Sarge talks as good a game as he played
Gary Matthews, who starred for the 1983 Phillies, keeps his hand in the game as one of the team's broadcasters.
LEAVING THE GAME of baseball is difficult, which is why Gary Matthews, aka "Sarge," decided it was not an option after his playing days.
He had a 16-year career as an outfielder with five major league clubs, including the Phillies (1981-83). After retiring following the 1987 season, he spent time as a broadcaster and hitting coach before landing a permanent home in the Phillies' broadcast booth in 2007.
Matthews missed playing on the Phillies' 1980 World Series-winning team by 1 year. But he was a member of the '83 team and the NLCS MVP when the Phillies beat the Dodgers in four games, only to lose to the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series in five.
Before coming to the Phillies, Matthews had played nine seasons without getting to the playoffs.
"All I was thinking about was that I didn't want to be one of those players that had a career and never played once in the postseason," Matthews said of his time with the Phillies. "Even though we didn't win against Baltimore, it was great to be in that atmosphere."
Matthews' major league career began with the San Francisco Giants in 1972 and ended with the Seattle Mariners in 1987.
In '83, the career .281 hitter hit .258 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI. In all, he played on three postseasons teams: Phillies (1981 and '83) and Cubs ('84).
After playing and coaching at the major league level, Matthews found his second love in broadcasting.
"I ended up getting an interview with [Phillies president and CEO] David Montgomery and he asked me if I was done with being on the field," Matthews said. "I said yes and I'm still here today."
When Matthews was added to the booth in '07, he joined longtime broadcasters Chris Wheeler and Harry Kalas. Matthews honed his craft by viewing tapes of Kalas, Wheeler and late Phillies broadcaster Richie Ashburn.
Matthews said he learned a lot from the tapes, but remembers one specific phrase he picked up from Ashburn during a playoff game against the Dodgers in 1983.
"At times I have used this myself," Matthews said with a smile. "Ashburn said, 'Trying to get a fastball by Matthews is like trying to get a pork chop by a hungry lion, it just ain't gonna happen.' "
From that point on, Matthews realized that it was best to be yourself as a broadcaster and use your own style. The 62-year-old said being patient and getting through the tough times of learning a new skill in Philadelphia was his only hurdle in his broadcasting career.
During his playing days in Philly, Matthews and Wheeler were friendly with each other and stayed in touch after Matthews was traded to the Cubs in 1984. The connection the two have today in the booth is second to none, Wheeler said, thanks in part to their 30-year friendship.
While Matthews enjoys broadcasting, his fondest memories are from his playing days.
"You just can't compare playing and broadcasting," Matthews said. "I don't get the same satisfaction out of it. I could do something about the stuff on the field, but up in the broadcast booth, I can only get angry. You can talk about it in the booth, but down on the field you are with your warriors."