Get ready, Royals fans, for a sea change this summer in the telecasts offered up by Fox Sports Kansas City. The decision to hire Rex Hudler to replace Frank White as the primary analyst represents a 180-degree turn.
While White generally focused on the game’s technical aspects in measured tones — and wasn’t above (usually gently) noting the Royals’ mistakes — Hudler readily admits to being an unabashed fan and cheerleader.“I’m training right now, physically, like I’m a player,” he said. “I’m in the best shape I’ve been since I played. I don’t think (manager) Ned Yost would have a guy who is 51 years old on his team but that, in a sense, is what he’s got.“That’s what I do as a broadcaster. I have a player’s mentality. That’s what I share with the people — what the guy is thinking; how he’s going to go about beating this guy; why he did something.”FSKC and the Royals jointly announced an overhaul last Friday in the club’s TV and radio crews. The moves stemmed from the decision last December to fire White along with Ryan Lefebvre’s desire to shift his workload back toward his radio roots.Lefebvre will now serve as the TV play-by-play voice for 90 of FSKC’s 140 in-season telecasts while shifting to radio for the rest of the club’s 162-game schedule.That change prompted the hiring of Steve Physioc, a Shawnee Mission North graduate, to handle TV play-by-play when Lefebvre works radio. Physioc will call 50 games on TV and shift to radio for the rest of the schedule.Plans call for Denny Matthews, in his 44th year, to work about 110 radio games. Bob Davis will fill in when Matthews pregame and postgame duties along with in-game reports.“Denny Matthews and Ryan Lefebvre are the voices of the Royals,” said Physioc, a 34-year broadcast veteran with a deep resume beyond baseball. “I’m just coming out of the bullpen to help out. I really believe in the team-first philosophy.“When the producer cares about the talent; when the talent cares about the director and the graphics people; you have an opportunity to put together a terrific show. I’m just so excited to be working with these guys and coming home.”Physioc, 57, grew up as a Royals fan in Merriam and attended Kansas State before launching his broadcasting career after his graduation in 1977. He cites former Royals broadcaster Fred White as a major influence.“He was my idol growing up,” Physioc said, “because he broadcast not only the Royals but also K-State football and basketball. I would schedule raking the fall leaves around listening to Fred call Wildcat games. He’s been in my corner the whole time.”The Royals’ broadcasting shake-up reunites Hudler and Physioc, who were Angels broadcasters from 1999 to 2009. Physioc knows what fans will soon realize —– that Hudler is a force of nature, a relentlessly positive force, in the broadcast booth.“Rex Hudler was part of my life for 11 years,” he said. “He is an absolute delight to work with. He has a passion for baseball and the community he lives in that is second to none. We’re not only colleagues; we’re really good friends.”Hudler’s contract calls for him to work as TV analyst for 120 games; Jeff Montgomery will fill the role in the 20 other games on the broadcast schedule. Joel Goldberg will continue to be host of the pregame and postgame shows on TV.“I believe television is a color commentator’s medium.” Physioc said. “That’s where Rex can be so important to the broadcast. Every single broadcast, he will say something where you’ll go, ‘No other broadcaster would have said that.’“It might be silly. It might be goofy. It might be compelling. It might be a story that nobody else can talk about. He has a heart of gold, and he is naturally a positive, optimistic person. You’ll get that in the broadcast.”Hudler was only hours into the job Friday when he offered up examples.“I’ve been looking at their players,” he gushed, “and I’ve seen some guys with some pretty good numbers. The nucleus…that got me excited right away. Broadcasting is so fun when you broadcast a winner.“I was really blessed to be with the Angels when they won their World Series championship in ’02. I’m getting goose-bumps thinking about that because it could happen in Kansas City.”Barely pausing for breath, Hudler raced on: “I saw it with the Angels. They had young guys who were up and coming. The Royals have the same kind of stuff, the same kind of players coming up. I like their chances for the future.“This year? Gosh, you have to believe, at this time of the year, that they’re going to win. That’s what you do as a player. You believe you’re going to win it all.“On paper? You don’t buy championships. You don’t win it on paper. You win it with execution between the lines.”Hudler batted .261 with a .296 on-base percentage in 774 games over 13 big-league seasons for six teams during 1984-1998. He became a broadcaster upon retiring in part at Physioc’s suggestion.“The 11 years that I’ve had as a broadcaster,” Hudler said, “the Royals’ fans are going to benefit from that. They’re getting an experienced broadcaster. I love my job. You watch Ned Yost work these young men, and for me to be a liaison between the players and the fans…“It’s the second-best job in the world to playing the game itself.” To reach Bob Dutton, Royals reporter for The Star, send email to bdutton@kcstar.com. Follow his updates at twitter.com/Royals_Report.Read more Royals
Posted on Sun, Feb. 12, 2012 11:30 PM
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Hiring Hudler, Physioc signals shift in Royals’ broadcasts
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