SNY takes broadcast to new heights by finding a way to dramatize the pitch clock

Already adept with some of the best announcers in the sport, SNY continues to elevate its Mets broadcasts to new heights.

John DeMarsico — the game director for the Mets’ regional sports network — is the man behind the curtain. DeMarsico was responsible for the broadcast(s) that helped make Edwin Diaz’s “Narco” entrance go viral. Now, DeMarsico has something new up his sleeve, as networks around the country continue to navigate the new rules for the 2023 Major League Baseball season. 

Yes, most broadcasts, including SNY, have added the pitch clock to their score bug. But, DeMarscico has taken it to another level.

During Monday night’s game against the San Diego Padres, New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer toed the rubber before he came set to throw a 1-2 pitch to outfielder Trent Grisham. It’s the top third inning in the 11th game of a 162-game season and there’s a runner on third with one out, and yet, DeMarscio found a way to make it seem like it was a pivotal part of Monday’s game and the season.

Most dramatic pitch clock countdown EVER! ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/J039BQimEy

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 11, 2023

The SNY broadcast featured Scherzer and Grisham on split screens as the pitch clock ticked between them to the sound of dramatic music. Scherzer engaged Grisham and held for 10 seconds before firing the pitch, allowing the dramatization to settle in. The soundtrack wasn’t faint, as it was loud enough that you could hear it simultaneously with play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen’s voice, but it still played an important part in telling the story.

These two teams faced off in the National League Wild Card series last season and yet somehow, DeMarsico found a way to make an at-bat during the 11th game of the following season more dramatic. It was a scene right out of your favorite TV show, as you anxiously wait for something dramatic to happen. 

Grisham fouled off the pitch, but still…

As DeMarsico continues to take the broadcast to new heights, you never know what you might see or hear when watching a Mets game. Of course, that was already the case with Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez serving as the soundtrack for the team since 2006, but this has added an extra element and could draw a different crowd who wouldn’t normally tune in.

Unless you are a baseball fan that lives and dies on every pitch, there’s seemingly nothing dramatic about Scherzer throwing a two-strike pitch to a career .223 hitter in Grisham. And yet, Monday night there was.