Out of the Park: Representation
As we prepared for our first regular season broadcast on Royals.TV, there was no more fitting way to begin than with the voice of Sarah Nauser.
I stood there and listened as words she had written filled the broadcast. Words brought back through AI. Words that carried more weight than anything we could have scripted.
The show tease, as we call it in the broadcast industry, was so powerful that Royals manager Matt Quatraro played it for the team the day before.
I wasn’t in the room when that happened, but I know how it landed. We all felt it, and for a moment, baseball took a backseat.
The next night, our season opened in Atlanta with former star first baseman Eric Hosmer sitting in the booth as one of our newest analysts. He’s one of my favorite athletes I’ve ever covered, and the first player the Royals drafted during my inaugural season here when he was just 18 years old.
Three days later back in Kansas City, Bridget Howard joined our team and made her own kind of history.
I first met Bridget in 2019 when she came to job shadow Jeff Montgomery and me. At the time, she was a student at Kansas State University. Lots of aspiring broadcastershave come through over the years, but she was the one who left an immediate impression.
She asked questions. She paid attention. She showed up like someone who believed she belonged. And now, she does…as the first woman on the Royals broadcast team. What stayed with me wasn’t just the milestone, but the picture.
Walking into the clubhouse now, you can see Anne Rogers covering the team for Royals.com, Logan Jones working in media relations, and Bridget preparing for the broadcast. Three successful women, all part of a daily rhythm that didn’t exist - in this capacity - when I started.
And somewhere out there is a young girl watching a game this season who will never have to think twice about whether she belongs in that same room. She’ll just see it, believe it, and file it away as normal.
Change happens one opened door at a time. And it’s the reason why representation is so important, inside and Out of the Park.
Local flavor
Sedona, Arizona has been a family favorite getaway destination for 20 years during Spring Training.
This year, Susan and I got out to hike one of the endless, breathtaking trails with a view that never gets old. We always seem to find a new path, and when we finish,we always make sure to stop at Indian Gardens for lunch.
It’s just past Uptown Sedona on the way toward Flagstaff, and is the kind of place don’t rush through. Great sandwiches, good coffee, and a peaceful courtyard in the back all make you want to stay a little longer.
This time, we split two sandwiches. One layered turkey, roasted green chili, bacon, cheddar, avocado, and chipotle mayo on ciabatta. The other, also on ciabatta, had bacon, brie, arugula, and red onion with a touch of fig jam.
It was simple, fresh, and exactly what we needed after the hike.
Dugout dialogue
We ran this piece to open our first regular season Royals.TV broadcast in Atlanta and again for the home opener.
Add passion, inspiration, and the modern technology powering Sarah Nauser’s voice through AI, and you get one of the most powerful pieces I’ve ever introduced on air.
It was so impactful that MLB Network picked it up and brought in Hall of Famer George Brett to talk about his friend Sarah.
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch it.
What shifts have been showing up in the corporate workplace? Check out my chat with Chief of Staff’s Casey Wright to find out.
speaking engagements
This month’s focus on Women’s History Month reinforces the importance of representation and leadership. I’m especially excited to carry that into May with the opportunity to speak to the National Association of Women in Construction.
Even with baseball season underway, I’m still accepting opportunities through the end of the year. Every engagement is a chance to make an impact, like the Green Tie Gala I co-hosted earlier this month with Chuck Cuda. The event raised money for the Opes Foundation and pediatric cancer research. For more information or to get involved yourself, click here.
In April, there are a handful of upcoming keynotes:
April 9 - Inspiration Breakfast benefitting Veterans Community Project, Kansas City
April 10 - Standard Beverage, Kansas City
April 23- UMB Private Wealth, Kansas City
April 24 - CFM Distributors, Kansas City
Finally, I’ve recently begun offering free, 15-minute virtual sessions that are designed to spark conversation around trust, culture, and teamwork. If you’re a leader and interested in a quick session to get your team thinking the right way, send me an email.
To inquire about my keynote series, event moderation or custom video content, just click the link below. A member of my team will get back to you right away.
Rounding the bases rewind
This month, Bridget Howard broke into sports broadcasting and made her own kind of history as the first woman on the Royals broadcast team. It’s a moment that didn’t come easy, and in this just-released interview, she shares the pressure, scrutiny, and hidden sacrifices behind her hard-earned success.
Hers is a story about what it takes to walk into spaces where no one has looked like you before, and why that representation matters for every woman who will follow in her footsteps.
If you’ve ever chased something bigger and wondered about the price… this one will hit home. Listen now.
As always, thank you again to each of the incredible guests who joined me on the podcast this month:
Our schedule is already booked into summer, but we are always looking for interesting guests with standout stories. Would you or someone you know make a great guest on Rounding the Bases?
To discuss sponsorship opportunities, please email my Executive Producer Ashleigh Sterr: ashleigh@joelgoldbergmedia.com.
Keeping the score
When I think about Women’s History Month, I don’t start with a headline or a statistic. I start with my mom.
She grew up in a world that told her there were two lanes for women: teaching or nursing. She chose the former. Eventually she also chose family, stepping away from her career to raise me and my brother. And years later, when most people would have told her the professional chapter of her life was closed, she reinvented herself once again. Only that time, she stepped into corporate America, climbed the ladder, and ultimately landed in a global leadership role no one had ever told her was possible.
That journey is why Women’s History Month has always been so personal for me. In one recent interview of Rounding the Bases, I was joined by a guest who amplifies what’s possible for accomplished women who refuse to settle, and in many ways, it felt like a continuation of my mom’s story.
Viveka von Rosen is a social media authority, business strategist and founder of Beyond the Dream Board who has catalyzed countless reinventions from executive to entrepreneur. By blending hard earned wisdom with modern technology, she empowers women in their 50s, 60s and beyond to relaunch careers built for the person they’re becoming…not the one they’ve already been.
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