Podcast Summary – Pablo Torre Finds Out

Episode: The Best Voice in Sports Goes Deep

Airdate: August 22, 2024
Host: Pablo Torre
Guest: Jon "Boog" Sciambi (Voice of Chicago Cubs, ESPN, MLB The Show)

Overview

In this episode, Pablo Torre invites Jon "Boog" Sciambi—revered for his deep, resonant play-by-play delivery and beloved Cubs/ESPN broadcaster—for an introspective and often hilarious exploration of what makes a great sports announcer. Their conversation moves from baseball’s most iconic voices and the technical intricacies of broadcasting, to experiential stories from the booth and the absurdity of voicing a video game. Along the way, Torre and Sciambi debate the real skillset required for broadcasting (with a pointed discussion about Tom Brady’s coming debut as a commentator), and cap it all with some delicious moments of silly, fictional play-calling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Voice as an Instrument ([00:06]–[04:00])

• Boog shares a memorable, surreal bathroom run-in with legendary announcer Harry Caray at Wrigley Field, setting the tone for a show that's as much about personal stories as about the craft.
• The two dive deep—literally—into voice technique and control. Boog explains the importance of speaking from the diaphragm rather than the throat:
  • "Pretty much everyone speaks about an octave higher than what they should, and they speak out of here. So you basically just get yourself more to your diaphragm... I'm calmer, and then it's just more natural.” (Boog, [02:15])
• Pablo expresses awe at Boog’s voice:
  • "I am in awe of how deep in your diaphragm you walk." (Pablo, [02:42])

2. What Makes a Great Sports Voice? ([05:30]–[09:00])

• Recognizing the lineage and artistry of sports broadcasting, Boog names John Miller and Vin Scully as his paragons:
  • "John Miller, I think, uses his voice... I love him. And I think Vince Scully used his voice really really well." (Boog, [05:38])
• He recounts Miller’s playfulness and restraint, recalling John’s cleverness with anecdotes.
• Pablo likens Boog’s voice to a Stradivarius:
  • "The human voice is an instrument... lots of us just sort of pluck our banjos... John Bugshiambi has a Stradivarius tucked deep inside his diaphragm." (Pablo, [03:46])

3. Authenticity vs. Tradition in Broadcasting ([09:00]–[13:00])

• Boog talks about striving for authenticity while respecting the game's broadcast traditions.
  • "I would tell you that for me it's accessing five year old me who likes to play and the willingness to play is what brings out my authentic self." (Boog, [09:05])
• They discuss classic calls, like Jack Buck’s and Vin Scully’s, emphasizing how much is at stake in live broadcasts.
• "You are writing the first draft of history in this way, of sports history. And if you [mess] it up, it's going to be recorded that way in every highlight that gets played for eternity." (Pablo, [11:17])

4. Imitation and Innovation—The Catchphrase Debate ([13:00]–[15:16])

• Boog and Pablo discuss inherited vocal styles and imitating the idols of broadcasting.
• Boog hesitates to have a catchphrase, but admits:
  • "I do have a catchphrase. I started using it with the Cubs. When the game is over, I bark 'Ballgame.'" (Boog, [14:33])
  • Clip played: [15:04]-"Swing and a liner caught, ball game!"

5. Pablo’s ‘Zaftig’ Experiment in the Booth ([15:16]–[17:12])

• Pablo asks Boog to weave in an absurd word ("zaftig") into the call, underscoring the professional’s capacity to execute while riffing with humor:
  • "I've been described as truly zaftig... bounce to third... Did you say zaftig? Zaftig. Can you break that down for me? Plump." (Boog, [16:25])
• Boog demonstrates the play-by-play autopilot that persists regardless of on-air antics.

6. Broadcasting Is Hard: The Tom Brady Debate ([18:04]–[23:31])

• Context: Pablo (and Mina Kimes) predicted Tom Brady will be good in the booth; Boog pushed back, sparking a friendly but pointed debate.
  • "It's hard to be an analyst... If you're betting on it, more often than not these guys come to become color analysts, they're not very good, the ex athletes." (Boog, [21:05])
  • On the unique challenge: "When Tom Brady's playing... he doesn't know the first and last name of all 11 on the other side... When he's broadcasting a game, he's got to say his first and last name. And accessing that is a completely different skill set..." (Boog, [21:43])
• Pablo acknowledges the nuance: diagnosing versus articulating in real time.
  • "It's two parts. It is diagnosing and articulating. And the diagnosing part certainly replicates what he does in his former job. The articulating has nothing to do with it and is a completely separate skill." (Boog, [23:03])

7. The Art of Working a Baseball Booth ([25:39]–[33:44])

• Storytelling and Statistics: Pablo observes how Boog’s broadcasts thread advanced stats in a way that's accessible, modern, yet respectful of tradition.

  • "At the highest levels, they are talking, not about... for you, what stats in baseball... what stats are the ones that fans focus on, that actually people who make decisions don't give a [hoot] about?" (Pablo, [27:54])
  • "They don't care about runs batted in, for the most part... [etc.]... but I also would say I feel some journalistic or reporter responsibility to deliver, this is what they're looking at. Here's how they are being evaluated." (Boog, [28:10])

• The Field and the Social Side: Pablo shadows Boog at Citi Field, noting the unseen work—stat prep, field conversations, relationship-building—that feeds top-tier broadcasts.

  • "You have on your phone an advanced statistical personalized stat packet... you're having these conversations with people on the other team, the home team..." (Pablo, [30:17])
  • "All of it in some dorky way, kind of nourishes me. My head for sure. Because these are interesting, smart people, and they provide really good content and perspective. But then also the social component, the connective..." (Boog, [33:11])

8. On Being the Voice of MLB The Show ([34:30]–[37:20])

• Boog recounts how voicing thousands of permutations for the video game ("MLB The Show") is a staggering technical and creative feat.
  • "There's base hit, left field, here comes the runner around third and the Mets are going to the World Series... And then every possible every. You are a nexus. And then I have to do your name and I do Pablo Torre. Torre. Torre..." (Boog, [35:41])
  • "We've done over 300 hours of recording." (Boog, [36:59])

9. The Absurdity of Play-by-Play, Extended ([37:27]–[43:10])

• Pablo and writers dream up outlandish, fictional sports scenarios for Boog to call:
  • Nicolas Cage in a Subaru Outback attacking a shortstop ([38:08])
  • Sir Anthony Hopkins eating a tortilla hat ([39:10])
  • Leonardo (TMNT) vs. Sonia Sotomayor arm wrestling ([40:08])
  • Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg fighting, then kissing, then getting run over by Cage ([41:00])
  • Pablo hitting a walk-off triple to win for the Cubs, with a velociraptor scoring ([42:22])
    • "Pablo Torre, the hero, as he knocks in Velociraptor and the Cubs walk it off." (Boog, [43:10])

10. Bonus: Play-by-Play for the Rain Scene in "The Notebook" ([44:35]–[46:35])

• At Pablo’s final request, Boog delivers a full play-by-play of the iconic emotional climax in "The Notebook":
  • "I've seen the movie. I'm not embarrassed by it. Yeah, it wasn't over. It's never over. It's not over right now. Come over here. That's all I got." (Boog, [46:20])

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On voice technique:
  • "You basically just get yourself more to your diaphragm... I'm calmer, and then it's just more natural." – Boog ([02:15])
• On inherited style and authenticity:
  • "I've learned and come to appreciate that all of us everywhere are imitating somebody... where there is a gold standard, unconscious or not, it gets passed down like an heirloom..." – Pablo ([13:11])
• On chaos and skill in the booth:
  • "It's two parts. It is diagnosing and articulating. And the diagnosing part certainly replicates what he does in his former job. The articulating has nothing to do with it and is a completely separate skill." – Boog ([23:03])
• On integrating advanced analytics in broadcasts:
  • "If you want to do something that delivers some form of accuracy." – Boog ([28:10])
• On video game voice recording grind:
  • "We've done over 300 hours of recording." – Boog ([36:59])
• On what goes unseen:
  • "You want people on some level to not know how hard it is." – Pablo ([31:11])
• Absurd scenario play-by-play:
  • "Nick Cage is out of the Toyota Outback, and he's got a gun. He's got this... Oh, it's a Nerf gun. Everybody will be fine." – Boog ([38:08])
• Emotional sign-off:
  • "Absolutely. Love you, buddy. This is fun." – Boog ([43:15])

Episode Structure & Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:06–04:00 | Opening; Star Voice Anecdotes, Voice Mechanics | | 05:30–09:00 | Defining Greatness: Miller, Scully, and the craft | | 09:00–15:16 | Authenticity, Imagination, Catchphrases & Inherited Styles | | 15:16–17:12 | Pablo's Zaftig Booth Experiment | | 18:04–23:31 | The Tom Brady Broadcasting Debate | | 25:39–33:44 | Modern Booth Craft: Research, Social Work, Stats Integration | | 34:30–37:20 | MLB The Show: The Life of a Video Game Commentator | | 37:27–43:10 | Absurd Play-By-Play Scenarios | | 44:35–46:35 | "The Notebook" Scene: Romance via Play-by-Play |

Conclusion

This episode offers an intimate, expert, and deeply entertaining look into the life and work of elite sports broadcasters through the prism of Boog Sciambi’s career and personality. It peels back the curtain on what makes great commentary—balancing tradition, authenticity, social nuance, and a little silliness—while lightly skewering the myths about “instant greatness” (like Tom Brady’s prospects). It’s a master class in both the artistry and hidden labor of live sports broadcasting, served with wit and warmth, and crowned with some of the most creative booth calls you’ll ever hear.

For listeners: Whether you’re fascinated by sports media, curious about the tradecraft behind iconic calls, or just want to hear professionals riff on ridiculous hypotheticals, this episode delivers plenty to savor.