Unscripted

There are moments in live television that you prepare for all day, knowing exactly where the interview is headed and what kind of response you’re likely to get.

And then there are the moments that catch everyone off guard and somehow become the ones people remember most.

Last week’s road trip gave me two of those instances and both happened because nobody was trying to create a viral clip or manufacture something entertaining. They were simply human reactions unfolding in real time.

The first came after a Royals win in West Sacramento against the Athletics.

I’ve done hundreds of postgame splash interviews over the years, so there’s usually a pretty good sense for how the chaos is going to unfold. Sometimes the player gets drenched. Occasionally I get caught in the crossfire. This time, Salvador Perez launched an entire bucket of water toward superstar Bobby Witt Jr. Bobby ducked, I stepped aside, and the entire splash drilled a security guard named Teresa standing nearby.

Bobby completely lost it and honestly, so did I, with the kind of laugh where your voice gets higher and the harder you try to compose yourself, the worse it gets. Bobby, who is usually as calm and composed as any superstar I’ve ever covered, was bent over giggling. Salvy looked horrified, like he had accidentally committed a felony with a Gatorade bucket.

The next day we printed the picture, had the players sign it, and presented it to Teresa. It genuinely made her year, which somehow made the whole thing even better.

Photo Courtesy: Jason Hanna/Kansas City Royals

A few days later in Seattle, the tone shifted, but the authenticity stayed the same.

Royals reliever Lucas Erceg had just finished off a huge win and joined me for a live interview on the field. I’ve been around long enough to know that emotions for closers after the final out are very real.

Early in the interview, Erceg said, “Sorry if I’m stuttering. My adrenaline is through the freaking roof right now.”

Thank goodness he said freaking, I thought.

Then came the next sentence.

“And I f**ing love this sh*t.”

In my head, it felt like time stopped. In reality, it lasted maybe a second before he realized what he had just said and we both apologized immediately.

But the reaction afterward was fascinating.

Fans loved it.

Not because of the language, but because it felt honest. Lucas gave people an unfiltered glimpse into how much he cared about the moment.

The Royals leaned into it the next day with a statement saying, “He kind of said it best... no notes.” Local apparel company Charlie Hustle even turned it into a T-shirt within days.

Charlie Hustle’s Newest T-Shirt

What stood out to me most about both interviews was how human they felt.

None of it was polished. None of it was planned. And maybe that’s exactly why people connected with it.

That’s Small Ball.

Question: What’s a moment recently that reminded you how powerful real and unscripted can be?