Two names most Kansas City Royals fans are exceedingly familiar with are Mike Sweeney and Jeremy Guthrie. They’ll get a reintroduction to the former players as TV and radio broadcasters for the 2023 MLB season.
The Royals announced Thursday that Sweeney and Guthrie will make appearances on Bally Sports Kansas City during select pregame and postgame shows and also make guest appearances in the booth. The two former players will also call games on Royals Radio.
“Like all Royals fans, I have great memories of Mike’s Royals Hall of Fame career and Jeremy’s contributions to our World Series championship in 2015,” Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman said in a statement. “And like all Royals fans, I’m excited to have them contribute to an already beloved broadcast team.
“We were happy to add Jake earlier this offseason, and are so appreciative of the ways Denny (Matthews), Ryan (Lefebvre), Hud (Rex Hudler), Monty (Jeff Montgomery), Joel (Goldberg), and Stew (Steve Stewart) already connect with our fans. I’m thrilled with how they’ve already embraced Mike and Jeremy, working together to tell the story of our team.”
Sweeney played 13 seasons for the Royals and is among the team’s all-time leaders in many offensive categories. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2015. He previously spent time as a broadcaster with MLB Network and Fox Sports.
I’m honored to be part of the Royals family & excited to to be back in the game that has meant so much to my family & me! Ready to get to work with the incredible KC broadcasting team & to have some fun with the best fans in baseball! #ForeverRoyal https://t.co/bVyOcBaS7O
— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) March 2, 2023
While Guthrie only spent four seasons with the Royals as a pitcher, he led the team in wins in 2013 and made two starts in the 2014 World Series, winning one game. He also brings previous broadcasting experience with him from MLB Network as well as other outlets.
It’ll be a new-look TV booth for the Royals this year following the retirement of Steve Physioc. Along with Sweeney and Guthrie, play-by-play announcer Ryan Lefebvre will be joined by Jake Eisenberg, who did play-by-play for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate the last two years.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.