How to Learn The Game
One of the most important aspects of broadcasting baseball at any level is to learn the game thoroughly. You build your credibility with the audience by demonstrating your understanding of the nuances of the game.
One of the most important aspects of broadcasting baseball at any level is to learn the game thoroughly. You build your credibility with the audience by demonstrating your understanding of the nuances of the game.
After many years in the game as a broadcaster, I’ve come to realize that there are some things about the business that I wish I knew in the minor league.
Any booth in the big leagues is a good booth. Yet, after spending quite a bit of time traversing the land broadcasting in the major leagues, some booths stand out more than others.
Sooner or later, all announcers will cover a player that is battling a prolonged slump. It’s the nature of sports. All athletes go through it at some point in their careers. An 0-4 tuns into a 1-32 before you know it in baseball. I found in my career that a slump can find its way into the booth as well.
Not all home runs are the same. Some are majestic moon shots, some are line drives and some are wall-scrapers that barely get out. Trying to fit every home run into a single mold didn’t make sense to me. Not every announcer needs a home run call.
It’s no secrete that finding longevity in broadcasting takes work and perseverance. Yet, there are steps you can take to make sure that you continually improve as your career progresses. In my view, there are three steps to improving your broadcasting game, whether your are brand new to the business or finding some footing in your career.
The general attitude is sports broadcasting is that a job in television should be the ultimate goal of all announcers. While a TV job does provide much more exposure than most radio jobs, ultimately a job on television shouldn’t be viewed as a promotion if you won’t enjoy the assignment.
Baseball has become more global with each passing season. Learning a second language can become an important advantage.
Each season the success of your game broadcasts often rests on the depth of your preparation for each event. Investing more time in your game prep usually results in a better product on the air.
Ty Tyson was the Detroit Tigers first announcer.A Pennsylvania native, Tyson moved to Detroit in 1924 and became on of the pioneers of baseball broadcasting.