MLB.COM: Longtime Royals radio voice Fred White dies

RIP Fred White

Fred White, a Royals radio voice for 25 years, died Wednesday due to complications from melanoma, a day after announcing his retirement following a 40-year relationship with the club.

White teamed with Denny Matthews on broadcasts from 1973-98, and since had served as the team’s director of broadcast services and the Royals Alumni.

His retirement was due to health issues, and he died in hospice care.

The Non-Catching Molina (sjs1959) Posted: May 15, 2013 at 05:06 PM | 9 comment(s)
  Beats: broadcasting, fred white, royals

NY Times: Modern Stats Bring WAR to Broadcast Booth (B.A.B.I.P., Too)

As players, managers and front office executives embrace the esoteric statistics, teams increasingly want their radio announcers just as fluent in the language of WAR, VORP and B.A.B.I.P. (Those stand for wins above replacement, value over replacement player and batting average on balls in play, for those of you dusting off your radios as the season begins.)

“They wanted a broadcaster who is at least comfortable with exploring the idea of discussing advanced statistics and what they mean,” said Robert Ford, 33, who was hired by the Houston Astros in the off-season, along with Steve Sparks, 48, a former pitcher, to call the team’s games. The advent of advanced statistical analysis, Mr. Ford said, has “changed the way we think about baseball.”

Now, as the two settle into the Astros’ broadcast booth, they and their colleagues across the country face a balancing act. How much do listeners want to know about these advanced numbers? How much is informative? And how much would prompt the audience, a group that spans all generations, to tune out?

Listeners and announcers alike say that striking the right balance will be a challenge.

Everybody Reads Raymond: #Fail

I like Dave Raymond and was sorry to hear he’d been let go by Houston. I like him even more after this piece:

One plucky kid named Terry leaned in to interrupt my chat with Jon Morosi late Sunday night.  The evening was winding down for me.  Jon was still chasing a story.

Terry was something else.  He was searching for job advice.  He was the type of kid whom you could easily dismiss if deadlines and editors pressed.  Jon paid attention though.  So did I.

We dug a little deeper and learned Terry survived cancer four years ago.  He’s one year away from complete remission.  He spent last year pulling tarp, making copies and doing grunt work all day, every day, for a short-season minor league team.  He did it for nothing.  Now he was back again, looking for another internship — maybe a full-season gig this time or a paying job — with the hopes of advancing his career.

Jon gave Terry his card and offered to help however he could.  I explained that I was looking for work, myself.

I bumped into Terry the next day and he told me that he had been rejected by a few teams.  I’m sure he’ll be turned down by several more.  Someone is eventually going to hire him though.  They are going to enjoy a personal and professional journey they’ll never forget.  I can’t wait to hear how he does.

I met many more young guys betting on their dreams.  Some were timid.  My primary piece of advice was for them to try to get turned down by a team.  Soon.

I’m rooting for Dave, and Terry, and everyone else who is out there seeing opportunity instead of failure,