Talkin’ Baseball: An Appreciation of Dave Nathan
I love to listen to baseball games on the radio. It’s a habit I picked up after college when I was working part-time jobs to scrape rent together and couldn’t afford cable. I tuned into Joe Simpson’s call of the Atlanta Braves games. He’s a Braves Hall of Famer, and Dave Nathan, the voice of UNC Diamond Heels Baseball, is just as good.
As the play-by-play announcer, Nathan tells listeners exactly what happens on the field. Like “a fastball darting over the outside corner,” this description must be quick and accurate. But there’s poetry to it. Groundballs are “gobbled up.” Base hits are “roped” or “ripped.” Baseball has insider language, and Nathan is fluent in the lingo.
Yet, he also adds his unique touches. My favorite is his description of a routine flyball. The Tar Heel outfielder settles under the ball, and Nathan says, “Gravity does its thing. It always does.”
Baseball is legendary for its downtime. When watching from the stands, a fan can find plenty to look at. But the radio requires non-visual filler between the pitches. Nathan knows the hitter’s biography and might share a personal detail or trivia. He’s not above the occasional dad joke, which plays well with me. I love it when he tells us about the wind that has picked up or the shadow of the setting sun creeping across the outfield. He paints pictures with his words.
Nathan works for the Tar Heel Sports Network. He makes no attempt at impartiality or to hide his bias. Nathan cheers when UNC’s Caden Glauber strikes out the opposing team’s hitter. His excitement makes the game fun, such as when his voice rose to a shout as UNC’s Colin Hynek launched a homerun over the centerfield wall last weekend.
The Diamond Heels will host the Super Regionals and look to continue their dominance. I’m rooting for them. But even if tickets weren’t sold out, I’d probably still be perched on my front porch, picking up Nathan’s call on 97.9 The Hill. He does his thing. He always does.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the author of the book with Wipf and Stock Publishers titled This Is the Day: A Year of Observing Unofficial Holidays about Ampersands, Bobbleheads, Buttons, Cousins, Hairball Awareness, Humbugs, Serendipity, Star Wars, Teenagers, Tenderness, Walking to School, Yo-Yos, and More. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he is a student of joy.
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