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Lookout Landing Podcast 76: Keaton Gillogly of the Modesto Nuts talks top prospects and the art of broadcasting

Jarred Kelenic, Logan Gilbert, MiLB life, the GOATball, and the Purple Palace

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Logan Gilbert: nice in person, very mean on a mound
Photo by Bill Mitchell

Matthew and John are off doing other things this week, so Kate sits down one-on-one with the voice of the Modesto Nuts, Keaton Gillogly. Modesto has quickly blossomed into one of the most interesting teams in the farm system with the promotion of top prospects Logan Gilbert and Jarred Kelenic, joining Cal Raleigh, Joe Rizzo, and strikeout king Ljay Newsome, among others. Keaton offers some scouting reports on the current Nuts roster, discusses the changes he’s seen since the Mariners organization took over Modesto as an affiliate, and offers some concrete advice for young broadcasters hoping to sit in his chair someday (hint: upgrade your Toyota Corolla for your grandparents’ minivan as soon as possible).

0 - 10:00: Kate takes an excuse to say “Gillogly” as many times as possible, and Keaton gives a brief rundown of his background with some tips for aspiring young broadcasters.

10:00 - 17:00: Keaton gives us a glimpse into his year, January through the baseball playoffs, and a general sense of what his day looks like in-season. He also introduces his 2002 Chrysler minivan, the “Purple Palace,” as his road companion in the nomadic life of a minor-league broadcaster.

17:00 - 20:00: Having worked for a handful of teams, Keaton discusses some of the best players he’s ever seen in person, including Seattle’s own Mitch Haniger, part of the Green Bay Bullfrogs in the Northwoods League, and Daniel Vogelbach.

21:00 - 31:00: Keaton talks about some of the changes he’s seen in Modesto since the Mariners took over as the affiliate, including a different approach to balancing personnel with diverse backgrounds in baseball.

31:00 - 35:00: Into the prospect scouting! Kate asks about Ljay Newsome’s dominant year and what he’s done to take a step forward, and Keaton analyzes Ljay’s spinning fastball, nicknamed “the GOATball” by former Nut Reggie McClain. Also included: a brief discussion of Reggie McClain and his improvements. McClain is now in Triple-A after once joking he’d have his number retired in Modesto.

35:00 - 41:00: Staying on the theme of pitching, Keaton offers a scouting report on Mariners top pitching prospect Logan Gilbert and his four-pitch repertoire, as well as his methodical, bulldog mentality and how he’s seen Gilbert respond to facing some of the top prospects of the Cal League.

41:00 - 45:00 : Sticking with the prospect battery, Kate and Keaton discuss Cal Raleigh’s strong showing behind the plate. Keaton relates a story of some high praise for Cal behind the dish from a big leaguer, and praises Raleigh’s preparation and maturity as a catcher.

45:00 - 50:00: You’ve been waiting for it, and here it is: the Jarred Kelenic portion of the podcast. Keaton offers his impression of Kelenic as a five-tool player, and notes that not all Cal League home runs are created un-equal.

50:00 - end : Bullpen chat! While we were recording this, the news broke that reliever Joey Gerber has been promoted to Double-A. Kate asks Keaton why Gerber, who has had some command issues, makes sense in Double-A, and the two spend a brief moment praising Sam Delaplane, another recent promotion to Double-A. Bonus content: Goodwill day pictures, a sociological study of the Visalia fanbase, and discussion of the terrifying/adorable Nuts mascots.

Goodwill Day, a Denny Hocking invention: Players are given fifteen minutes to put together the best outfit they can from the local Goodwill before getting on the bus

You can follow Keaton @Gillogly on Twitter, and tune in to the Modesto Nuts games either on MiLB TV (all home games televised), via the TuneIn app, or the Stream Guys link Keaton posts on his Twitter. Go Nuts!

Music: “California,” Phantom Planet; “California Nights,” Lesley Gore

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