DISCOVERING GOLD COINS
When I was a reporter and editor I chased ah-hah moments for readers, trying to provide lightning strikes of discovery, handing out something readers did not know before and allowing them to pick up gold coins of knowledge in their pockets as the ROI for reading.
I want people who read what I write to bring it up in conversation, to share what they learned because it makes them seem like they found something out.
It is also what I am looking for in a baseball broadcast, too. Make me smarter than I was before I listened to you call the game. If you can do it in a memorable way that will delight me and enhance my experience, that’s the best.
Matt Raad did it calling the Mets game against the Cardinals on April Fools’ Day in St. Louis. He had handed play-by-play duties over to his booth partner Patrick McCarthy for an inning and was doing color.
Here's what Joe Buck says about the difference between play-by-play work and color commentary, in his autobiography “Lucky Bastard”: “A play-by-play announcer may tell you the runner is taking a big lead off of first base, but the color commentator has to tell you why stealing a base makes sense in that situation.”
I would say it a little differently, however arrogant it may be of me to do so with a guy who has called more World Series games to a national audience than any other human.
Play-by-play is delivering the news. Color provides insight.
On the Mets-Cards matinee game McCarthy provided the news of a foul ball hit into the stands. Raad then proceeded to give me a new phrase.
“The ball landed behind the dugout into a row full of quarter-zippers,” Raad said. “That’s what you call front-office guys, quarter-zippers. ‘Cause that’s what they wear, quarter-zip sweaters. It’s the uniform of the front office.”
Quarter-zippers in movies
Jonah Hill plays Peter Brand in Moneyball, a fictional version of a front-office analyst modeled after Paul DePodesta.
That’s wonderful. It evokes the type completely. Pictured in this post is the Hollywood archetypical representation with Jonah Hill playing Peter Brand in Moneyball, the fictional version of Paul DePodesta. I didn’t have to dig to find examples of the species Raad is describing.
Quarter-zipper in real life
There’s former Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak in the business version of the look, with a coat over the quarter zip.
There’s Former Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak who often had a quarter zip on when flashed on broadcasts from a box at the stadium.
Quarter-zipper OG
Paragon of the species, Chaim Bloom, Cardinals president of baseball operations and Mozeliak’s succesor.
There’s current president of baseball operations for the Cardinals, Chaim Bloom, in his first year taking over from Mozeliak, late of the Red Sox, and a 14-year veteran of that wonder of modern baseball roster building in St. Petersburg with the Tampa Bay Rays.
These all seem like exemplars of the species. Now, thanks to a terrific bit of game color from Mets broadcaster Matt Raad, I know what to call these folks. Perfect.
USA TODAY tells me Quarter-zips are everywhere right now.
Raad did further good work representing the Mets fans who he was speaking to and for.
“There is a feeling you have as a Mets fan of, ‘You have got to be kidding me’ with some of the chances these Mets have had and with what has happened with the ball in play,” Raad said.
Such futility was most painful in the 11th inning when the Mets had the bases loaded.
“Lifted in the air to center right field. Walker cutting over, he lines it up, and he makes the catch,” Raad called. “And, yes, you can say it out loud, ‘You have got to be kidding me.’ The Mets leave the bases loaded in extras.”
The Metropolitans left 11 men on base. They were 0 for 11 with those golden opportunities.
Cardinals win in the bottom of the 11th, 2-1 with Masyn Winn’s two-out bloop to bring in JJ Wetherholt from third.
The Cardinals win the series the second of two on the season. Pile up series wins and everything looks rosy.
When the Royals radio team goes to work, chances you will earn a golden token of discovery are good, but you better listen closely. There will be no trumpeted fanfare. The approach is calm in KC.
The ABS challenge system remains a focus all across the dial, including the Royals on KFNZ 610 AM. Jake Eisenberg, in his third year on the Kansas City broadcast team, first recounted a victory the night before in addition to the 13-9 victory over the Twins on the field. Jonathan India smashed a grand slam in the sixth inning making for a $25,000 win for Kevin Young of Pittsburg, Kansas. He was the beneficiary of a long-running promotion by Sonic Drive-In, the Sonic Blast. If a Royals player hits a grand slam in the sixth inning it prompts a drawing from among registered players. The selected entry gets the cash prize. Eisenberg had the context. Wednesday’s homer was the 12th Sonic Slam istance since its 1997 inception.
Eisenberg used a successful Twins ABS challenge during Wednesday’s game as a reason to note Minnesota is the most aggressive initator of reviews in the majors. On Friday, the Twins had challenged 26 times and prevailed an overwhelming majority of the time.
“They are winning those challenges at more than a 70 percent clip,” Eisenberg said.
Denny Matthews offered a pithy insight into the Twins to offer.
“Their record is 1-4, so at least they’re winning something.”
Another drive-by listen on Monday was the White Sox taking on Miami in South Florida. I’ve watched a bit of Marlins TV broadcasts in past years. The TV guys did an admirable job of making the game interesting mostly by talking about the other team, other scores, other sports, anything other than the often lackluster performance of the home team. Discussion of scores around the country predominated, along with detailed talk of the visiting team. Marlins teams have been woebegone – when they weren’t winning the World Series, an unaccountable achievement of two Marlins teams. And many residents of South Florida are transplants from somewhere else. Those viewers care a lot more about a Phillies score than how the Marlins are doing.
The radio broadcast was more focused on the home team.
Jack McMullin is the Voice of the Marlins. He is on the radio with Jeff Nelson. The broadcast fires up with a promo: Catch every pitch of your Fightin’ Fish on Marlins.TV. It’s a winning slogan for a losing team.