PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - FOX Sports 910 host Jody Oehler talks baseball's spotlight moment and where he got his deep voice

Episode Date: April 28, 2020

Jody Oehler, host of "The Drive" on FOX Sports 910 AM from 6-10 AM Monday through Friday, joins the show to discuss his home closet studio, where he got his deep voice and his journey as a sports talk show host. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome back into another episode of the Rattle podcast here in our weekly interview series. We are honored this week to be joined by Jody Ailer. He is the host of the drive, which can be heard Monday through Friday on Fox Sports 910, from 6 to 10 a.m. Which, Jody, I think this is the first time we've spoken since you moved into the morning slot. You were in the drive home slot, I think from like 4 to 7 or something like that before. first off, thanks for taking some time with us today.

And secondly, is the 6 to 10 AM slot for you becoming a little bit too early in the morning? Has there been any issue with that? It's good to be here, man. And good to talk to you. I always appreciate the invite. And, you know, it's funny because this is one of those weird times where if it was a normal time, you know, waking up at 4 a.m. and showering and then driving into work, it's kind of a grind. but now that I'm broadcasting from literally my master bedroom closet every morning,

I can wake up at 5 a.m. roll into the closet. I get about an extra hour of sleep. So that extra hour of sleep makes a big difference. So I can go to bed now about 10 o'clock instead of 9 o'clock every night, which makes a big difference. Oh, there you go. Yeah, absolutely. You mentioned you're broadcasting from a closet.

What is that like? It's exactly what it sounds like. It's never anticipated in this, you know, we've grown as a family into our home, but I never anticipated needing to add a home studio. So, you know, obviously I work for a large company, our parent company's IHeart Media, which is the largest broadcasting company in the world. And so we have standard of utilities, but because of social distancing and really just a matter of abundance of caution, we converted to broadcasting from my house.

which requires running about a hundred foot Ethernet cord from my downstairs wireless modem, which is the only place to source I can grab it from, up the stairs through the hallway and into a closet. It's probably like, it's like it's a walk-in closet, but it's not like a big one. It's probably eight by eight. And I sit on the ground and I talk about sports for four hours. So it's something. Yeah. Oh, that absolutely is something.

I'm curious from your standpoint, just thinking topically here, obviously, not only are, you know, we broadcasters stuck at home and kind of, you know, getting used to it to a different format of doing what we do. But I know, I mean, it goes the same for sports. Sports teams are not playing like they normally would. There is, at least not as of yet, any NBA playoffs to be spoken of. The Major League Baseball season, of course, has been pushed back. Have there been days where you, you know, show up, I guess, I was going to say to the office, but I guess to the closet.

And you just feel like you don't really have a whole lot to talk about that day because there just isn't a whole lot of sports going on right now. Yeah, a lot of people will ask me that of family members or neighbors that I see from 20 feet away as we shout to each other to some form of human contact. You know, it hasn't been bad because the NFL draft was always there. And, like, you know, even in a normal year, like you mentioned, we'd have NBA playoffs, we'd have the beginning of the baseball season, all the trends that happened in the early storylines. We would have had March Madness and college basketball. But even in a normal time, the NFL is going to always be king.

And those other topics are just sort of a little spice, a little variety. So really the last six weeks have been fairly normal, but we've just, I've just, it's basically a hundred percent. NFL draft, which is not ideal. Now we're kind of getting into the weird part where the draft is behind us. This week is going to be about reacting. This is the week after the draft. Right. Next week, there's nothing concrete on the horizon.

So it's kind of a fun challenge, you know, topically. You've got to really be creative. And if you're a radio host that relies on, you know, kind of being spoon-fed stories from games or what other people are saying, then you might be challenged. But I'm looking forward to it, man. I think radio is such a fun medium to be creative, to be spontaneous, to be organic. And so I'm kind of looking forward to seeing where those sort of new places take us on the show. Always kind of related to sports, but we'll just kind of see where it goes.

Yeah, well, from my standpoint here on the Rattle, I know myself and all of our listeners are certainly looking forward to the return of baseball. and I want to ask you about, obviously, there have been several plans that have been leaked to the public with regard to this. There's the Arizona plan, which would have all 30 teams sequestered here in Arizona using spring training facilities along with Chase Field to play games. We've also heard about plans that would do something similar along those same lines, but maybe include Florida, maybe include both Florida and Texas. All of those ideas have swirled around. I know Jeff Passon over at ESPN are released a piece just yesterday. kind of outlined all of the conversations that are going on right now, but did express quite a bit

of optimism that baseball would return at some point here in 2020. I want to start out, Jody, by asking you one thing just about here in the state of Arizona, all three of those plans that I mentioned involve Arizona. And whether it's 10 teams being here or 15 teams or 30 teams or the entire, you know, major league baseball scene all taking place here in the desert, Arizona is probably going to have a pretty big role to play in whatever the return of baseball does look like when that happens. What do you think that means for Arizona? A state we're kind of used to being maybe a little bit overlooked in the national spectrum. And it seems like this may be an opportunity, although the circumstances are certainly not what we'd expected.

But, you know, an opportunity to kind of shine a little bit and kind of become, you know, a force in the national view, at least for a time. Yeah, and, you know, just to start off, you mentioned the circumstances. I feel like the, you know, the appropriate qualifier to any answer is none of this is exciting in the normal context. None of this is fun. It's all at the cost of human suffering and or economic suffering that compels all of these changes to happen. So I don't want to diminish or minimize that in any way, shape, or form. But acknowledging that and acknowledging that it's also fundamental to sort of, of mental health and economic viability that sports return.

And Arizona being a big part of that, listen, we are overlooked, but we're also a big event city. And this is a city that's got the infrastructure of hotels, plenty that are, you know, at an appropriate standard for what Major League Baseball would require, given the volume of players that may have to come here, as you mentioned, in any form. Restaurants, I mean, anything that needs to serve. a large group of people over an extended period of time we are prepared to do that. I think obviously the challenges come in.

Weather is a big challenge. This is the one part of the story I couldn't get over when they leaked it. It's like, listen, I know we've got ballparks in spring training, but July and August and Phoenix, it's no place to be playing a major league baseball game in the middle of the day, you know, or even in the early morning, almost all those games would have to be done at night. talking about one game per stadium. And so I think I think there's some of those logistical challenges. But what's kind of interesting, and again, it's, you feel a little selfish

talking about this with people still really, really struggling is that it could be a real economic kick for a city that like everyone else has really taken a financial hit. So you're talking about hotels that were ravaged during people. tourism period here in Phoenix and March. You're talking about restaurants that are still struggling day to day to keep their doors open while it's not going to be a panacea and fix everything for everybody. If you brought a couple hundred professional athletes and you could safely, medically, clinically play baseball without jeopardizing unnecessarily anyone's lives, it could be a real

positive for the city. So I'm excited about that. I'm excited that Phoenix can be a part of the solution because like you, I'm this. I mean, I've missed my fantasy baseball drafts. I've missed all of my keeper league decisions. I've missed following the box score day to day. And the fact that Phoenix isn't a position to be a part of that solution, which I think they will be. You know, you mentioned some of the other scenarios.

I think what we're also starting to hopefully kind of realize is that more places are going to be possible because a month ago it felt like Phoenix might be the only option. now I feel like there's going to be there may be more places that are still closed down in a month than are open and I'm not a medical expert to comment on whether that's right or not but I think I highly highly doubt that Phoenix will host

all of baseball now I think it's just some fraction of it that split out over a few places you mentioned earlier that following the NFL draft, the topics in the sports world certainly kind of thin out a little bit. And I think in a way for the game of baseball, that could serve the sport potentially just by the fact that baseball normally doesn't, you know, doesn't really have much of a spotlight moment. You've got the NBA playoffs at the beginning end of baseball.

You've got the NFL kicking in toward the end of the baseball season. There's really only a month or two in the very middle of summer. where baseball is normally kind of in the center of American sports. Whereas, you know, if this happens, you know, it's very possible that baseball really shines not just as the only sport, but is one of very few live events to watch just nationally speaking. And I think for a sport that his long time, you know, started to struggle. Ratings on television seem to be going up, but the product on the field is not drawing as many fans into ballpark as it has in the past.

The general consensus is that baseball seems to be maybe declining a little bit in overall interest from Americans. But what do you think this means for the game of baseball to maybe have that spotlight nationally for what could be, you know, several months? It's got the potential to be really revitalizing and really kind of put baseball back into what it was for so many generations of people, which was. something familiar, something comforting, something exciting, something just that feels American. And I think that's still the power of baseball.

And again, assuming all of this can be done and are really, you know, as safe as safe can be, it's got the potential to sort of rekindle a lot of people's diminished love for baseball. Because you're right. I mean, listen, there's other sports that have taken over baseball. Baseball has their own challenges that they've met. but I think there's still sort of something in all of us that connects with baseball, Little League Baseball. You know, this is just your Eurasim head just like I am, probably more so at this stage.

And I would watch early in March, mid-March, Japan Baseball was getting ready to return. And on Twitter, you could watch highlights of some exhibition games in Japan. Now, they ultimately had to shut that down. Korea, we know, is ramping back up. I'll watch Korean baseball highlights on social media. And it doesn't matter that it's in a language I don't speak or with players I've never heard of or in a country that I've never been to. It's baseball. And when I watch it, there's a part of me that just felt in a weird way kind of comforted that there's some place in the world right now where it's safe to play a game that I've played my whole life that has always been, hey, let's go outside and play wiffleball.

Let's go to a minor league baseball game. Let's go to a major league baseball game. And now as an adult and as a professional, let's talk about baseball. So I think when baseball returns, it's going to really be a powerful signal to a lot of people like, hey, this is going to be okay. We're going in the right direction. And as far as Major League Baseball and how Major League Baseball could benefit, I think there's a lot of reason and a lot of motivation to see how this season works in a concentrated form. You know, fewer baseball games has been sort of historically antithetical because of all of the stats and records that are directly attributed to 162. But I'm excited to see a potential, you know, an 81 game season and just see how that feels with a little more urgency.

And baseball, I think, just has an opportunity if it can be done right and medically appropriately to just remind people of why they were all baseball fans in the first. yeah absolutely um i'm curious jody you mentioned earlier that the baseball seems to have been a part of your life for uh for quite some time uh i want to jump into to your story uh as a as a broadcaster i know with your gig that you've had now for a while with fox sports nine 10 hosting the drive i believe you're out in tucson working radio uh before then but uh we would love just like a like maybe the 10 000 foot view of your story of you know growing up and eventually turning into the broadcaster that you are today that, you know, people here in the Phoenix area have grown to really enjoy.

Yeah, man, I've just been, you know, like many people, just grew up sports obsessed. I grew up in rural southeastern Pennsylvania and our yard literally butted up to a cornfield of an Amish farm and there's, you know, having my mom or dad stand out there and pitched batting practice. My dad built a pitching net for me to practice. for community league baseball. I played basketball. All these things that are just kind of part of growing up

anywhere in America, really. And for me, rurally, it was really the only thing to do. And so I'd read the box scores daily in the newspaper, baseball, and every Thursday sport would get delivered to my oldest brother. And I would devour that cover to cover. And then later, you know, as the Internet came along, I remember going and prying out box scores on the old dial-up connection. that it would take an hour to load one page and just to print out of box score to highlight my favorite baseball players what they did that day.

And fortunately got to college and discovered student radio there, which I know you've experienced as well. And I didn't even really know what sports talk radio was basically until college. Was it nearly as prevalent in the early 90s as it is now? And got to student radio at U of A in 1998 and started doing my own radio show. in 1999 and loved it and goofed around with my friends. And, you know, part of this is just I was born, a good broadcasting voice. And it allowed me to have some doors open right away. I got my first paid on-air job immediately out of college.

I was working full-time at a hotel front desk, just trying to do my first college, post-college foray into the world and was doing about 10 hours a week of updates in Tucson, and then eventually got hired full-time to work for a local nonprofit where I worked for about three years, and then part-time I was doing a one-hour sports talk show that I was fortunate enough to land. And Brian Jeffries was the one that first hired me,

and I just kind of have always appreciated him. And I went up and asked if he had any jobs, he said, send me your demo and hired me and was able to turn those into some hosting opportunities. And then I was in Tucson for a show down there. I'm fortunate to have people that wanted to listen. And good opportunity came up in Phoenix and I've been up here for seven years now. And, you know, it's just, it's different now. I mean, I've been doing it professionally for 15 years. So my view on the sports landscape is different than it was before. But I still love it and eat, sleep and breathe it. And it's just,

it's a passion. Jody, I'm curious. You have certainly one of the deepest broadcast voices that I think I have personally ever heard. And I'm curious, when did that start? Did 13-year-old Jody Ailer have just this extraordinarily deep voice that all of his friends were looking up to? Or what did that look like for you? Yeah, it's funny. I was, you know, I was always kind of the run of my friends.

I grew up, I was the shortest one in class. I mean, I remember well into middle school when I would answer the phone at home when people still made phone calls on landlines that people would assume I was my mom. You combine that with the fact that I've got a first name that's kind of a girl, a female name, Jody, and I'd get, you know, letters in the mail

for Miss Teen Arizona because they didn't know any better. And so I had this, you know, you kind of have complex when you're a teenager, and I was this gangly, pale, red-headed kid. kid that was built like, you know, pieces of spaghetti attached to a broomstick. And I had this voice that just to this day, I will literally startle people who will see me that don't know me. And if it's a cashier, pre, you know, COVID-19 or whatever.

And I'm still, I'm just this gangly redhead. And I'll start talking and they're taken aback. And I mean, it's probably. once to two times the week, somebody will comment on it. And again, it just happened. I don't know how it happened. I didn't start smoking cigarettes when I was 10 or, you know. I have no idea how or why it happened,

but I'm glad it did because it's certainly been beneficial in my career choice. Last question here for you, Jody. I'm curious, looking back on your broadcasting career, starting out in Tucson and moving out here to Phoenix, is there maybe one day in your broadcasting career that you would relive over all of the other days? Is there any moment that really, really sticks out to you? That's interesting. I don't think anyone's been doing before.

I don't know that I've actually thought about that myself. I don't know that there is one day. I don't know. You know, the joy of radio is that every day is a new day and you get to kind of paint a new picture. And so I honestly try to be grateful and appreciative that I have had any time. for someone to pay me to talk about what I love. I mean, I do live for, you know, conversations around big events.

You know, if it's Zach Granky, unexpectedly signing with the Diamond Dam. And that show is going to be amazing. If it's a big Cardinals game or a draft pick or a trade, those are the days that you just, you never know when they're going to happen, but when there's some real juicy red meat that you know you get to put your spin on

and people want to hear from you, man, those are as good as it gets. So I don't know that any one day specifically, because in my time on the year, there hasn't been a lot of tremendous amount of success for many of the teams involved. So there's not a championship rod as to have been able to do or anything. But I am grateful and appreciative that I get to do it every day and that people take the opportunity to listen, which I always appreciate. Well, Jody, thank you so much for sharing your talents and gifts. and your extremely deep voice with us here today on the Rattle Podcast.

We certainly appreciate it and look forward to having you on again here sometime soon. Always a pleasure, Jesse. Look forward to talking some baseball games here in the near future with you, my friend.