HOUSTON — After Brandon Marsh completed a journey around the bases that left him nearly breathless, a gaggle of humanity awaited the Philadelphia Phillies center fielder to greet him after the biggest hit of his life, from Rhys Hoskins to Bryce Harper to JT Realmuto to Ken Rosenthal .
Wait. Rosenthal?
Yep. The longtime baseball reporter and sideline analyst for Fox Sports broadcasts has been embedded near the Phillies’ dugout this entire postseason, breaking down yet another wall between performer and viewer. Before this postseason, Fox Sports struck an agreement with Major League Baseball, the involved teams and the players to air in-game interviews from the dugout, just a few breaths after game-turning moments.
Even if the participants are struggling for oxygen, themselves.
“Ken got to me pretty quickly. I couldn’t really catch my breath!” Marsh remembers about his three-run home run to launch the Phillies towards a series-clinching win over the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series. “Words really couldn’t describe that feeling I had in that moment. Because when I was jogging around the bases, I couldn’t even feel the ground.”
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Yet the nation got to hear Marsh’s unvarnished thoughts immediately, as MLB takes the sideline interview with a coach a step further – and puts the athletes front and center.
It can feel strangely voyeuristic at times. And it can also seem like an adrenaline rush for player, viewer and reporter alike.
“It kind of gives the fans a special glimpse into what’s going on in the dugout, some of those thoughts that happen as soon as the moment is over,” says Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins. “I wish there were times we were a little more in the moment with what’s going on in the game, but I also understand it makes the game better.”
And no subject has been as compelling as the Phillies.
After their wild-card sweep of St. Louis, they vanquished defending champion Atlanta in four games and captured the NL pennant in five games over San Diego. And the homer-happy club provided numerous instant reactions for Rosenthal, who only entered the dugout in the aftermath of a clip-worthy moment.
“It’s a little different. I know it’s not our place,” Rosenthal says of the dugout. “But there is wide agreement on this – MLB, teams, players – and they know I’m doing it. And I think it’s cool. I think there’s a difference between interviewing a guy postgame, when he’s relaxed, and in the middle of it.
“And I think that comes through, for the most part. It’s something we’ve wanted to do a while and this year, we were able to do.”
It does not hurt that there’s a significant consistency and comfort level with Rosenthal, a familiar face from working the Phillies clubhouse as a reporter for numerous outlets, currently The Athletic, as well as his years of sideline and postgame work for Fox Sports.
“To be honest, if the fans like it, it doesn’t bother us,” says Realmuto. “It’s a very quick interview – I think it’s one or two questions. We’ve only had Kenny in our dugout and he’s been super respectful.
“The first, I hit an inside-the-park homer and I couldn’t do it and he was completely fine, totally respectful. The next time I hit a home run and was able to do it.”
There are a few loose rules for entering the sanctum. Most notably, no interviews can take place with two outs, in the event the ensuing at-bats is too quickly, forcing a commercial and possibly disrupting the player’s preparation. And catchers such as Realmuto are more likely to need time preparing for the next inning.
And the player always has the right to refuse. So far, the Phillies have been willing trailblazers in breaking down another wall to the audience.
“If it’s good for the game and the fans enjoy it, it’s something we want to do,” says Realmuto. “If they’re happy, we’re happy.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Series on Fox: Phillies sluggers embrace live dugout interviews