You may have noticed a new face on TBS Tuesday. No, it wasn’t endless promos for American Dad or various other new Turner series, but that of Casey Stern. He replaces Keith Olbermann as the network’s new host for their half of the Major League Baseball postseason. The 35-year-old is actually a veteran of the old ESPN series Dream Job, but he’s spent most of his career on the radio (he still hosts a regular show on MLB Network Radio and with other MLB Advanced Media properties).
I spoke to Stern a couple of weeks ago in New York City about his A-list analysts, replacing one of the most prominent baseball of a generation, and our shared love/hate/love: the New York Mets.
Steve Lepore: Knowing that there’s zero story here, when did they come to you for this job, and when they did, did you think “Oh man, what happened with Olbermann this time?”
Casey Stern: No. I didn’t really think about that. I started talking with them over the summer, and I didn’t really think about that. I like Keith and I watch him and he’s extremely talented and been around a long time. For me, I never even really thought about that.
I’m a media guy, I’m not giving you an answer like Derek Jeter would give you. Just, for me it was just be calm and nail the audition and be a good person, it wasn’t about who was there before.
SL: How many auditions did they make you go through?
CS: I went down to Atlanta once, I met with them here in New York. I’m just happy that it worked out. I’ve been doing mostly radio since 2008, whereas I was doing mostly TV before that. I’m pumped, man. I think we’re gonna get people talking about baseball on TBS, and that’s a good thing.
SL: What needs to be done to get people to talk about baseball?
CS: I think just the fact that, no one’s ever gonna do anything here to top what they do with the NBA, because what they do with the NBA. But I think, for baseball fans — and I talk to them everyday — they believe that if they’re in the best spot to learn and laugh and be entertained, you’re not leaving. We’re gonna bring that. That’s what I care about, and I feel like that’s what I was hired to do.
If I can’t do that, you guys and your site can certainly blame me for that, because for me, that’s what I’m trying to do and I’m trying to bring the baseball coverage that I can.
SL: Can’t be that hard when you’ve got Pedro Martinez and Gary Sheffield.
CS: Oh my god, no man. My job’s to make them shine. Pedro’s the best pitcher I ever saw, I covered him in Boston and New York. Sheffield’s got 500 home runs. They have great personalities, they’re not afraid to say anything. This is gonna be a wacky show in terms of the fact that we’re gonna have some fun. I think diehard baseball fans will enjoy it because they’re gonna get some information. But when you’ve got these two, it’s not about me, it’s about them. I’m not gonna be wallpaper, but consider me like a pocket square trying to make the suit look better.
People want to be entertained. Baseball’s a long season. For me, I’m just trying to have fun.
SL: Not having satellite radio, I asked some readers what they thought of you, and the only real “negative” I got was “he loves to talk about the Mets.” As someone who does that in their personal life, even with them not around right now is that hard to not do?
CS: I do love the Mets. I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem doing the postseason or the AL. I think a lot of hosts don’t talk about what they do and who they are, I’m not like that. I threw things at the TV when Kenny Rogers walked Andruw Jones, I broke a television. I love baseball, and I’ve gotten used to far beyond being a Mets fan.
SL: What do you do for the depression?
CS: [laughs] In Animal House they say: “My advice, drink heavily.” I tend not to go that route. Probably my four-month old baby, and some PlayStation 4.
SL: It’s a lot of different markets this year, especially in the AL — no Yankees, no Red Sox — is that sort of exciting in getting these somewhat unfamiliar (to a national audience) teams?
CS: I hope for the ratings it is. For me it is, as a diehard baseball fan. Kansas City hasn’t won in forever. From a baseball fan standpoint it’s exciting, but it could get boring real fast. If the Tigers win their division, I think it could be over real fast.
SL: Is this the postseason where the general public starts talking about Mike Trout the way diehard baseball fans do?
CS: I hope so. That’s a great question, I hope so. He’s gonna end up being, and I know we’re all afraid to say it, but someone we’re talking about in 40 years as one of the best ever. The guy does everything well, he’s so young, he’s from Jersey which basically tells you that he’s awesome. I’m a Springsteen and then there’s everything else guy. I’d love Trout and Kershaw, to me if it’s Angels-Dodgers, on a bigger stage.
I think the reason baseball doesn’t get the credit it deserves, maybe the time it deserves on ESPN and some of these other places, is because they like to sell stories and stars, and they don’t feel like baseball’s got enough. You need to get Trout and Kershaw on that level, their play deserves it. They’ve got great personalities, Kershaw’s a great guy… I hope so.
SL: Can it maybe help that Derek Jeter won’t be in the playoffs because we’ll see a full passing of the torch?
CS: A lot of people might be afraid to say it, but that’s what it is. Every pre game show would be all over it and “oh by the way, Kansas City’s playing in this place.” Because it’s not about that, now it’ll center around other stories. You look at Trout and, with no Garrett Richards — one of the best young pitchers — and their great record since that, their a great story. Best team in baseball.
SL: It’s a little funny to me, as a Met fan, that technically your main competition is Kevin Burkhardt.
CS: Yeah, he’s not my competition. I just mean that from the standpoint of… he’s terrific. I know how good soundbites are…
SL: Not at all, I was just wondering if you checked yourself against him..
CS: I don’t, because I don’t check myself against anybody, I don’t consider myself to be in anyone’s class until I’ve been doing it as long as they have. I’m just going in trying to bust in. I think and I feel pretty confident that I’m going to make some people’s eyes open.
SL: What do you think you bring to the table that will make people’s eyes open?
CS: I’ve spent every day of the last 11 years waking up, covering baseball for 24 hours and waking up the next day with no sleep at times. I do the show every day, I’ve covered the last eight or nine postseasons. I love baseball and I know baseball. There’s a lot of guys who you could say “he like this or he’s an NBA guy…” I’m a baseball guy. I think I can bring that and I’m looking to bring that as much as I can.
