Baseball is Back. Radio is Ready.

There will be no fans in the stands, no crowd noise, no seventh inning stretch and no vendors with the familiar cry ‘beer-here.’ It’s an ideal scenario for play-by-play carrying radio stations to paint that perfect picture for fans and listeners.

Over the next two days, before the Yankees take on the Nationals Thursday night to open the season, we’ll check in with stations across the country to see how they’re getting ready to broadcast America’s past-time.

Here’s our lineup for today:
Batting first, Joe Zarbano, Brand Manager for Entercom’s WEEI-FM in Boston, home of the Boston Red Sox. Up next we have Lee Hammer, Vice President of Sports Ply-by-Play Programming at Cumulus. Cumulus’ KNBR is home of the San Francisco Giants. And hitting third, Mitch Rosen Brand Manager for Entercom’s WSCR-AM The Score in Chicago, home of the Chicago Cubs. Note: An earlier version of our story mentioned Lee Hammer was the PD at KNBR. Our apologies to Jeremiah Crowe, who is the PD.

Radio Ink: Radio has always been the medium that paints the perfect picture for the listener. With Baseball back and fans so hungry for sports, is this not the perfect opportunity for radio, for your station, to really shine?
Joe Zarbano: It really is. New England has some of the most passionate, if not the most passionate sports fans in the country, so I’d imagine the entire region is pretty excited for the first major professional sports event in the area since March. There’s a huge curiosity factor here with those that may not even consider themselves a baseball fan or a sports fan but just want to experience how the game sounds, looks and feels in the COVID-19 era that we live. We’ve been fortunate enough to broadcast Red Sox baseball for over two decades and throughout four World Series runs. We take pride in our ability to rise to the occasion and I have no doubt we will again with our extremely talented group of broadcasters.

Lee Hammer: I think sports fans have been craving for something to get excited about, and baseball is the perfect answer.  We’ve replayed classic games over the past few months, but that doesn’t compare with real games and real action, almost every day. Baseball and radio are perfect partners.
Mitch Rosen: Baseball is really the perfect sport for radio. Baseball on the radio is like a book you can’t put down. Baseball voices like Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer, the voices of the Cubs, are synonymous with summer. We’re all excited for this new season and know the fans are as well. The outpouring of support from fans through all of our social platforms after two exhibition games has been overwhelming.

Radio Ink: What can baseball fans/listeners expect to hear when the games start up again this week?
Joe Zarbano In a lot of ways listeners can expect what they have come to expect in previous seasons. I think a degree of normalcy will be greatly welcomed by all of us. We’re going to call the game on the field like we normally would. However, we’ll also be sure to describe all the action on and off the field that is different and unique to playing baseball during a pandemic.
Lee Hammer: Despite what some people are saying, things won’t be that much different. They’re going to hear the same announcers they’ve been accustomed to listening to over the years. There’s no hiding the fact that the simulated crowd audio will be played off an I-Pad, but after a few games and if produced correctly at the ballpark, I don’t think anybody will even care or notice.
Mitch Rosen: Fans will hear the crack of the bat, live organ music during home games at Wrigley Field, crowd noises that have been pre-recorded from last season fed by each home ball park, public address announcers, and a DJ playing walk-up music for each player during home games at Wrigley.

Radio Ink: How different will the broadcasts be on your station now, compared to pre-COVID?
Joe Zarbano: Listeners will likely hear more from the players on the field as our mics won’t be drowned out by crowd noise. I think the audience is in for a treat. They’ll hear the game from a unique perspective.
Lee Hammer: The actual broadcasts will sound exactly the same.  The only differences are behind the scenes. For example, instead of the in-person pre-game interview with the manager, that will now be done via Zoom.  Instead of the announcers all being in the same booth, they’re now in separate booths.  Instead of the announcers being able to talk with the players and coaches before the game to get insights, they’re prohibited from going onto the field or in the clubhouse.  So we’ll lose a little bit of the added color and feel our guys bring to the game, but overall, the broadcasts will sound the same.
Mitch Rosen: The biggest challenge for us will be mixing the special effects along with the announcers’ mics so the listeners have the perfect balance of sound. We have made adjustments during the first two exhibition games and feel confident about delivering a perfect listening experience for our fans. We are used to having a reporter live on the field after home games interviewing players on the field. Now, Cubs public relations will have a player live from the home clubhouse either on a hard line microphone, or a Luci-Live app, but still sounding broadcast quality. Our goal is to make the broadcast sound as real, authentic, and normal as always.

Radio Ink: Do you have any special production elements planned for the games?
Lee Hammer: In our post-game wrap, we bring all four announcers together to discuss the game.  Jon Miller and Dave Flemming on the radio side, and Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper from the TV broadcasts.  Since each guy will be in their own separate booth, we had to patch four different booths together so everybody could talk and hear everybody else.

Radio Ink: Are the broadcast teams in the home stadium (if not, where are they) and will they be traveling?
Joe Zarbano: Our broadcast team made up of Red Sox Hall of Famer Joe Castiglione, Sean McDonough, Will Flemming and Lou Merloni will call all games, both home and away, from Fenway Park.
Lee Hammer: We’ll be doing all the broadcasts from Oracle Park., and no, they won’t be traveling.
Mitch Rosen: Our broadcast team will broadcast all 60 games from our broadcast booth at Wrigley Field. With safety our utmost priority, we have made the decision to not travel Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer for away games.

Radio Ink: How will you keep the broadcast teams safe?
Joe Zarbano: Since most broadcasters aren’t traveling, there will be some additional space for us to practice social distancing as we broadcast. Joe Castiglione will call the games in his own booth, the visiting television booth directly adjacent to the main WEEI Red Sox Radio booth. Broadcasters will have their temperatures taken upon their arrival to the ballpark. Facemasks and hand sanitizer will also be provided so everyone can stay safe and follow CDC guidelines while calling the games.
Lee Hammer:  First, we’re keeping all the announcers in separate booths, so if in the unlikely event one of them were to somehow get exposed, the others would be safe.  Also, all the announcers are following the strict MLB protocols for testing before they’re allowed to get into the stadium.
Mitch Rosen: The Cubs have done an excellent job of keeping the press box and broadcast area extremely clean and safe. We’re ready to get in the booth and deliver all of the action to Cubs fans this season. On Friday night, when Pat Hughes says live on The Score, ‘Cubs baseball is live on the air,’ listeners and myself will know summer is finally here.

Tomorrow we’ll hear from WFAN’s Mark Chernoff, iHeartMedia’s Don Martin, Jason Barrett and several other Sports Brand Managers across the country.