RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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NBC is learning about Anthony Rizzo what Cubs fans already knew.
“His personality is infectious,” NBC Sports senior producer Matt Borzello told the Sun-Times. “I can see why he was such a fan favorite in Chicago.”
Rizzo has taken to his burgeoning second career as a TV analyst quite well, impressing colleagues and executives with his insights and work ethic. He’ll take another step Sunday when he debuts in the broadcast booth to call the Reds-Cubs game on NBC’s “Sunday Night Baseball.”
The star first baseman for the Cubs’ 2016 World Series champions, Rizzo began his broadcasting career this year as a field analyst for NBC’s “Inside the Pitch” feature. The plan was to put him in the booth twice to help prepare him to call a wild-card series, all four of which will air on NBC.
A scheduling conflict limited him to one game in the booth, and when NBC flipped Reds-Cubs with Astros-Mets a month ago, flexing the Cubs into prime time, Rizzo’s first game as a booth analyst became a “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast.
Rizzo will be the Cubs analyst alongside Reds analyst Jeff Brantley and play-by-play voice Jason Benetti. Former Reds first baseman Joey Votto will be the “Inside the Pitch” analyst.
How will Rizzo prepare for the new role?
“Just ask questions,” Rizzo told the Sun-Times. “Lean on Jason Benetti, lean on the NBC crew. I am very in tune with the Cubs. It’s basically speaking my language talking about them. It’s just a little bit more in depth on the stats and how guys have been doing, more making sure all of that’s readily available – so it sounds like I know what I’m talking about.”
Rizzo was effusive in his praise for Benetti, the former White Sox TV voice, calling him the captain for the ship.
“Jason Benetti’s a great leader,” Rizzo said. “He basically directs all of it in the best way, making sure it’s a broadcast and not necessarily a podcast. I enjoy it, and I hope there’s times where people learn something or think of something in a different way. Hopefully, that’s what I can bring to the table.”
Borzello said he has, pointing to a recent broadcast in which Rizzo, as the field analyst, broke down Phillies star and former Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber’s at-bats. Rizzo explained how Schwarber’s first at-bat set him up for his second, in which he homered.
“His insight in knowing situational baseball is remarkable,” said Borzello, the lead producer for “Sunday Night Baseball.” “He’s definitely a Cubs expert. He talks to the players and coaches all the time. We had a production call the other day, and he was talking about he spoke with Ian Happ and one of the coaches. We had a couple of questions, he said, ‘Hey, let me follow up.’ ”
But going from playing baseball to talking baseball isn’t easy. Borzello said Rizzo is being taught to get to his point quickly because what he says first is what the audience will hear.
“I’ve had a lot of help behind the scenes from Bruce Cornblatt, who’s with NBC, who’s been in the industry a long time, coaching me up, how to deliver what I’m trying to say,” Rizzo said. “The challenge has been the delivery at times. But there’s nothing but positive feedback. It’s just little adjustments that you make.
“It’s what I took into baseball: Nothing is ever going to be perfect. I’m really striving for perfection, but I just want to be really good all the time.”
Borzello is looking forward to hearing the banter between Rizzo and Votto, who competed against each other in the National League Central for almost a decade.
“With Votto and Rizzo, you’ve got two of the best first basemen of their generation and two of the best personalities,” Borzello said. “There’s such a mutual respect between those two.”
Borzello also is looking forward to working more with Rizzo, who has contributed to Netflix’s baseball coverage, as well.
“This is not just a one-off for him,” Borzello said. “He wants to be better and better every week. There’s no doubt this will be an excellent second career for him, not just a little side gig.”
Said Rizzo: “It’s been the perfect amount, honestly. I’m around it as much as I want to be, and I’m away from it as much as I want to be. It’s good to be able to talk the game, to be around the game and do it on my own terms.”
Remote patrol
NBC 5 hired Natalie Spala as weekend sports anchor/reporter. She’ll start next week. Spala, a native of Livonia, Mich., arrives from WJLA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Washington. Longtime sports anchor Jeff Blanzy will continue to fill in. Also, beginning in September, NBC 5 will air a local sports show at 6:30 weeknights.
• Ryan Dempster , who was named to the Cubs’ 150th anniversary team, and Kevin Millar will co-host MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk” at Wrigley Field from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
• Jason Goff soon will launch the podcast “Jason Goff: Unscripted” with 312 Sports, the platform that carries Dan Bernstein’s shows. Goff also will host a twice-weekly national football show.
• Proving the shortsightedness of Nexstar’s decision to lay him off in February, Chris Boden is back for fill-in work at WGN-TV and Radio as the sports calendar gets busy.
• The Brewers-Cubs game Thursday will air exclusively on Fox. First pitch was moved to 6:15 p.m.
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