Broadcasting baseball matches during the pandemic required some creativity. Home broadcasts were performed in front of empty ball fields in 2020, with TV stations only having Zoom access for team staff. Road broadcasts were often performed in the same empty ball fields or in remote studios. By 2021, even though the restrictions were loosened, most broadcasters were still not allowed to travel.
This season, however, the plan across almost the entire sport is a return to normalcy. The majority of the team broadcasters will be back on the road. However, the angels are among the outstanding ones.
The Angels’ radio broadcasters will not travel this year, a source told The Athletic – the team declined to comment on the situation – and their TV stations will only travel occasionally and mostly stay home to accommodate play-by-play man Matt Vasgersian, who hope to be able to broadcast about 80-100 games or “as many as I humanly can do.” Most will be done from a Secaucus, NJ, studio.
“Anyone who is critical of the remote setup, I understand that,” Vasgersian told The Athletic. “It’s going to be easier for you if you’re on the pitch. I understand that. For me, in my situation, I’m not only appreciating the technology required to do it this way, I’ve made a point of become familiar with it and embrace it. “
On the flip side, many TV companies across the industry have been talking about the challenges of teleworking over the last two years. Jon Sciambi, Cubs play-by-play announcer and ESPN broadcaster, told The Athletics’ Jon Greenberg in June 2021 that he worked hard with Chicago’s Marquee Sports Network to get back on the road and said, “I’ve been annoyed about it.