Kevin Burkhardt
Fox studio host and former SNY Mets reporter Kevin Burkhardt talks with The Post’s Justin Terranova about David Ortiz’s return, Carlos Beltran’s Mets chances and World Series pitching.
Q: How did the return of David Ortiz play out from your perspective?
A: Truthfully, I was stunned. I couldn’t believe it. Our coordinating producer went to see him a couple of months ago and he came back and was like, “Guys, he looks great and wants to do the postseason.” I still had to see him in the flesh. We had dinner before the ALDS started and that’s the first time I had seen him, and except for being down 30 pounds he looked great. And he is the same guy, busting chops, constantly laughing, eating like normal. It’s great to see him back and I think he really appreciates being back. I think he’s really enjoyed it.
Q: Have you been following the Mets’ managerial search closely?
A: I wasn’t surprised they fired (Mickey) Callaway. I am fascinated in what they are going to do here. It’s a tell-tale sign of how much power Brodie (Van Wagenen) has in that organization. There’s a lot of guys (they’ve been) talking to who I know would be very good. … Having covered (Carlos) Beltran, I know he’d be outstanding. And I know Eduardo Perez and I think he’d do well, too. He’s an awesome guy.
Q: Were you surprised that Beltran got in the mix, given his history with the franchise?
A: He has enough money, he doesn’t have to do anything. He just lives for the game. Deep down the reason he wants it is because he knows what kind of challenge it is. He knows how hard New York is and how hard it is to win there, but he knows the benefits of what it would be like to win there. Alex [Rodriguez] knows him well and he said, “He really wants that Mets job badly.”
Q: Do you think this postseason will have the Yankees more committed to adding starting pitching this offseason? A: I think it should. That’s what this World Series brings to the forefront, that starting pitching is still the most important thing. You have to have it. In a postseason series, you are forcing a reliever to work five games and maybe multiple innings, you’re showing those guys to those hitters five separate times. Q: You did play-by-play for 21 Rays games this season. Will you be doing it again next season? A: I am interested in doing it again. I haven’t really discussed it with them. I know they were happy with it and I enjoyed it. … It was a nice way to change it up and get back into some baseball play-by-play. It was low-stress and a good change of pace. It just helped me get better, just reps. It also coincidentally helped for the playoffs when FS1 had them for the ALDS. I knew the team in and out. We were doing the series and I helped produce a lot of segments because I knew the team so well.