Description
"Hi, everybody, and welcome ...." Those signature sign-on words from Hall of Fame broadcaster Denny Matthews have signaled the start of summer for Kansas City Royals baseball fans for five decades. Since the first day of the club's inception in 1969, Matthews has been there - on the call for Royals history. For anyone who has grown up with the Royals, Matthews has been the one constant, painting vivid portraits of the game he loves with the sights and sounds of the ballpark as his canvas.
Matthews offers an inside look at what he has witnessed and learned during his more than five decades in broadcasting - from the Royals' pennant-winning teams of the 1970s and 80s through the team's World Series title in 1985 up to the challenges of surviving as a small market team. With the help of former Royals players, managers, coaches, executives and broadcasters, Matthews shares stories on and off the field about everything from the humorous games and moments as a broadcaster to an insider's look at the business of baseball to the current state of the game.
Hi, Anybody is not about stats. It's not about sliders, steals, safe signs or strikeouts. It's about ideas, opinions, philosophies and perspectives on the bigger issues of baseball. From high fastballs on the topic of performance-enhancing drugs to curves and change-ups on hilarious happenings through the years, Hi, Anybody is a fascinating look into major league baseball from Denny's unique vantage point.
About the Author
Denny Matthews has been with the Kansas City Royals as a radio announcer since the club's first season in 1969. He is one of a few broadcasters in baseball who has broadcast exclusively for the same team, without interruption, in five different decades. After the 2003 season, the Royals selected Matthews for the club's Hall of Fame. Then, in 2007, Matthews received the Ford C. Frick Award, the highest honor for an announcer, from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1999 Matthews co-authored Play by Play: 25 Years of Royals on Radio. Matthews is an avid golfer and hockey player.
Matt Fulks grew up in the Kansas City area with parents who pulled for the Jayhawks, and started his journalism career while attending Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, after his baseball career was cut short by a lack of ability. He spends his time as a freelance writer, editor and co-host of the radio show, "Behind the Stats." He is the author/co-author of 14 other books, including Echoes of Kansas Basketball, More Than the Score, and A Good Place to Stop, co-authored with Max Falkenstien and Doug Vance. Matt resides in the Kansas City area with his wife Libby, their three children.