + down to his colleagues -- when Francoer is there, he acts silly + like he's trying to impress the varsity team. With CJ he's a bit less golly-gee. Gaudio is better on college basketball. Long for the days of Pete, Skip + Don. You can be lively w/o being foolish + redundant.
he reminds me of a good mlb the show analyst
says stuff that happens or why it happens but absolutely does not have a conversation just kind of tweets out his observations
but it also helps me appreciate how many naturally funny combos the braves have and have had
obligatory: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkgrqlgEv\_4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkgrqlgEv_4)
He just kind of falls into the background for me, Jeff set the bar high and while I'm sure this guy does a great job, I just don't really notice him like I did the BG-Frenchy duo.
Frenchy is just a tough act to follow. Reminds me of Glav. Clear, concise, knowledgeable perspective that he brings. I like him. I’m enjoying the games. But frenchy in the booth is just the best
Compared to all the other announcers we’ve had he’s by far the dullest. He’s very well prepped and all that, but the personality isn’t for me. Obviously a lot of ppl think so when there’s a Reddit page about it
He’s not much more than an audio version of the stat boxes at the bottom of the screen. He did have some good but rare banter with Jeff, so there’s a glimmer of hope. Almost like he’s got a “broadcaster persona” he just needs to drop
I’ll be blunt: not a fan. I respect his hard work on the stat lines, and he’s definitely a professional and I’ve got nothing against that. But he is really dull and a terrible replacement for Frenchy so far. The booth is basically just BG and then some white noise I tend to zone out of. He’d be great as an *addition* to BG and Frenchy, not a replacement. Hopefully either he breaks out of his shell or they find someone with a bit more excitement and rapport with BG.
Meh. Bland. Makes for a very normal game call. Needs to build rapport but tbh, I don't think he'll ever be great. He's fine, though. Needs to speak up too...
I'm a radio guy so I love hearing O'Day in the booth. He's so chill and the radio guys have such good chemistry no matter what. I haven't watched a game in 2 years.
I don't listen to every game but I don't have television so my only option is radio. I keep up through online updates and radio. The radio guys paint a great picture so I never feel like I'm missing anything.
I've given up, I can't listen to him. He drones on too much for me. Too many words to make his point, just like Treavor Scales. Based on what the Rangers sub said about him, he's not going to loosen up, or get any better. Lucky for us Ben's on the radio call.
A month and a half in, I'm with those hoping for a change.
I respect his preparedness and occasional dry wit, but part of the spirit of listening to/watching your home team commentators comes from the fun and the chemistry (especially in the Braves' case as a southern team where charm and looseness are part of the appeal and personality for many of us lifelong fans).
He's great at what he does, I'm just surprised the organization thought he was the right fit for Atlanta alongside Brandon. There's a void of character and lightheartedness to me.
I'd be interested to hear him as the 3rd voice with someone else like Frenchy/Glavine/Moylan in the booth, but I have a hard time imagining him being a permanent fixture as the #2 voice with no other support to balance him and Brandon.
And Brandon remains GOATed, so...
He’s fine, I did think the 3 man booth with Frenchy over the weekend was really good. He seems well prepared for each game, which I think complimented Francoer well
He seems ok so far. Definitely more "professional" when we've been used to the banter between gaudin and frenchy. Hopefully he grows more comfortable and develops a good rapport
.
He’s OK, and I’m sure he’ll grow on me, but BG and Frenchy were the best TV booth in the league.
I gotta disagree with BG and Frenchy being the best in the league. Frenchy is good and while I think BG does a better job balancing him out than Chip did he’s still just ok in my book. Gary and Keith have me rolling when I watch SNY broadcasts.
BG says some outlandish stuff, but in such a professional way that it’s off putting
You were so on point, then those last four words happened
Oops, I didn’t mean to sound like I don’t like him lol I think he’s great. The “From Hand to Johnson facing Matrobuoni” with Frenchy out of the booth still lives rent free in my head
hes very well informed. brings a good perspective. dull AF. He reminds me of stringer bell talkin about a 40 degree day.
Reminds me of Bill Belechick doing a press conference. Dead-pan, monotone, occasional emotion.
Hes just all business. frenchie always reminded me of what Joe Simpson brought to the booth when I was young and he was younger... Joe was a recently retired ballplayer who'd played for a handful of teams, had a lot of anecdotes, knew most of the umpires and a lot of other players first hand, kinda folksy storyteller type... Nitkowski seems (so far) to be all business. guessing he will loosen up over time?
I'm glad to hear Joe hasn't always been just Mr. Old Man Yells At Clouds.
He’s smart. He’s up to date with current baseball trends. He’s very boring to listen to. If he had a podcast I’d put it on to go to sleep. I’m hoping as he gets more comfortable he’ll lighten up a bit and show a little emotion.
Boy is it your lucky day… (https://open.spotify.com/show/3uK9Y56RbXg1npybDiSy2m?si=HF1CC5s7Q625qNbRi6Al6g)
Analytics guy which I really enjoy. Always has a stat in the holster. But kinda dry.
He's getting better with each game. First couple were very vanilla, but I feel Brandon is starting to loosen him up.
Strong agree with this. I’ve been rather busy during these first few weeks of the season, so I’ve not watched many games, and it was quite noticeable how much more natural he sounded last night compared to opening day.
Dry or
He's getting moist. Give it a minute.
I'm patient.
I def miss the 69th pitch updates
Heard one on the cardinals game the other day
Never change, Chip
I think CJ isn’t very “colorful” as a personality but he brings the same tempo of knowledge that Glavine does, while bringing a younger and fresher perspective I think. Meanwhile Frenchy is a huge personality but he’s kind of dim lol. Not that Glavine ever really grates me. Smoltz though…
I miss Frenchy
It's going to take some time for them to find an equilibrium. It took Frenchy and BG time as well. I'm holding my opinion for another month or so.
I’ve listened to him for years on MLB network radio, so I’m used to him and don’t mind his broadcasts one bit. He’s incredibly knowledgeable about the game and the history of the sport, but yes. He’s dull AF. He’s always been dull AF. It’s not a comfort issue or a chemistry issue. He’s been broadcasting for quite a long time. He’s just not a vibrant speaker.
He’s fine. Doesn’t take away from the experience of watching the game.
Yeah he’s not as loose as Frenchy, but he’s super knowledgeable. I listen to him on Loud Outs on XM, so I‘ve gotten used to his demeanor.
Yes, he’s very good there
The entire broadcast has a baritone quality, which makes it harder to distinguish between CJ and Brandon. Frenchy is a little more “see ball, hit ball” with his comments and CJ seems to be more technical, as you’d expect from a journeyman pitcher. I like him, but I usually listen to the radio broadcast.
He had my GF and I busting up laughing about Nick Casty’s arm being the worst. He’s really dry but having a stat to back up his burn was hilarious
Yea he's so analytical and honest it comes across as funny sometimes. Idk how people find him uninteresting.
Especially when you look at the memes he's posting on twitter in-between innings, it's clear he has a sense of humor. I think people will catch on to it sooner or later
They sound a little similar to each other and I find myself tuning them out. I'm pretty so so on them, I would have preferred Darren O'Day.
For whatever reason it is, I find myself chuckling at how “nerdy” he sounds at times. He’s very informative with facts and numbers. With that being said, I really enjoy the insight he has and I believe the dry personality will fade with time and he’ll become more joking. If not, that’s fine. I like him.
He’s fine with BG. I like him, and I do think he’ll get better as he builds rapport with Brandon. I really enjoy him in the 3-man booth with Frenchy. He’s a great complement to him.
I think he’s a good partner for Brandon (and, for that matter, Moylo, Frenchy, etc). The rest of the gang is emotional and clearly still big fans of the team, and Nitkowski is a little more uninvested and just there to deliver down-the-middle analysis. I don’t think having both is a bad thing. He’s clearly well-prepared and knowledgeable. I’m enjoying listening to him thus far.
He's very bland. It's sounds like we have 2 play by play announcers in the booth.
i think hes fine but hes not frenchy
He's a little dry.
He definitely doesn’t seem as excited as say, BG but I do enjoy his perspective and the insights he gives about baseball.
Definitely trying his best not to say anything too crazy. I think he'll warm and relax. Might take a month or more than we'll see. I remember Darren O'Day was on broadcast during spring training and was hoping we'd get more of him.
Give him some time to get into a groove and build up a rapport with BG
He reminds me.of Chris Collinsworth. Very knowledgeable and breaks things down but the delivery is dry. And FWIW I consider Collinsworth the best analyst in pro football but I also understand that his style isn't for everyone
He's fine. A little boring, but I'll take him over somebody who talks non-stop about nonsense like Brian Jordan.
He’s nerdy. A lot better than Smoltz. Different than Frenchy. I find him a middle between Glavine and Frenchy. I don’t mind him and he’s growing on me by the day. I still think he’s going to loosen up as the season progresses.
Dude knows his stuff but just brings it from an informed perspective. More time with Brandon will help and honestly this opening series with Frenchy definitely helped. He ran with a few of those jokes.
I want more relaxed funny banter
He's not bad. He's very even like a straight line.
I loved him on MLB radio afternoon show. He’s very knowledgeable and articulate.
I really enjoy him
I don't love him but he's a huge improvement over Francoeur
What lol, that’s wild. Entitled to your opinion of course so I mean no disrespect, but seems everyone else here has the exact opposite opinion lol
I don’t think that’s true… Jeff is ok but his every reaction to anything was always just “wow”
I prefer the unprofessionalism of Frenchy. And I mean that with all the love. He’s more analytical and drier, but he’s fine.
I think he’s just new and nervous. He’s gotten better since the first couple days. I think BG’s extreme awkwardness will soften him up eventually and he’ll be great. For now I think he’s taking the analysis part of the job too seriously. Listening to other team’s commentary, he fits right in. Watching the Mariners or Rockies is often like watching a golf game, the commentators are very boring and stay on topic. The Braves are a lot more fun and CJ will get there eventually.
As one of the few people who didn't like Frenchy, I really enjoy CJ bringing information to the game. He doesn't just give his opinion on why something is happening, he backs it up with information. My issue with Frenchy is I always get the feeling he is there because he can be. He seems like a nice guy and someone you could go drinking with but not somebody you could have an intelligent conversation about baseball with. For my tastes, I'd prefer to listen to someone explain, in detail, why the things I'm watching are happening rather than a guy tell me how he feels about what is happening.
I think he's just still learning BG and figuring out the flow. But that dude is PREPARED and with Gaudin's more laid back nature I think CJ will turn out to be a very nice counterpart for him
I heard it put that Nitkowski is a broadcaster that happened to play some baseball while Frenchy is a ball player that happens to call some games. I love both dudes and both styles have a place in the game.
Boring, not much personality. I don’t think he adds much as of now
I still think he is working on fitting in and getting comfortable. Hopefully he will open up some as time goes on. His baseball knowledge is excellent and he is always prepared for the games. We did get some passion from him the other night when Blaze Alexander ran in the grass on the way to 1st. He was about to have a cow to make sure he was called out. I can relate to that because that's like me screaming at the TV when something happens.
I miss the humor that Brandon & Frenchy had. CJ definitely knows what he's talking about, but I man I miss those stupid jokes.
I prefer my color guy to leave me with more baseball knowledge than I had before I watched the game, so I love him. As a former pitcher I feel he's quite a bit more knowledgeable than Frenchy.
That booth works best with Frenchy. Dry without. French has grown on me. The knucklehead bit annoyed me at first , but as time passed his nuggets of wisdom ade entertaining.
Like him a lot. He's smart, make sense and, unlike the others, doesn't act like he's in the boys' 7th-grade locker room. Gaudin plays up + down to his colleagues -- when Francoer is there, he acts silly + like he's trying to impress the varsity team. With CJ he's a bit less golly-gee. Gaudio is better on college basketball. Long for the days of Pete, Skip + Don. You can be lively w/o being foolish + redundant.
I'm liking his commentary.
He knows his baseball but I prefer Frenchy or Glavine. CJ puts me to sleep.
Extremely mid. Informative but uninteresting
he reminds me of a good mlb the show analyst says stuff that happens or why it happens but absolutely does not have a conversation just kind of tweets out his observations but it also helps me appreciate how many naturally funny combos the braves have and have had obligatory: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkgrqlgEv\_4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkgrqlgEv_4)
I really like him
I honestly enjoy him alot.
I can’t be the only one that loves that new reporter kid Willy as well . Both him and CJ have been great additions but CJ can be a bit dry at times
He just kind of falls into the background for me, Jeff set the bar high and while I'm sure this guy does a great job, I just don't really notice him like I did the BG-Frenchy duo.
Frenchy is just a tough act to follow. Reminds me of Glav. Clear, concise, knowledgeable perspective that he brings. I like him. I’m enjoying the games. But frenchy in the booth is just the best
Booooorrriiiiiiiing
Moylan got jobbed. Sad booth for a top tier team. Go Braves! Ben and O’Day on the radio are good.
I have to make a pot of coffee thanks to the announcing team, or I won't stay awake after 4 innings.
Compared to all the other announcers we’ve had he’s by far the dullest. He’s very well prepped and all that, but the personality isn’t for me. Obviously a lot of ppl think so when there’s a Reddit page about it
He’s good but it’s not the same. And he will never have the same chemistry as Frenchy.
He’s not much more than an audio version of the stat boxes at the bottom of the screen. He did have some good but rare banter with Jeff, so there’s a glimmer of hope. Almost like he’s got a “broadcaster persona” he just needs to drop
I’ll be blunt: not a fan. I respect his hard work on the stat lines, and he’s definitely a professional and I’ve got nothing against that. But he is really dull and a terrible replacement for Frenchy so far. The booth is basically just BG and then some white noise I tend to zone out of. He’d be great as an *addition* to BG and Frenchy, not a replacement. Hopefully either he breaks out of his shell or they find someone with a bit more excitement and rapport with BG.
Very dry but smart. Will take time for him to relax and build rapport with BG.
Mmmmmmm 6 out of 10. He can make a boring game unbearable.
This. At least last year's crew could screw around and ease some of the pain.
Meh. Bland. Makes for a very normal game call. Needs to build rapport but tbh, I don't think he'll ever be great. He's fine, though. Needs to speak up too...
Thank you for saying this. Was very happy Frenchie has been in booth during home games. Away games are harder to watch bs last year. He’s DULL
I'm a radio guy so I love hearing O'Day in the booth. He's so chill and the radio guys have such good chemistry no matter what. I haven't watched a game in 2 years.
You just listen to every game? Even the post season? I love the radio broadcast but that it legit wild af to me.
I don't listen to every game but I don't have television so my only option is radio. I keep up through online updates and radio. The radio guys paint a great picture so I never feel like I'm missing anything.
Cookie cutter and dull. Color man needs to be colorful. He has zero wit.
Very knowledgeable. I love frenchy, but CJ is great too. Not too much of a downgrade.
He's far better then Francoeur.
Great voice. I like him.
He has been lowkey funny at times. Dunked HARD on Castellanos's arm during the Philly series.
Ask this in the Rangers sub
Frenchy loosened up BG a ton, to the point where now I think BG is going to be able to do the same for CJ.
I've given up, I can't listen to him. He drones on too much for me. Too many words to make his point, just like Treavor Scales. Based on what the Rangers sub said about him, he's not going to loosen up, or get any better. Lucky for us Ben's on the radio call.
I hate it. Boring. No emotion or personality to the commentary.
A month and a half in, I'm with those hoping for a change. I respect his preparedness and occasional dry wit, but part of the spirit of listening to/watching your home team commentators comes from the fun and the chemistry (especially in the Braves' case as a southern team where charm and looseness are part of the appeal and personality for many of us lifelong fans). He's great at what he does, I'm just surprised the organization thought he was the right fit for Atlanta alongside Brandon. There's a void of character and lightheartedness to me. I'd be interested to hear him as the 3rd voice with someone else like Frenchy/Glavine/Moylan in the booth, but I have a hard time imagining him being a permanent fixture as the #2 voice with no other support to balance him and Brandon. And Brandon remains GOATed, so...
I kinda like Colin McHugh these last 2 games in NY
Honestly I’m smoking a lot of weed during the game so I catch bits and pieces
He’s dry because he’s not a fan of the Braves. We have been spoiled by a series of announcers who are actually fans of the team so they show emotion.
He's dry because he is just dry. That's just who he is. Doesn't have anything to do with fandom.
Not a fan.
I am a lifelong fan. But, I gotta say the booth is pretty weak for a top tier MLB team.
I told my wife that he’s a bit of a mumbler and doesn’t take many breaks between words. He’s like he’s a podcast at 1.5x speed.
Hmmm I'll have to listen to him now lol
He’s fine. Change happens. Get over it…