MLB broadcaster Jim Kaat receives well-deserved Emmy nomination

Submitted by SHNS on Fri, 03/26/2010 - 15:58

·         AL Baseball

·         By RAY McNULTY, Scripps Howard News Service

ShareThis

The way Jim Kaat sees it, he has already won.

Just by being nominated.

"At my age, being retired, to be recognized in this way ... This is more than I could ever have imagined," the 71-year-old former major league pitcher and long-time Stuart, Fla. resident said of being nominated last week for a national Sports Emmy for his part-time work with the MLB Network.

"It's an honor just to be mentioned with the other nominees, especially considering I did only 10 games last year."

Apparently, Kaat did something special in those telecasts, because his competition for the Emmy in the Outstanding Sports Personality - Sports Event Analyst category includes the marquee likes of Phil Simms (CBS), Tim McCarver (FOX), Cris Collinsworth (NBC), Jon Gruden (ESPN) and Jeff Van Gundy (ABC).

And he did so despite being out of the booth for two seasons.

After 50 years in baseball - 25 as a pitcher, 25 as a broadcaster - Kaat retired in the fall of 2006. He had spent 12 years behind the New York Yankees' microphone, but he left the YES Network to spend time with his then-wife, Mary Ann, who was battling cancer.

"We were going to spend our summers traveling," Kaat said, "but all that came to an abrupt halt."

It was during their second summer of traveling around America in a motor home that his wife's condition worsened. She died in July 2008, leaving him retired and alone.

An avid golfer, Kaat would play often, but he needed more.

Finally, his baseball buddy - the same Tim McCarver he's now up against for an Emmy - suggested he go back to work, at least on a part-time basis. So he made a few calls.

Soon afterward, Kaat was in Puerto Rico for MLB International's telecasts of World Baseball Classic games. He then signed on to do at least 10 regular-season games for the fledgling MLB Network.

"The timing was perfect," Kaat said.

Now, he's a nominee for an award that would be the biggest of his broadcasting life.

"When I found out, it was quite a shocker," Kaat said. "I'm not even sure what was submitted."

Just his usual work would be enough.

Kaat won seven New York Emmy awards as a member of the Yankees' broadcast team. Though he was essentially employed by the team, he was anything but a homer as he shared his keen insights and sometimes-strong opinions with his audience.

As a big-league pitcher, Kaat won 283 games and 16 consecutive Gold Gloves. He knows how the game is supposed to be played. And when it isn't, he isn't shy about calling out the offenders.