There aren't many things in life that are as nostalgic as baseball broadcasted over the radio. Almost all of us have a voice in our mind's ear that takes us back to our childhoods. Often those voices are linked to certain generations, and in Philadelphia, we are lucky enough to have several generations that link their youth to the sounds of Harry Kalas.
And as much as we hate to admit it, the days of Harry Kalas are numbered in Philadelphia. Not because of organizational politics, but because Mr. Kalas is at the age where most of the population turned in their job for a more leisurely lifestyle a few years ago.
During the offseason, an opening came about in the Phillies broadcast team as a result of Tom McCarthy's departure to the Mets. The vacancy was filled by Scott Franzke, an announcer with the Texas Rangers.
Franzke is relatively young, just a bit younger than Kalas was when he arrived in Philadelphia. Who knows, maybe someday and generation of Phillies fans will look back and think of Scott's voice when they think of childhood summers?
Recently, Scott was gracious enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer some of my questions about his life, career, and upcoming post in Philadelphia.
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-Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Dallas. Went to high school and college there, too. I've lived there every year of my life, except for the 3 seasons in the minors in the Chicago suburbs.
-Did you play sports? Any good?
I assume you mean at least beyond the pee wee/little league level? I played baseball for a year in high school and I was a rotten outfielder on the JV team.
-Who were your sports heroes?
Eagles fans will, of course, hate me for this, but Roger Staubach was probably the earliest one I can remember. There were some other Cowboys, too, but Roger was the big one. Following the Rangers as a kid, I loved Buddy Bell, Jim Sundberg and, a little later, Nolan Ryan and Will Clark.
-How did you get into broadcasting?
A little by accident. In college, I wanted to be a sports writer. I did radio on the side, calling football and basketball for the student station. People kept encouraging me to stick with radio, so I did.
-If you could give someone advice on getting into sports broadcasting, what are some things that come to mind?
First off, be patient. Second, be dedicated. Otherwise, your patience will wear out. For me, it was an easy profession to get into, but a tough one to stick with while i waited for the opportunties to come. But if you work hard, sometimes those opportunities actually DO come and you'll be ready to take advantage of them. Lastly, everyone in this business finds a different track to their dream job, so don't get too wrapped up in what 'this guy' or 'that guy' did to get the majors or the NFL or ESPN or whatever. Follow your own heart. Do what you love. Otherwise, why do it?
-If you had to describe your style of broadcasting, what would it be?
I guess the word I hear people say most often is 'relaxed.' I hope its more like some of the long time radio announcers - dedicated to the play-by-play first, with the stories, analysis and humor coming where the game will allow. I don't scream, but you'll know it when something is important or truly exceptional (or truly heart-breaking).
-What impresses you most about this Phillies team?
They remind me in some ways of the Rangers team I've been covering the last four years with the talented young infielders. There are growing pains with that, but the Rangers are seeing the fruits of committing to Michael Young, Hank Blalock and Mark Teixeira. The Phils parting with Jim Thome and going to Ryan Howard reminds me a little of the Rangers decision with Rafael Palmeiro a few years back when Tex was breaking through. Of course, they were able to play around it a little more with the DH in the American League. Obviously, Rollins has hit his stride; Utley and Howard have the chance to be special. Its a great foundation.
-How did you get hooked up with the Phillies?
Like about 50 or so others, I applied after Tom left for the Mets. Initially, I did not know whether the position would include play-by-play, so I wasn't sure how this would all play out. I've been doing the pre and post game for four years in Texas and it was time to get back in the play-by-play chair on a nightly basis. I interviewed in Houston for the Astros job back in November, but they went in a different direction. I wanted to call games so badly, I even had a couple of Triple A opportunities waiting on the Phillies to make their move. Rob Brooks with the club called me every step of the way during the process. It was the first of February or so before we scheduled an interview. I came in and out of Philly on a Thursday. They offered me the job the following Monday. It was a pretty easy decision to tell those Triple A teams, 'Thanks, but no thanks.' It was a long winter for my wife and I debating all the possibilities, and we're ecstatic it worked out the way that it did.
-Is it true you used ballssticksstuff.com fo prepare for the interview?
Ha ha. Actually, that's pretty much true. I scoured a lot of the Phillies phan sites for information - historical and current. It is important for me to know what fans are saying, what they feel about the team(s), past and present. To me, its not just about the ballclub. Sports are such a touchstone, and baseball one of the best examples of that. People invest six, seven months of their year to it. If I know how the fans feel, I can relate that into the story each summer. That approach probably comes from the countless nights hosting the Rangers call-in shows when fans told me directly how they felt about the team. Now, with the web and message boards and blogs - they can't be overlooked. (Too many teams in all sports dismiss them as 'crazy fans' or whatever. Is there any better fan than a crazy one? The web sites can be an incredible form of viral marketing for the clubs).
Your site was one of the first I came across, so I guess the search engines have taken notice of your site too.
Uh, yeah.
-Do you get tired of the "you've got a great face for radio" jokes?That's one of my father-in-law's favorites. Imagine his surprise when I did some TV work last summer. I'm not opposed to doing TV, but being a radio guy is just fine with me. I love the medium.
-Have you been kissed by the Phanatic yet?
No. But I did have the Phanatic's "handler" (wink, wink) on the Rangers pre-game show last summer when the Phanatic stopped in at Ameriquest Field in Arlington to hang out with a few other MLB mascots. Thankfully, I didn't get a kiss from the handler either.
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This concludes Part I of the interview with Scott. Part II will be published after he has had more of a chance to settle in to his new life. Thanks again, Scott.
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The BS&S.com Interview Archive:
- Radio personality Rhea Hughes
- Oakland A's pitcher and former Phillie phan Dan Meyer
