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The MLB World Series winner who’s trying to be Pat McAfee of baseball

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Benjamin Adducchio | Last updated 4/14/24

The world of sports broadcasting has changed tremendously in the last few years, and now it may change once again. Former MLB World Series winner Eric Hosmer is trying to become the Pat McAfee of baseball, per the USA Today. Hosmer is working on a documentary series giving baseball players a platform to tell their stories.

“Obviously, my playing days are over, but I still wanted to be involved in the game,” Hosmer said, per the USA Today. “I wanted this to player-driven, having another outlet that players can share a unique experience with fans, enlighten them, shine light on topics without holding back.”

Hosmer created a media company called MoonBall Media, which is producing the docuseries. Hosmer recently interviewed one of his former teammates for the series, Tommy Pham. The two players played together in San Diego, for the Padres.

“We’re giving players a platform, and even if a player doesn’t really want to dive in, we can let people know what the player is doing through,” Hosmer added. “There are a couple of different instances where I wish I had a platform to really share.”

Hosmer’s baseball career

Boston Red Sox first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) runs toward third base during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. © Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Hosmer spent more than a decade in the MLB, from 2011-2023. He played for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. Hosmer may not be a household name, but the retired first baseman left his mark on the league. He won a World Series championship with the Royals in 2015. He also finished his career with 6,439 at-bats, and batted .276 in his career with more than 1,000 hits.

The first baseman won the Silver Slugger Award in 2017. He was an MLB All-Star in 2016, and won a Gold Glove Award four times in his career. He hit 198 home runs in his time in the MLB, and batted in 893 runs. Hosmer is still getting paid by the Padres, even though he stopped playing in San Diego in the 2022 season.

Hosmer said Pat McAfee was a huge inspiration for him, and one of the reasons why he wanted to start his own podcast with MLB players. Hosmer started the media production company with Anthony Seratelli, a former teammate of his with the Royals.

“I can’t get go too far away from the game if I want to get back in,” Hosmer added. “So this is finding ways to create content and stories in different ways. You see how much fun Pat McAfee and his crew has with the football guys. He provides a certain level of comfort where they’re not so guarded, and you see more of the personality of the players.

“That’s what we want to be, and hopefully one day if that opportunity comes for me to be back in the game, I’ll be ready.”

MoonBall Media is expected to produce a weekly podcast, as well as unscripted original programming, per Forbes. Time will tell if the docuseries becomes a hit.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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