I’ve wanted it since I was 10 years old. I spent countless hours preparing for it. I made sure I was ready for it. Then, it happened. This past summer, I got a taste of my dream: covering a Major League Baseball game as a credentialed reporter. As part of my internship with Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to cover my hometown Philadelphia Phillies on two occasions. When I accepted the internship back in January, I had no idea how many amazing opportunities I was going to get. Throughout the summer, I met a handful of CSN broadcasters, writers and producers, covered a Sixers workout and five Eagles training camp practices, and got to write over 20 stories for CSNPhilly.com. But the highlight of my internship by far was covering the Phillies. Baseball is and always will be my favorite sport and my goal is to someday work as an MLB broadcaster and writer. It was an honor, even for such a brief amount of time, to live my dream at such a young age and experience what a career as an MLB reporter is like. Both Phillies games that I covered were at 7:05 p.m., a standard start time for night games, so to get a feel for what an MLB reporter’s typical day is like, take a look at the schedule below. 3-3:30 p.m. – Get to the ballpark, check in at the media entrance, head up to the press box. 4 p.m. – Go down to the locker room for pre-game player availability and a quick manager press conference. 4:30-6 p.m. – Watch batting practice from the field/dugout area, get additional interviews, maybe start writing a pre-game story. 7 p.m. – Game starts. Take notes on the early innings, score the game, start thinking of your story angle. 6th/7th innings (9-9:30 p.m.) – Start writing your game story while keeping an eye on the game. End of game (10-10:30 p.m.) – Head down to media room/clubhouse for manager’s press conference/ post-game player interviews. 11 p.m.-12 a.m. – Transcribe interview quotes, finish writing your story with quotes in it, head home. Spending nine hours at a baseball stadium on a hot, summer day was tiring, but it was everything I’ve ever dreamed of and more. When you’re as passionate about baseball and journalism as I am, you don’t think of covering a baseball game as a job. Don’t get me wrong, a career in sports journalism is hard work, but it’s enjoyable work. And I’m not kidding when I say I got to live my dream covering those two Phillies games over the summer. In covering those two games, I wrote four stories for CSNPhilly.com. Of the four, there was one in particular that I’ll always hold close to my heart. On August 12, the second of the two games I covered, the Phillies honored former first baseman and future Hall of Famer Jim Thome by inducting him onto the team’s Wall of Fame. I was seven years old when the Phillies signed Jim Thome in December 2002 to what was then the largest contract in franchise history. He was the first “big-time” player the team brought in during their rebuilding process that ultimately led to a World Series title in 2008. He was a player I looked up to and one that brought hope to the entire city. 14 years later, it all came full circle for me. I watched his induction ceremony, sat in the front row of his press conference about 10 feet away from him, got to ask him a direct question, and finished the night off by telling his story as to why he means so much to Philadelphia, the Phillies and their fans.
That is the highlight of my journalism career to this point in my life, and I’ll remember it forever. I’m humbled by the opportunity and experience, and hungry to keep it going. Life is too short not to follow your dreams. This past summer, I was fortunate enough to get a taste of mine, and to get a glimpse of what my future holds.
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My WritingI use this page to post any feature stories and columns I write in my free time that aren't affiliated with another publication. Archives
March 2020
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