Lately I've been thinking about becoming a radio broadcaster for baseball games. There was a 35% discount available for MLB.TV's audio package (with which you can listen to every MLB game all year long with no blackouts), so I snagged it for $13 a couple of weeks ago. It's been great being able to follow the Cardinals whether I'm at home or in the car.
One of the two regular Cardinal announcers is former player Mike Shannon. He's adored in St. Louis and generally one of those "living legend" kinds of guys. He's also known for the nonsensical things that regularly come out of his mouth during broadcasts. Like the time he said, "Our next home stand follows this road trip." Or, "He ran to second faster than a cat in Chinatown." Or, "I wouldn't have seen it if I hadn't believed it!" HERE's a website where you can read some more Shannonisms, if you're so inclined.
The trouble is, I often have no idea what's actually happening on the field. I don't have a lot of history listening to Shannon, so I don't know if his style has changed as he gets older. All I know is that he mumbles a lot, and he often relays information only in snippets at a time, so it's tough to get a feel for the whole play (I might know that Molina made contact, but I might not know for a few seconds whether it's fair or foul, on the ground or in the air, or likely to be a hit or an out). Sometimes he's very expressive, but a lot of times he's not. So I can't even guess whether it's a good thing or a bad thing happening based on the tone of his voice. He'll also regularly get really excited over something that's not very exciting. Like he has trouble telling how hard the ball is hit off the bat "Swing and a blast! Oh boy! It's going back back back... and the right fielder is there and makes the catch a few feet short of the warning track." His signature saying is, "Get up, baby! Get up, baby!" Which he hollers at the ball when a home run (or one that's gonna be close) is hit.
Shannon usually alternates innings with his co-worker, John Rooney. Rooney is much more "traditional," in the sense that he has a radio voice and is very polished and professional in his description of on-field events. During the Rooney innings, I can see the action. During the Shannon innings, I have to pay extra-close attention, and hope that by the time the inning is over, I have some idea about who may have scored, and whether there were any base runners.
All that to say, as I listen to these two guys broadcast Cardinal games, I've been thinking a lot about how I think I could do that. Do you think if I did vocal exercises to hone my "radio voice" I could become an announcer? I think I know baseball well enough. And it'd be one of the most fun jobs I can imagine. You get to travel with the team, go to every game, and your job is to simply describe what's going on.
If I ever become a radio announcer for an MLB team, I'll buy you a subscription to the audio package so you can listen to me. Deal?
Also, I've always wanted to work for The Bathroom Reader's Institute (publisher of the Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series).
How is your life schedule changing now that the weather is getting warmer?
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