Alex Cohen is in his seventh season as the play-by-play broadcaster for the Iowa Cubs. He has also called many college games for ESPN and other networks. You can follow Alex on X at @Voiceof Cohen2. Alex recently made his MLB broadcasting debut calling two Chicago Cubs games for Marquee Sports Network and shared his story for today’s guest column:
“Do you get nervous?”
Over the last 15 years of broadcasting professional sports, I’ve been asked that question about a thousand times.
The answer has always been the same.
Excited? Of course.
Anxious? Absolutely.
Overwhelming feeling of anticipation? You bet.
But nervous? Nope.
We are talking about sports. We entertain, have fun, try to bring people together, all while being the voice to their memories. It’s simple. That should never be nerve-racking, right?
Or at least that’s what I thought up until about 9:00 PM on July 13, 2024.
I was in the lobby of the hotel in St. Louis, a night’s sleep and about 1,200 feet from making my regular-season MLB broadcasting debut between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.
And for the first time in my life, I WAS N-E-R-V-O-U-S.
“I Belong”
Twelve hours later, everything shifted.
I’m in the visiting TV booth on the third level of Busch Stadium before the game.
And it’s a sense of calm. Peace. Adrenaline.
Why? Well, a few reasons.
Possibly because my wife and three close friends from college surprised me when I needed it.
Maybe because I had been telling myself it’s the “same play, larger auditorium” adage for the last month.
But more than likely, it’s because I realized I finally felt confident that this was exactly where I was supposed to be – in front of more than 45,000 fans in one of the most intense rivalries in baseball.
It had been fifteen years since I started calling games for the sport I grew up playing and obsessing over.
Much like the ones who play on that field professionally, I’ve also gone through the minor leagues – which can be grueling and tiring, but also exciting and exhilarating.
Through the delayed flights and broken-down bus rides, the players and coaches became like a team and family.
No-hitters and walk-offs. Cycles and hidden-ball tricks. Blowouts and one-run games. Last-place teams and playoff pushes. Batting practice sessions and clubhouse chats.
More than 1,500 games spanning six home states and four countries of repetition.
Every conversation, inning, and highlight was the perfect combination of preparation.
And all that combined with the help of the staff, the team and the thousands of Cubs fans – I was more than ready.
In fact, I belonged there.
A Show in The Show
Throughout the game, a message from Boog Sciambi marinated in my brain.
“Smile more. Talk less. Have fun.”
And you know what? Boy did we have fun.
Sure, the Cubs welcomed me to the Big Show by hitting six homers, beating their biggest rival on the day before the All-Star Game. That helped.
Of course, the players who I have grown to know and care about, at the Triple-A level days, months, and years before put on an absolute show.
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two homers. So did Christopher Morel.
Ian Happ, who gained my ultimate respect five years prior when he sat down with a dozen kids at a mock press conference for 45 minutes at Principal Park, hit a 400+ foot homer to seal the win.
Jim DeShaies, the color commentator for the Cubs and my partner for the afternoon, made the day so easy and enjoyable.
Between the win, the broadcast and the blue shirts in the crowd – everything about the day made me feel like a big leaguer.
Go Cubs Go
Five days later, I broadcasted the first game out of the all-star break for the Cubs.
It was a Friday day game at Wrigley Field, and quite honestly, it was the cherry on top of the time in the big leagues.
While the Cubs lost 5-2, the experience was a winner.
Getting a three-hour panoramic view of the most complete fan atmosphere in sports – the Wrigleyville rooftops, packed bleachers and hearing “Take Me Out to The Ballgame” belted out in unison among many things was the best.
No hyperbole either. The best.
Sitting in the same broadcast booth where legends like Jack Brickhouse, Harry Caray, and Pat Hughes have waxed poetic about baseball was surreal.
Working in place of Boog Sciambi, one of the best broadcasters in baseball and someone who I am lucky to call a mentor, was amazing.
Talking baseball for three hours with former All-Star and World Series-Winning manager and player Joe Girardi was a true pinch-me moment.
Heck, future Hall-of-Famer (hopefully) Jon Lester even sat inches behind us during the broadcast, in advance of his own broadcasting debut.
So yes, a win would have been great.
But broadcasting a baseball game at Wrigley Field, whatever pedestal I may or may not have previously put on it, was honestly everything I imagined it would be and so much more.
A Dream Come True
While I don’t think this has all still fully resonated, I’m grateful.
We had fun and entertained, much like I’ve always done — just ever so slightly more amplified.
The support has been endless. I can’t thank my family, friends, colleagues, the broadcasting world, and most importantly, the fans enough for all the comments. Your kind words mattered, and I’ll forever remember.
In reconciling the pregame nerves, I’ve since realized that those feelings, while stressful, were normal. Go figure!
Why? I simply love calling baseball games. I love the sport and its strategy and quirks. I love the people in the game: front office staff, players, coaches. Most importantly, I love the fans.
The nerves were a simple reminder of how much I care about the journey, this game and the people in it.
And from now on, I’ll never be nervous about showing that.
