(670 The Score) I’ve been sitting on some information that is dying to break free. I'm incredibly excited and terrified and thrilled and generally buzzing to talk about it, and then to do it.
When Pat Hughes is in Cooperstown, NY, being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as this year’s incredibly deserving recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, the whole Cubs radio booth is going along. Ron Coomer and Zach Zaidman will be there to support and celebrate Pat, so that means someone else has to call those ball games.
I will be the play-by-play voice of the Chicago Cubs for the weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the weekend of July 21. Three full ball games, all day games at 1:20, against the traditional rival, being the vessel for baseball on the radio.
I can’t even believe it as I type it, as I say it. I’ve known for months and still it doesn’t seem real.
For anyone who does not know, it’s the first thing I ever wanted to be -- a baseball play-by-play voice. Here in my 50’s, I’ve gotten the chance to do 12 innings of big league action, stretched over 12 regular season games and three seasons. I became fascinated with the role and launched an Audacy Podcast: The PBP: Voices of Baseball.
The sport itself is a companion, so the voice that brings it to us is of course a deeper level of that. I believe our relationship with the craft and the role informs our love of baseball and connects deeply with values we may not fully understand. The podcast explores those connections through stories from the most accomplished baseball broadcasters alive.
I’ve gotten unbelievable advice the last three years from friends like Joe Buck, Len Kasper, Jason Benetti, Boog Sciambi and Pat Hughes. I’ve added conversational advice the last few months from Marty Brennaman, Tom Hamilton, Dan Shulman, Dave Sims, and this week (in maybe my favorite episode to date), Joe Davis.
The things I’m most looking forward to about that weekend series:
-- Doing the entire game, not just the fifth inning. Len Kasper described doing the fifth to me as “remember, you’re jumping on and then off of a moving train.” These games will not feel like that -- I hope.
-- Doing three games with the same opponent. All the research and prep I’ve done, and will do, for the Cardinals could be useful at any point over the whole weekend. I can follow a story in one ball game by asking players about it in the clubhouse the next day. This, doing a whole series, will approximate what it actually is like to be in this role all season long.
-- Working with the same partner for all three games. Elise Menaker is an excellent baseball mind and communicator, whose work on Marquee Sports Network in multiple roles is always solid and fun. We actually did two games together in spring training of 2022, and found easy chemistry then. I know we will again.
I’ll be writing and thinking about it a lot leading up, and we’ll be able to document the experience here together. What an incredible opportunity in general, and specifically in the midst of this exploration of the job itself. The timing is something.
In today’s episode of “The PBP,” Joe Davis talked about the crack of the bat and the pop of the catcher’s mitt being part of the cadence in your call. He said that, and allowing the sound of the PA announcer to be heard when batters are introduced, brings some structure to what could be a chaotic few hours. Amazing advice.
As he discussed the Bryce Harper home run, he gave us this: "You're going to be remembered based on how you caption and capture the biggest moments, so you hope that you can come up to the plate and do what Harper did." He talked about slowing his heart down like a player.
It’s great advice for young, aspiring broadcasters. It’s great advice for 52-year-old aspiring broadcasters.
I have three games coming for a team in the Cubs that still harbors postseason dreams. They will desperately need those games that weekend at Wrigley Field. It’s entirely possible that there is a moment that in part ends up defining their season, defining whether they are a buyer or seller at the trade deadline, whether this season sees games of consequence in September or beyond.
We don’t know when or if those moments will occur, but you have to be ready, have to be armed with everything you need technically and psychologically to be at your best. What a great challenge that these broadcasters get to think about daily.
So many people I want to tell. People I did tell. I want to tell you, Lin Brehmer. I miss you today. You’d get it.
This may be as good as my professional life will ever get. And that would be wonderful.
You can listen to those on MLB At Bat app, locally in Chicago via the Audacy app or of course on good ole 670 The Score.
Matt Spiegel is the co-host of the Parkins & Spiegel Show on 670 The Score from 2-6 p.m. weekdays. Follow him on Twitter @MattSpiegel670.
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