Baseball Discourse

L-R: Chuck Kaiton, Jeff Dooley, Dan Lovallo Legendary NHL play-by-play broadcaster Chuck Kaiton returned to Hartford recently, as part of the Hartford Yard Goats "Whalers Alumni Weekend."  For the last three seasons, the Yard Goats have paid homage to the Whalers, inviting former players and Kaiton to the city for the weekend.  It's not all fun and games either, as the group pays visits to hospitals and schools. Chuck sat down with me for my "The Baseball Beat" podcast, to reminisce about his days in Hartford as the "Voice of the Whalers."  We also discussed other aspects of his career, including broadcasting games for the Carolina Hurricanes and what may be in his future. While visiting Dunkin' Donuts Park, Chuck sat in on the radio broadcast with the "Voice of the Yard Goats," Jeff Dooley and me.

As the 2019 Major League Baseball season gets underway, word is MLB is reducing the television package it has with Facebook and removing the "exclusivity" tag.  That is among the topics I talk Phil Rizzuto/Credit: You Tube captureabout in the latest edition of The Baseball Beat.   Other items we discuss: MLB is considering buying the Fox regional sports networksPayroll is lower than a season agoMLB continues to use the minor leagues as an incubator for rules changesAnd I look back at the time former New York Yankees shortstop great and broadcaster Phil Rizzuto visited my hometown of Torrington, CT.  Rizzuto's visit and talk that night - which you hear on the podcast - was a special night in the history of sports in the city. Enjoy!

What a difference 24 hours make.  On Saturday, Mike Tauchman was on the bubble not knowing if he would make the Colorado Rockies big league roster or be farmed out to their AAA affiliate Albuquerque.  On Sunday, Tauchman had been dealt to the New York Yankees, made the roster and will be at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day when the contending Bronx Bombers play the Baltimore Orioles. Mike Tauchman/Credit: You TubeThe trade is reminiscent of one between the Atlanta Braves and Yankees on June 29, 1986.  At the time, I was broadcasting games with Bob Black for the Braves' AAA affiliate Richmond.  On a sunny, Sunday afternoon at The Diamond, word starting sweeping through the press box and the ballpark that Richmond shortstop Paul Zuvella had been traded to the Yankees.  It was my assignment that day to conduct the post game interview on the field. After the game, the trade was announced and I asked "Zoo" if he would be my guest.  He said "yes" but that he had to talk to the manager first.  That was when Zuvella had been given the word he had been dealt.  He gave me a great interview about Richmond and his days in the Braves organization, including his time in Atlanta, where he played in 97 games over three seasons. When the interview concluded, I wished Zuvella good luck and predicted he would be in New York Paul Zuvella/Credit: Gary Cohenthe next night, starting at shortstop for the Yankees against the Detroit Tigers.  Zuvella told me he had no idea where he would be but speculated he would probably be sent to the Yankees' AAA affiliate in Columbus.  Knowing that the Yankees were having big problems at shortstop, I said to "Zoo" the Yankees - who also acquired outfielder Claudell Wahsington in the deal - didn't trade for a shortstop to put him at Columbus.  Sure enough, Zuvella was in the Yankees' starting lineup the next night. And so it is that Tauchman has gone from perhaps a AAA assignment to becoming a key component of the New York Yankees outfield, currently beset by injuries.  And it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  My memories of Tauchman - when he played outfield for the New Britain Rock Cats in 2015 - was that of a ballplayer, willing to go the extra mile to realize his major league dream.  For example, after batting practice on the field, there was a good chance you would find him at the indoor cage, working on his batting stroke, before the game.  This latest step in his life as a ballplayer proves that hard work does payoff, whether you are a Colorado Rockie or a New York Yankee. As for Zuvella, when his playing days were over he stayed in the game for a time, becoming a manager for the New Haven Ravens, who at the time were the AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

Willie Stargell/Credit: You TubeMar. 26, 2019 turned out to be a busy day for the New York Mets, as we explore in my latest edition of The Baseball Beat.  The Mets and pitcher Jacob deGrom have agreed to a contract extension and Mets owner Fred Wilpon is buying back more of his ballclub. The Boston Red Sox and catcher Sandy Leon were in the news and so are uniforms, as Sports Illustrated examines uniform changes for the coming season.  You can read the article by clicking here. We also take a look back at my interview with Willie Stargell.  At the time the former Pittsburgh Pirate was a member of the Atlanta Braves coaching staff.  The Braves were in Richmond to play their AAA affiliate, when I caught up with Willie and hosted a press conference at which he was featured for being elected to the Hall of Fame. Enjoy!

As far as I'm concerned, MLB umpires are getting a bad wrap in this study by Boston University.  The Dodgers want to know what happened to 42,000 Tommy Lasorda bobblehead dolls and the Phillies are packing them in, since signing Bryce Harper.  Those are the topics I discuss in the latest The Baseball Beat podcast. My look back interview is with Ralph Garr, which I recorded in June of 1986.  Garr was one of the best hitters of his day and in 1974 led the National League in batting with a .353 average.  I hope you enjoy the interview, as much as I enjoyed posting it.

Jim Valvano loved baseball.  The great, college basketball coach, who died from cancer in 1993, coached the North Carolina State men's team to the national championship in 1983. I got to thinking about "Jimmy V" the other day, when I read that North Carolina State will name the arena at Reynolds Coliseum the James T. Valvano Arena.  The formal dedication is scheduled for Dec. 5. I had the chance to interview coach Valvano in 1987, while broadcasting games for the Richmond Braves, at the time the Atlanta Braves Triple-A affiliate.  Valvano dropped into the broadcast booth, while the "Voice of the Richmond Braves" Bob Black and I were working the second game of a doubleheader between the Braves and the Maine Guides.  The game was being played at The Diamond, at the time Richmond's sparkling new ballpark that was the envy of all of minor league baseball. Valvano talked about where his love of baseball developed and how baseball even influenced his national championship basketball team.  Fortunately, I saved the interview. As a sidenote, The Diamond still stands today, as home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.  This has afforded me the chance to broadcast games back at that venue, with the Hartford Yard Goats.  When I go to Richmond to broadcast a Goats game, it's like returning home.

Michael Kay, Mel AllenWhen New York Yankees television broadcaster Michael Kay posted a tweet the other day of him sitting side-by-side with Mel Allen, it evoked memories of the time Allen came to Torrington, Connecticut, my home town. Allen was truly the only "Voice of the Yankees."  First on radio and then on television in the 1940s, 50s and early 60s, Allen got the assignment to call the big events, whether it be the World Series - which the Yankees were almost always in each season - the All-Star Game, the Rose Bowl or the Kentucky Derby for Fox's Movietone reels in theaters.   Allen was everywhere.  How many people know, for example, that he and Ronald Reagan teamed up to co-host the Rose Bowl Parade television coverage in 1960?  Or that in the early 60s, that Mel called New York Giants football games on radio? But the New York Yankees were his first and some say only love.  And when the Yankees fired him in 1964 at the still relatively young age of 50 - for reasons the ball club never disclosed - it broke his heart.  Some say he was never the same person after that. This week, when Hartford Courant sportswriter Dom Amore, who once covered the Yankees on a daily basis for the paper, retweeted Kay's photo of Allen, it reminded me of the time Mel came to Torrington to speak to a packed house at the Knights of Columbus.  This was back in the day, when sports banquets were popular and affordable.  Hot Stove banquets were especially enjoyable, as people gathered on a cold night to hear a guest speaker talk baseball.  And on this cold night in February 1968, Allen - nearly four years removed from his Yankee gig - did not disappoint. Allen regaled the audience for 30 minutes with stories about baseball and his career.  I was at the event that night.  Fortunately, a future broadcast colleague - already getting a foothold in the business - had the foresight to have a reel-to-reel tape recorder rolling that night.  Years later, when I started working with Paul Pagano, I asked him if he still had the tape.  He not only had it, but gave me a cassette copy.  Of course, Mel's talk has gone digital.  I even donated a copy to the baseball Hall of Fame.   His talk is what you will hear on the podcast, after I set the scene by putting that night and his career into context.  In this cold month of November, as the snow flies, hopefully a little baseball talk from a bygone era, from a Hall of Fame broadcaster, will help stoke the hot stove.   Enjoy!

As far as I'm concerned, MLB umpires are getting a bad wrap in this study by Boston University.  The Dodgers want to know what happened to 42,000 Tommy Lasorda bobblehead dolls and the Phillies are packing them in, since signing Bryce Harper.  Those are the topics I discuss in the latest The Baseball Beat podcast. My look back interview is with Ralph Garr, which I recorded in June of 1986.  Garr was one of the best hitters of his day and in 1974 led the National League in batting with a .353 average.  I hope you enjoy the interview, as much as I enjoyed posting it.

As the 2019 Major League Baseball season gets underway, word is MLB is reducing the television package it has with Facebook and removing the "exclusivity" tag.  That is among the topics I talk Phil Rizzuto/Credit: You Tube capture about in the latest edition of The Baseball Beat.   Other items we discuss: MLB is considering buying the Fox regional sports networks Payroll is lower than a season ago MLB continues to use the minor leagues as an incubator for rules changes And I look back at the time former New York Yankees shortstop great and broadcaster Phil Rizzuto visited my hometown of Torrington, CT.  Rizzuto's visit and talk that night - which you hear on the podcast - was a special night in the history of sports in the city. Enjoy!