Pablo Torre Finds Out — "The Best Voice in Sports Goes Deep"

May 14, 2024

Episode Overview

In this episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, Pablo sits down with Boog Sciambi—the acclaimed voice of the Chicago Cubs, ESPN, and the MLB: The Show video game—to unpack the art, pressures, and quirks of sports broadcasting. The conversation dives into Boog’s voice mastery, the often-misunderstood mechanics of calling a game, why not every ex-athlete is destined to be a broadcasting star, and a delightfully absurd series of broadcast improv scenarios. The episode offers insights into the craft of announcing, the unique pressures of being “the voice,” and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into both professional and personal moments from the booth.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Making (and Maintenance) of a Legendary Sports Voice

• Vocal Technique and Authenticity

  • Boog attributes his distinctive sound to conscious vocal training ("get yourself more to your diaphragm... I'm calmer, and then it's just more natural." [02:15])
  • Pablo jokes about his own on-mic learning curve: "Only when I started podcasting in earnest did I realize, like, I'm, like, going through podcast microphone management puberty." [02:53]

• Handling Compliments and Self-Deprecation

  • Boog shies away from praise for his voice, but Pablo insists: "You have the best voice in announcing, let alone baseball." [03:15]
  • Boog: “When somebody says that I have a nice voice, I appreciate it. But... it's like trying to tell somebody, I don't even want to come up with a crappy metaphor.” [03:29]

• Voice as Musical Instrument

  • Pablo uses a fitting metaphor: “John Bug Sciambi has a Stradivarius tucked deep inside his diaphragm.” [03:46]
  • The voice in sports, they agree, is about both musicality and restraint.

The Art and Pressure of Live Broadcasting

• A Tradition Bound by Restraint & Originality

  • Boog: "You're announcing a game for an audience that is used to a century plus of tradition... there is a restraint that's built in, but inside of that space, you get to be... there is an art to this." [09:05]
  • On iconic calls (Jack Buck & Vin Scully): “The best part about that call is he doesn't do it once, he does it twice... they had one shot at it.” [10:11]

• Difference Between Playing the Game and Calling the Game

  • Boog spells out the challenge: “The skill is diagnosing and articulating. The diagnosing part certainly replicates what [Brady] does in his former job. The articulating has nothing to do with it and is a completely separate skill.” [23:03]

• On Copying the Greats and Finding Your Style

  • "All of us everywhere are imitating somebody. But within these industries where there is a gold standard, unconscious or not, it gets passed down like an heirloom." [13:11]
  • Boog confesses: “Sometimes someone will hit a little roller up along first and all of a sudden I find myself like just rolling into that call.” [13:25]

The Tom Brady Broadcasting Debate

• Pablo and Mina Kimes’ Take

  • Both believed Brady would be an instant success as a color commentator (“Tom Brady is gonna be good at broadcasting... his take is inherently interesting because that's how good he used to be.” [18:38])

• Boog’s Pushback

  • "More often than not these guys come to become color analysts. They're not very good, the ex-athletes." [21:05]
  • On live call challenges: “He’s got to say his first and last name. And accessing that is a completely different skill set than... playing quarterback.” [21:21]
  • "For it to be executed at the highest, highest level, it's two parts. It is diagnosing and articulating... to prognosticate that he will be good at it, we're all just kind of guessing." [23:03]

• LeBron as an Example

  • Boog: Podcast breakdowns are impressive but removed from the chaos of real-time TV ("It's not happening in live real time." [24:30])

Inside the Booth: Process, Preparation, and Partnership

• Preparation Beyond the Mic

  • Pablo reveals Boog’s work: "You have on your phone an advanced statistical personalized stat packet... you have your iPad in which you score the game... you're having these conversations with people on the other team..." [30:17]

• Statistical Storytelling

  • Boog’s mission: Translate front-office thinking to fans.
    • "They don't care about wins. Pitcher wins. They don't care about runs batted in, for the most part... The two stats that correlate the most with run scoring are on base and slugging." [28:10]

• Camaraderie and Social Rituals

  • Gift-giving: Boog and his sideline colleagues present Mets announcer Keith Hernandez with Oreos featuring his cat, Haji [32:05], leading to a moment of pure baseball warmth.

Playful Proficiency: The Improv Broadcast Segment

• Boog's Range: From Video Games to Absurdist Scenarios

  • On recording MLB The Show: "I've done it for five years... over 300 hours of recording... I have to do every version... and then every possible every." [36:02]

• Absurd Prompts (with Time Stamps)

  • Nicholas Cage attacks a shortstop with a Nerf gun:
    • Boog: “Whoa. Hey, what do we got here? Look, there's a car in the field. Good Lord... That's Nick Cage... He's shooting the Nerf gun at Bobby Witt Jr. This is terrible. I stink at this.” [38:08]
  • Sir Anthony Hopkins eats a sombrero:
    • "One of the great things about coming to Wrigley Field is a giant sombrero hat made out of tortilla chips... I think I see some fava beans there." [39:10]
  • TMNT's Leonardo vs. Justice Sotomayor arm wrestling:
    • “Away we go. Release the arms. And Leonardo, very, very strong... Sonia Sotomayor back the other way. She's got some guns.” [40:08]
  • Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg UFC fight interrupted by Nicholas Cage:
    • “Elon with a takedown... Wait, what's that? It's Nicolas Cage. He's driving his Toyota outback onto the field. And he has run them both over and killed them. And this fight is over.” [41:13]
  • Iconic send-off: Pablo hits a game-winning triple, driving home a Velociraptor at Wrigley:
    • “Pablo Torre, right hand hitter, digs in. Velociraptor over there at first... That’s gonna get into the corner... Velociraptor is on his way to the plate and save. Ball game. Cubs win. Pablo Torre, the hero, as he knocks in Velociraptor and the Cubs. Walk it off.” [42:18]

• Romantic Play-by-Play: "The Notebook" in Sports Voice

  • Boog gives the rain scene from The Notebook a classic play-by-play spin:
    • “Well, looks like it's gonna rain. Ryan Gosling knows it's gonna rain now. It's raining, everybody... She's furious... your mom hid the letters he wrote every single day. 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.” [44:38]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Tradition and Innovation

  • "I want to give you as much of me as I can." — Boog Sciambi [12:20]

• Iconic Call Philosophy

  • “The best part about that call is... he had one shot at it. Nobody.” — Boog on Jack Buck and Vin Scully [10:11]

• On Hard Work Invisible to the Audience

  • "The point is that you want people on some level to not know how hard it is." — Pablo Torre [31:11]

• On What Stats Matter in Baseball

  • “They don't care about wins. Pitcher wins. They don't care about runs batted in, for the most part... The two stats that correlate the most with run scoring are on base and slugging.” — Boog Sciambi [28:10]

• On Being Replaced by AI

  • “Nah, not really. I mean, eventually I probably will ask for it.” — Boog Sciambi, on AI announcers [36:24]

• Pablo’s Podcast Approach

  • "I've been searching for fair criticism of myself... and you have been... I told you this before the show was launched.” [18:07]

Key Timestamps

• Harry Caray bathroom story: [00:06 – 01:53]
• On voice and vocal preparation: [02:15 – 03:15]
• Debate on iconic announcers: [05:38 – 07:22]
• What makes a great live call: [10:11]
• Tom Brady in the booth debate: [18:38 – 23:34]
• Inside the broadcast booth (research, stats, prep): [28:10 – 31:28]
• Running improv scenarios: [34:55 – 43:10]
• Romantic sports call — 'The Notebook' scene: [44:35 – 46:37]

Tone and Dynamic

The entire episode is playful, self-deprecating, and affectionate, blending Pablo’s signature curiosity and Boog’s unpretentious insights. They tease each other about broadcasting habits, voice envy, and sports nerdery, but the expertise and respect for the craft shine throughout.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

The Best Voice in Sports Goes Deep isn’t just about announcing; it’s an invitation behind the mic into the artistry, anxiety, and camaraderie of sports broadcast. Whether discussing Tom Brady’s prospects as an analyst, the unglamorous grind of baseball research, or improv-calling a surreal home run by a Velociraptor, Pablo and Boog illuminate why the best in the booth are both invisible and unforgettable.

If you want to know what makes a great voice—not just the sound, but the soul—of sports, this episode is unmissable.