Back in January 2008 I conducted my first ever interview; it was with Terry Byrom, Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for the Harrisburg Senators. With all the changes in the Senators over the past year I thought it would be a good idea to sit down with Terry again to get his take on how the Senators have evolved since our last interview.
Senators Fans Unite: How are things going this ‘off-season’?
Terry Byrom: Will, things are going great this off-season. We are hearing a lot of excitement about the renovations. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to come to the ballpark and see all the construction equipment and know that things are finally happening.
SFU: You and Dan Watson seemed to have good on-air chemistry last season. With Dan moving on to be the radio voice of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, do the Senators intend to find someone to help you call games this year or will you be the lone voice of the Senators?
TB: I will definitely miss Dan on and off the air. He was ahead of his age on the air and with his knowledge of the game of baseball. I fully expect to get free tickets from Dan when he’s working for whatever big league he’s going to get a job with because I have no doubt that he’ll reach the big leagues.
At this point the plan is for me to be solo this year. We’ll see if that changes as we get closer to the season. I might have a couple of surprise guests this year, but nothing permanent.
SFU: 2008 was a tail of two halves. The Senators got off to a fast start and did pretty well until the All-Star break. After the break they were competitive at times but fell behind in the standings and missed the playoffs. What are your thoughts on why there was such a decline in the second half?
TB: All teams have good stretches during the season and bad stretches. It’s very noticeable early in the season and it’s easy to notice late in the season. The Senators last year just had too many players promoted too quickly and by the time the “new” team gelled towards the end of August it was too late to make a run at the playoffs. But what a season it was on the field. Fans were really treated to a whole lot of future major league players last year which is what makes following AA minor league baseball so much fun.
SFU: What are your thoughts on the Nationals prospects that came through Harrisburg in 2008 (Daniel, Desmond, Bernadina, Maxwell, Leonard Davis, Zimmermann, Martis, Zinicola and VanAllen)?
TB: That looks like a pretty good list of players to me. For the Nationals to get turned around, that type of list of players needs to come through here every year. Jordan Zimmermann is going to be a player that is fun to follow in the big leagues. I think he’s still just learning to pitch and last year gained confidence with every start he made. I’m still a big fan of Roger Bernadina and think that Roger can still become an everyday player in the big leagues. Justin Maxwell just needs to have a full season where he can be injury free so that we can see what he can do which is going to be a lot!
SFU: It’s kind of early to predict but if you could guess, what do you think the 2009 Senators starting line-up will look like (including starting-5 pitchers)?
TB: Wow. This is a tough one. I really don’t have a good idea about who is going to be here because we don’t know how many more minor league free agents the Nats are going to sign. The other thing to keep in mind that repeating AA for even three seasons doesn’t mean that a player can’t get to the big leagues and contribute. I would imagine we are going to see a fair amount of players here to start the season that were here last season. And it wouldn’t surprise me to see players start here that were promoted to Columbus last year.
SFU: The Nationals have been drafting and signing young talent aggressively over the past few years. Out of all the draft picks and signings who are some of the prospects you’re most looking forward to seeing on City Island?
TB: I’m looking forward to seeing Chris Marrero, Michael Burgess, and Ross Detwiler. I’m also looking forward to seeing Bill Rhinehart and Edgardo Baez get fresh starts here.
SFU: Senator’s fans were promised renovations for many years, now that it’s finally taking place what are some of your favorite features in the new stadium?
TB: For this season, I’m really looking forward seeing people on the boardwalk during the games and really feeling like the field is “surrounded.” I think it’s going to be a lot fun watching home runs go out on the boardwalk. I’m also really excited about all of the video board space we are going to have, over 2400 square feet to really give the fans entertainment we’ve never been able to give before. And lastly, for this season, I’m really looking forward to the seats above the fence down the left field line. I love seeing home runs go into the seats in Altoona, and I think it will be just as exciting here at Commerce Bank Park.
SFU: In the new stadium what are some of the ‘behind the scenes” features that will assist in making you job a little easier?
TB: I’m not sure about this year, but there are plenty for next year. Having all of the press/media information in the press box will be a huge help to me and will be nice for the media to have to go to just one place. Having a better press setup will certainly make doing my job easier. All of our jobs next year will be easier because of how exciting everything will be with the new ballpark.
SFU: Thanks for taking time to answer some questions. Do you have any parting comments for Senators fans?
TB: I can’t wait for the season to start. I think it’s going to be so exciting to see the fans come out to the ballpark this year and see the looks on their faces as they look at the new video board and the boardwalk. I also want to thank the fans for making me feel so welcome over the past four years, they’ve all been very kind to me. And Will, thanks for providing the fans with all of the photo’s and information through this terrific website.
I want to thank Terry for taking time out to answer a few questions. Good luck this season.
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