How does a news broadcast deliver highlights when none are available? If you’re Josh Frydman and Jarrett Payton of Chicago’s WGN, you improvise new highlights.
As Frydman shared on X (formerly Twitter) noted, “the server that stores all of the station’s video content” was down. But the broadcast still had to show highlights of Thursday’s Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs and Game 1 of a doubleheader between the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago White Sox, which were both completed earlier in the day. Or, at least it had to show something vaguely resembling those games.
So, while Frydman described what happened, Payton, to the best of his abilities, acted it out.
It started with Payton in a Cubs jersey taking a left-handed batting stance. While Frydman said that Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 20th home run, Payton took a swing at an imaginary pitch, then trotted around the “bases.” Then it came time for the not-so-good news, when Milwaukee’s Caleb Durbin hit a home run against Chicago’s Jameson Taillon. Payton mimed throwing the pitch, then watched it sail out of the park.
Live TV waits for no one, including the server that stores all of the station’s video content when it goes down. So what’s a sportscast without video highlights? Improv theater with @paytonsun!
More: https://t.co/FCAiUYrnxB @WGNNews @RickTarsitano @GNSportsTV @WGNMorningNews pic.twitter.com/7BBAGGXjnP
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) June 19, 2025
The Cubs ultimately lost the game 8-7. And unfortunately for Chicago’s baseball fans, things didn’t go any better for the White Sox, as we soon found out.
Payton, this time in a White Sox jersey, mimed Chicago pitcher Sean Burke, who struck out seven hitters. He also returned to the batter’s box to demonstrate Michael Taylor’s home run, which put the White Sox ahead. Payton then returned to the batter’s box one more time, this time as St. Louis’ Yohel Pozo, who delivered a go-ahead hit in the eighth inning, which stood as the game-winner. And while Payton was still wearing his White Sox jersey, the hit was indeed for the Cardinals.
White Sox highlights as well! @paytonsun @WGNNews https://t.co/aErOUAZ8at pic.twitter.com/WfbGtYlFFA
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) June 20, 2025
As is the case in so many fields, the best announcers are often the ones who can make things work when the original plan falls apart. That’s certainly what Frydman and Payton did here. They did the best impersonation of a baseball game that they could, given what was available, and made it entertaining in the process.
