Cardinals' Dan McLaughlin, Rockies' Drew Goodman on broadcasting

 By Adam Ide

                Becoming a baseball play-by-play announcer takes inspiration, experience, aggressiveness and adaptation to change.

                St. Louis Cardinals play-by-play television announcer Dan McLaughlin recently spoke about his career. McLaughlin works in St. Louis and next season will be his 20^th calling Cardinals baseball on Fox Sports Midwest.

                "I've been broadcasting since I was 3 or 4 years old," McLaughlin said. "Playing wiffle ball in my backyard, I always used to announce the games because I loved it."

                Colorado Rockies play-by-play television announcer Drew Goodman recently spoke about his career. Goodman works in Denver and next season will be his 16^th calling Rockies baseball on Root Sports Rocky Mountain. 

Goodman received his bachelor’s degree in Communications from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, in 1985.

                “Ithaca had an excellent communications school,” Goodman said. “They had television stations, radio stations, and you could work on your craft at an early age.”

                Technique and style are developed through years of experience.

                “I think the evolution of a broadcaster is one that is somewhat similar to that of an athlete,” Goodman said. “The more repetitions you get, the better you’re going to get.”

                Goodman provided some advice to aspiring broadcasters.

                “What I always tell young broadcasters is that you have to get repetitions,” Goodman said. “You have to be yourself. You can’t model yourself after other people. In terms of personality, your on-air personality has to be somewhere in the confines of who you are just walking around.”

                “Find something you like and have passion for,” Goodman said. “If you can earn a living doing it, you’ve got 90 percent of it whipped.”

Many people can offer advice throughout a career. McLaughlin said Randy Karraker, a local talk show host, was a huge help. Bob Hamilton, a legendary St. Louis journalist, was also very influential in his career. Both Karraker and Hamilton were always willing to listen to his tapes.

                Many wonder what it is like to be a broadcaster on a daily basis. McLaughlin provided some insight into his daily life as a broadcaster.

                He begins his day by checking Major League Baseball news and his notes from the previous game. When at home, he gets to the ballpark around 2:00 p.m. and starts making out a lineup card. He talks to home and away players and opposing broadcasters for some information he could incorporate in his broadcast.

                “By 6:30, I have everything laid out and ready to go,” McLaughlin said. “At 7:00, we’re on the air.”

                Being a major league broadcaster is a strenuous job, and there are many difficulties that go along with the profession.

                “I guess it would be the travel,” McLaughlin said, about what the hardest part of his job is. “Having done this coming up on 20 years, I loved it as a young man. It’s gotten harder as I’ve gone along and been away from my kids. I know most people don’t want to hear that. It’s a job a lot of people dream about having, but that’s probably the hardest part. Being away from my family.”

                “On one hand, I love travel and I love being in different places, but I can’t stand when I’m missing events with my kids,” Goodman said.

                The broadcasting industry has changed profoundly in the past 20 years.

                “There’s so many more outlets for young people to get involved and to try to get in this business,” McLaughlin said. “When I first started, there was no Internet, there was no cell phone.”

                “It’s changed dramatically,” Goodman said. “It changes almost on a daily basis right now, and how people receive and watch sports on television. The one saving grace, looking into the crystal ball of the future, is that games are always going to be produced so people can see them.”

                As much as the industry has changed, the changes have just begun.

                “Cord-cutting is something that is very prevalent, especially with [the young] generation,” McLaughlin said. “Just being able to watch what you want to watch on your phone or your iPad.

                “How [people] view [games] is what is changing most dramatically,” Goodman said. “[The young generation] watches a lot of things on their phone.”

Word Count: 707