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Scott Franzke and Kyle Schwarber Meet the Moment Again During the Field of Dreams Game
By Nick Piccone
Published:
The Phillies have taken part in some cool baseball moments over the last few years. The incredible run to a 2022 World Series appearance started it. In 2023, they played the Washington Nationals in Williamsport, Pennsylvania at the Little League Classic. In 2024, they played the New York Mets in London, England. And, of course, Thursday night they played the Minnesota Twins in Dyersville, Iowa for MLB’s annual Field of Dreams game.
The Phillies have begun the second half of the season quite cold. They’ve technically fallen out of a playoff spot already, but thanks to their win in Dyersville, they jumped up and currently hold the third Wild Card spot in the National League as of this writing. It’s been a difficult watch for already a large portion of the season, but Thursday night’s win felt like a small throwback as a reminder as to what this team could be.
And that’s the issue. What they could be isn’t enough for many people. Can’t say I blame them. But – hand up – it’s enough for me right now. And all it took was one swing.
Kyle Schwarber has acquired a reputation for having a flair for the dramatic. Whether it’s a monster bomb in San Diego during the 2022 NLCS, a leadoff home run in the 2023 NLCS, a four-homer game against a divisional rival, or even a three-homer game to share the spotlight with a teammate procuring their first cycle at the major league level against another division rival – Schwarber always seems to find himself among the most notable baseball celebrities right now.
At the same time, lead Phillies radio play-by-play broadcaster Scott Franzke also finds himself among baseball’s elite on the headset. He’s already given us plenty of highlights this season, but as much as Schwarber seems to meet the moment, Franzke does all the same.
“I think one of the reasons that baseball on the radio still works is because people can consume it passively. They’re driving, falling asleep in their beach chair, or doing yard work. They can do other things and be a part of it. A lot of people like the audio wallpaper, if you will. It’s there. It’s around them. They enjoy it passively and do other things in their life.”
Franzke said this in Matt Breen’s Inquirer article published back in July. While Franzke paints a picture of how fans may consume a day-to-day sport during the dog days of summer, it magnifies just how much the relationship a local team’s radio broadcaster has with the fan base. There was no local TV broadcast of the Field of Dreams game. National games usually take the place of a local TV broadcast, but they don’t take the place of the local radio broadcast. And that’s why, at least in Philly, it means so much.
So when Schwarber came up to start off the show Thursday night, Franzke had to at least know there was a chance he and Schwarber would have the opportunity to create yet another memorable moment this season.
And they did just that –
“The 2-0 to Schwarber. Swung on, hit deep! Headed for the corn! And that ball is gooone! Leadoff home run for Kyle Schwarber to electrify the crowd here in Dyersville! 1-0 Phillies!”
There were still 27 outs left to get for the Phillies and Twins, but the memory was instantly crafted. If the Phillies somehow wound up on the losing end of the game, that memory would still be etched in our minds.
I understand if some fans are a bit fatigued by these conversations since these Phillies have yet to win a World Series. Who cares who meets the moment if it doesn’t end up with a parade!? I get it. And, in some ways, that used to be my mindset for a long time. Before I really got into writing last decade, I really didn’t care about moments unless they were playoff moments. I didn’t appreciate enough. And as I started getting older, I wanted to make it a point to appreciate what I can now and share it. It’s why I started posting the radio clips. I realized how much other people appreciated the greatness of the people we have behind the mic, and how lucky we are compared to other sports teams and cities. I realized there can be an incredible moment during the course of any game that can be celebrated, even if that game ends up as a loss for our team.
There definitely is a fine balance between celebrating something awesome happening during the course of the game and highlighting that after the game ends in a loss. I’ve learned that quite a bit over the last few years. So, in a way, I’m certainly glad the Phillies won the Field of Dreams game. I’m glad Schwarber not only met the moment once, but twice. I’m glad Franzke got to meet that moment head on, and even Kevin Stocker’s call on Schwarber’s second home run was really good. It let us see and hear that even though these guys are professionals, they are still fans. And that’s important to remember when we celebrate great moments even if the ultimate goal is not met.
I hope we’re in for many more of these moments before the 2026 season ends. We all assume we won’t see baseball in 2027. And that’s what makes these moments mean something. At the end of the day, we’re hoping for a series win against the Twins. Creating some distance from the pack instead of fighting for the last playoff spot. But if distance isn’t created, and the Phillies have to scratch and claw their way to a postseason berth through the end of September – well, that certainly would give guys like Schwarber and Franzke quite a few more moments to meet, wouldn’t it?
Nick Piccone has covered Philly sports and events for over 15 years with various outlets, including PhillyVoice.com and PhillyInfluencer.com. In 2015, he co-launched the Straight Shooters Podcast, focused on covering the professional wrestling industry. He was a producer at Fox Sports Radio Philadelphia and currently produces broadcast and social media content for the Villanova Sports Radio Network. He grew up in South Philadelphia and South Jersey, and is a graduate of Neumann University. Contact: picconenick@gmail.com