Views
Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
Joel Goldberg realized he would have to find other ways to make money when the Major League baseball season was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Goldberg, one of the announcers for the Kansas City Royals, is an independent contractor. He said he only gets paid when the team plays. So he is supplementing his income as a motivational speaker. He spoke to a combined meeting, via Zoom, of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce and the Fairfax Industrial Association Thursday, Aug. 13.
Goldberg built his speech around what it takes to make a successful team—trust, energy, accountability and makeup. This applies to athletics as well as other businesses.
Goldberg said trust is something a person must build with good relationships. He said Mike Matheny, the new field manager of the Royals this year, first spent time during the off-season visiting with players. Matheny has an open-door policy for players.
Goldberg said energy is important to baseball although it may not be from the person who is the loudest. He cited Alex Gordon, the Royals outfielder, who expresses energy with a quiet, confident manner. Rex Hudler, another of the Royals’ announcers, expresses enthusiasm with his “Hudisms,” similar to what Yogi Berra did. Salvador Perez, the Royals’ catcher, gives off much energy as part of his personality. Goldberg said.
Accountability means that as a team member, a player has to share the blame when things are not going so well.
The makeup of a team is important—that was something that Dayton Moore realized when he took over as general manager of the Royals in 2006. By acquiring players and negotiating appropriate contracts, he built a team that won the World Series in 2015.
Goldberg grew up in suburban Philadelphia and Chicago. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He came to the Royals in 2008; he also does play-by-play announcing for the Kansas City Mavericks hockey team.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.