(May 9, 2017) After months of casting lines for a baseball play-by-play opportunity, Max Herz has reeled in a gig. An STAA member, Herz will be one of two new voices for the Chatham Anglers. He’ll work alongside Syracuse University sophomore Drew Carter.
“I struggled to find full-time openings that made sense for me over the course of my senior year, and I consider this position, and the opportunity to fine-tune my broadcasting skills, to be the perfect thing for me to be doing while I continue looking for a full-time job,” Herz says.
A soon-to-be graduate of Vanderbilt University, Herz is thankful for the industry movements that made the A’s opportunity possible.
“In late March I saw the A’s broadcaster position listed on STAA and applied immediately. After two phone interviews I was told I was a finalist, and was offered the position later that week.
“The team typically returns one broadcaster from the previous season and welcomes a younger newcomer to the club, but was tasked with filling both positions this season after their returning broadcaster accepted a position with an MLB-affiliated club. I will be the first graduating senior to hold the position.”
In Chatham, Herz steps into an environment where broadcasters are set-up to flourish.
“Dan D’Uva and Bob Sherman, the two Chatham representatives I interviewed with, are firm believers in giving their broadcasters freedom to work together, get creative, and grow over the course of the 44-game season, while also providing professional caliber guidance along the way,” Herz explains.
Additionally, Herz is excited to become part of the A’s brotherhood of broadcasters.
“I’ve rapidly discovered how strong the fraternity of Chatham A’s broadcasters is, dating back to Mr. D’Uva, who started the entire web of Cape League broadcasts when he was in high school. The fraternity includes numerous broadcasters in affiliated baseball, Scott Braun of MLB Network, and Mr. D’Uva, the voice of the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. I’m sure there are plenty of other former A’s broadcasters in the broadcasting world whom I’m not yet aware of, as well, and I’m very excited about joining this esteemed group of sportscasters.”
While studying at Vanderbilt, Herz has been taking advantage of opportunities to get reps broadcasting four different sports on SEC Network+ and VandyRadio. He’s also gained experience as a sideline reporter and in-game host.
Like many of his fellow members, Herz originally joined STAA to access a range of sportscasting positions in one place. Once a member, Herz discovered benefit in more than the job leads.
“I was struggling to find openings as I started my search for a full-time job, and STAA was the perfect place for me to see a wide variety of available positions in one place. Additionally, I had seen many of the STAA-sponsored sportscasting Q&A videos on YouTube, but did not realize how greatly I would benefit from the wide-ranging advice portals on the [STAA Members site]. My demo reels would be nowhere near what they are now without the STAA guides for creating both radio and TV reels.”
(Visit Max’s STAA Talent Page).