JIM KAAT & BOB COSTAS

For keeping it real. The two MLB Network voices were an oasis in a playoff desert of non-stop talkers and stathappy stalkers. Simply put, Kaat, the analyst, and Costas, the play-by-play voice, let Red Sox-Astros NLDS Game No. 1 breathe. Kaat and Costas, while engaging in game-enhancing conversation, did not feel compelled to fill the air with needless words ultimately designed to either justify their existence, turn a baseball broadcast into a sports talk show, or provide viewers an excuse to hit the mute button.