Sportscaster's Club

Pimping The Home Run

Pimpin ain't easy....unless you are a baseball slugger.

Late one night in the 90's, a professional hitting coach explained to me what it means to "pimp a home run". We stood in a sports bar, watching a bank of televisions, as he explained that "pimping" is simply showboating after connecting on a round-tripper. "Pimping" is hitting the home run and then going through a rehearsed, choreographed mini-dance or routine, he said.

"Pimping" was made popular on TV during the 90's, by guys such as Sammy Sosa, who did the leap across home plate. Barry Bonds would drop the bat and stare, as he took a few slow, pronounced steps toward first base. Jeffrey Leonard rounded the bases with "one flap down" as his left arm hung limp.

Perhaps the best long-ball pimper of the era was Rickey Henderson, who would do a quick two-step and give a quick tug at the chest of his jersey. The coach even shared that he would attend Rickey's "pimping practice" sessions back in Oakland, where Henderson would "teach" young players a series of "pimp moves". In fact, Henderson had so many he had to name them...routine number one, routine number two, etc.

As the coach explained this to me, he glanced casually up at a TV showing a home run during the evening baseball highlight show. "See, that's a number two," he quipped, matter-of-factly.

In honor of the great Rickey Henderson, we'd like to share this over-the-top, unbelievable act of pimping a home run....enjoy!

You Are Hired!

Want to find that perfect job in sports broadcasting? Here are some outstanding thoughts from our friend, Dan Miller.  Very relevant, don't miss this stuff.

"You're Hired!"

Here are some interesting stats from the July/August issue of INC magazine. The questions and comments are Dan Miller's.

New jobs in April – 119,000

Who did the hiring:

Companies with fewer than 50 employees – 49%
Companies with 50-499 employees – 48%
Companies with 500 or more employees – 3%

Question: Why do job-seekers continue to make companies like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, IBM, Facebook, Wal-Mart, General Motors and UPS their prime targets?
You increase your odds dramatically by targeting smaller companies.

What 2012 college graduates say the top priorities are when looking for a job:

Job Security – 33%
Salary – 23%
Health Care and other Benefits – 23%
Company Culture and Perks – 18%
Company Size – 3%

Question: Are you kidding me? Job security is #1?? Haven’t you seen what happened to your Mom and Dad? You’d better be looking for a place where you can refine your skills and show your value. But your job isn’t going to have “security” and guaranteed “salary.”

If you really want those – start your own business. 72% of college students now say they want to start their own business. Companies are gun-shy about investing training in someone who isn’t going to be there 18 months from now. “Security” goes both ways.

Portion of employers that have rejected a job candidate because of that person’s social-media activity – 34%.

Top 4 reasons those candidates weren’t hired:

They posted inappropriate photos or information
There was evidence of drinking or drug use
They had poor communication skills
They badmouthed a previous employer

Question: Most companies will Google you before they look at your resume. Are you comfortable with your “online” resume?

Creativity will do more to open the doors for you to be considered than a stellar resume. What have you done that shows you to be “remarkable” in your job search?

Dan Miller, President of 48 Days LLC, specializes in creative thinking for increased personal and business success. He believes that meaningful work blends our natural skills and abilities, our unique personality traits and our dreams and passions. Dan is active in helping individuals redirect careers, evaluate new income sources, and achieve balanced living. He believes that a clear sense of direction can help us become all that God designed us to be.

You can get free job resources by going to http://www.48days.com/store/?ap_id=sportscastersclub

Tenure In The Outfield

Baseball is known for its colorful characters and hilarious moments. Where fact meets fiction, sometimes it’s hard to tell.

Take, for example, one of baseball's best players of all-time.

The story goes that one day, while riding on the team bus to the ballpark, this baseball immortal overheard a teammate discussing longevity in the game and retirement with a young rookie.

Ask he inched closer, the rookie asked him,

“Hey, you’ve got tenure, right?”

“Ten years?” The star shot back quickly. “I've got twenty years in the big leagues!”

Care to guess who that was?

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Why We Miss Ernie Harwell

Ernie Harwell was a gem of a man. An accomplished poet, inventor, musician, devoted family man, Christian, mentor…..and yes, a pretty good baseball broadcaster as well. 4 years after he passed away, we miss him today as much as ever.

I covered a lot of ballgames in the mid-90’s, as a 20-year-old college broadcaster at WFUV Radio at New York’s Fordham University. I’d take the D Train from Fordham Road down to Yankee Stadium, catch a pre-game meal, take in batting practice on the field, watch the game and then collect interviews for use on air. For a college-aged sports fan, there was nothing better.

During one of my first assignments, I sat in the Press Lounge, preparing to eat my breakfast before the Yankees’ 1:00 game a few hours later. As I jabbed my fork into my scrambled eggs, a hand tapped my table and a gentle voice asked,

“Would it be okay if I sit and eat with you?” It was Ernie Harwell.

I contained my shock and excitement long enough to invite him to sit and join me.

Over the next half hour he shared a lot – tales, advice, insight and perspective on the sports broadcasting industry. Much like the great Marty Glickman, he seemed intent on learning my story and sharing his willingness to help. We had a great breakfast and he even passed me his phone number, in case I needed a tape critiqued in the future. Did I? You bet I did.

Later that season, while broadcasting in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays farm system, I sent Ernie a tape and asked for his thoughts. Soon thereafter we spoke at length on the phone, and he laid out some concrete, real-world ways I could improve. He ended the call by saying, “Rick, just keep on keeping on!”

Today I counsel young sportscasters, and one main theme I constantly try to drill into their head is to take every opportunity to learn from a successful mentor. Ask for insight and most of the time they will provide it to you.

In a day where much of our sportscasting culture is wrapped up around ego-boosting soundbytes, catch-phrases and clichés, its refreshing to think back to a man who was never too big to give back.

We all miss Ernie Harwell much more than we realize.

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7 Tips To Get Started In Sports Broadcasting

(Including 3 myths that may shock most sports fans)

How Badly Do You Want Your Broadcasting Dream?

"You will never reach your goal in Sports Broadcasting."

You've probably heard that phrase about a dozen times, at least if you've been pursuing a career in the industry for a least five minutes.

I recently received an email from a despondent broadcast professional who was wondering when he'd get his big break. My advice to him was that he would get his big break, provided he was willing to struggle, sacrifice and push through until that day arrived.

Some get the big break sooner than later. Some broadcasters simply get to a point where the dream doesn't justify the sacrifice. A great majority of broadcasters tailor their "dream" to create their own breaks and make it fit into their new career framework.

Broadcasters understand exactly what I mean. For most sportscasters, the days are usually long and hard before one reaches higher levels of success.

For this reason, you need to determine the true "WHY" behind your career aspirations. Once you do, you need some kind of roadmap to keep you on target to reach your full potential.

These are two books that have been extremely influential and helpful for countless professionals across all industries. Whether you are struggling through the minor leagues or on top of the world, I'm sure they will help you too.

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success

The Most Difficult Sport To Broadcast

“Baseball is the most difficult sport to broadcast. I can't believe how tough it is to call a baseball game!”

I hear that all the time....and I couldn't disagree more.

I usually counter by saying, “Yes, but only if you don’t prepare.”

My belief is that, with rigorous and thorough preparation, baseball is the easiest and most enjoyable game to broadcast. Specifically on radio, calling a baseball game is roughly 10 percent action and 90 percent fill. No preparation, no fill. No fill and you are done.

For this reason I’ve always felt I am in complete control over how my baseball broadcast evolves. Sure I cannot control the action, but I can prepare myself to make the most of the subsequent downtime.

On the other end of the spectrum, hockey, basketball and football present a broadcaster with a much higher percentage of action, compared to down time. Not that I would advise just showing up and mailing it in, but with hockey or basketball you may, on occasion, be able to wing it. Baseball offers no such luxury.

I’ve always ranked the four major sports, in order of radio broadcasting difficulty, as hockey, basketball, football and baseball. They each require unique broadcasting competencies and skills. No two sports are the same.

How would you rank the most difficult sports to broadcast?

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Don't Be An Amateur Broadcaster

Amateur broadcasters think people tune in to hear them on the air.

Professional broadcasters know fans tune in for the game.

Amateur broadcasters think talent is the most important ingredient to their success.

Professional broadcasters know talent is nothing without passion and hard work.

Amateur broadcasters think sports broadcasting leads to a glamorous life.

Professional sportscasters know that there is no guarantee of a glamorous life.

Amateur sports broadcasters expect to hit the big time shortly after graduating college.

Professional sportscasters are prepared to work for little or no money during, or even after, college.

Amateur sportscasters think they know it all.

Professional sports broadcasters know they will never know it all.

Amateur broadcasters think the big-timers won’t help them.

Professional broadcasters help others because they were once helped.

Amateur sportscasters show up to work hard on the air.

Professional sportscasters work hard and then show up to broadcast.

Amateur sports broadcasters clock in and out with complacency.

Professional sports broadcasters are always reading, learning and improving.

Which are you?
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Where Nobody Knows Your Name - John Feinstein

For sports fans, Christmas Day is when John Feinstein releases a new book.
Thankfully with Feinstein, Christmas comes often.

Feinstein is unquestionably the greatest sports author of our time, and this week he releases his latest gem - a behind the scenes look into minor league baseball's International League. An absolute must-read for all sports fans. Even before you purchase my book (Well ok, right after that)

In his latest book, Where Nobody Knows Your Name: Life In the Minor Leagues of Baseball, Feinstein "introduces readers to nine unique men: three pitchers, three position players, two managers, and an umpire. Through their compelling stories, Feinstein pulls back the veil on a league that is chock-full of gifted baseball players, managers, and umpires who are all one moment away from getting called up—or back—to the majors."

I was a fan of Feinstein's work well before my time calling Army Basketball games. Feinstein spent the entire 1999 season with us in the Patriot League, writing The Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball. It was uncanny how he captured the most touching, poignant and heartfelt moments from that Patriot League season. Plus he's a super guy (that gave me a personal tour of Duke's campus one afternoon.)

The great thing about John Feinstein's books is his knack for taking readers into the action and truly letting us experience sports behind the scenes. His latest baseball book will undoubtedly become his next grand slam.
Thanks John!

More information about John Feinstein's latest release

Check out our full site for hundreds of articles, tips, personal coaching and much more.

Learn the secrets of the Sports Broadcasting industry from our online Sports Broadcasting course.

Nonstop Cliches From The Booth

How can you tell the lazy sports broadcasters?
Just count the cliches and crutch phrases.

Sports broadcasting is no different than any form of communication - be as clear and concise as you can to increase the precision with which your message resonates. Simple, right?

So why, then, do sports fans constantly hear their favorite broadcasters spewing nonstop cliche and crutch words?

Some examples....

"He's just not on the same page with his catcher."
Are they in a book club together?

"Tonight they need to give 110%"
Is there such a thing?

"They really stepped it up in crunch time"
Up to where? Is it Nestle Crunch?

"Jones on the right, passes now to Davis left baseline"
When else would it be?

"We've got a great game here tonight"
Where else would it be?

"Now we send it down to Joe with our player of the game"
"Thanks Dave, I'm here with....."
What are you thanking him for?

"Well, this team just didn't show up tonight"
Really? Was it a forfeit?

"Defense wins championships"
Not if the other team plays slightly better defense.

"The game is on the line"
The clothes line?

OK, you get the picture. Much of what we sports fans and broadcasters actually say during and about our favorite sport is complete nonsense.

What are your favorite - or least favorite - sports cliches?
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7 Tips To Get Started In Sports Broadcasting (Including 3 myths that may shock most sports fans)

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Spilling The Beans On The Air

As sports fans, we often think we know what players are thinking. On the field we assume they must be anticipating the next play or contemplating strategy. Off the field, we assume they don't have a worry in the world. Well, we know what happens when we assume....we are often very wrong! It turns out that quite regularly the players are are focused on the broadcasters!

Broadcasters get a candid, eye-opening look into the real thoughts going through players' heads during a game. While broadcasting for a professional baseball team in the mid 1990's I had a second baseman say he was always looking up at us in the broadcast booth, wondering what we were talking about. He yearned to switch spots. ( I would have obliged) Another time, the third base coach turned toward my broadcast perch above the third base dugout and actually answered a question I had posed to listener on the air.

Perhaps one of the strangest encounters I had was when a pitcher called me aside one day before the game. There was something on his mind.....something that seemed to be causing him some real distress. We had become quite friendly, and he had recently introduced me to his wife.

"Do me a favor, " he said. "Please don't mention on the air anything about my wife."

It turns out that the two had married hurriedly without the knowledge of either family. His concern was that I would spill the beans on the air, where his parents and family would hear back home via the streaming internet broadcast. I would blow the whole thing!

Never in a million years did I think this star player would be worried about something I - the lovable broadcaster - would say on the air.

I never once mentioned his secret - until now. But I certainly thought about it often, each time I saw him on television playing in a big league uniform.
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Check out our full site for hundreds of articles, tips, personal coaching and much more.

Learn the secrets of the Sports Broadcasting industry from our online Sports Broadcasting course.

Still Pitching: Baseball, Dark Days and Salvation: The Story of The Fish

America loves baseball because it is such a great imitator of life. Once in a while a book comes along that captures that feeling precisely, and Bill Rogan has just released that kind of baseball classic.

Still Pitching is a wonderful look at how a courageous man maintains baseball as a focal point of his life, even as that very life seems to be crumbling all around him. This is a story about great faith - of God, self and mankind. A unique baseball book that stands out as truly authentic. An Andy Andrews meets John Feinstein kind of book.

The book reveals how the hand of God reached out and touched Rick Fisher, pulling him from the depths of despair. Rick's journey back - guided by his constant love of baseball - is a true story that transcends any game. This is real life redemption off, and on, the baseball diamond.

Still Pitching is a baseball book that teaches us so much about life. You will enjoy it immensely and eagerly pass it along for years to come. Once you do, please let us know your thoughts!

Click here to view Still Pitching: Baseball, Dark Days and Salvation: The Story of The Fish

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