Royals broadcaster Joel Goldberg emphasizes trust and storytelling at Dillon Lecture Series

By SEAN BOSTON
Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas City Royals TV broadcaster Joel Goldberg shared lessons on storytelling, trust, and teamwork Tuesday during a press conference ahead of his appearance at Hutchinson Community College’s final Dillon Lecture Series event of the year.

Goldberg, who has been part of the Royals’ television crew since 2008, headlined Tuesday morning’s lecture at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, closing out the 44th season of the series, a HutchCC tradition that has brought more than 170 speakers to Reno County since the early 1980s.

Speaking with local media, Goldberg said his talk would focus on the power of relationships and “making deposits in people.”

“You have to make deposits in people in moments,” Goldberg said. “They may never pay off. First off, it feels good to invest in people, but you just never know. You have to assume your paths will cross again.”

Goldberg said that mindset has guided his 31-year career in broadcasting, especially when covering players who may only spend a short time in Kansas City.

“You never know when a guy you interviewed once will be back,” he said. “That trust you built early, that impression you made, may pay off later. It’s never really a waste of time.”

He also reflected on his front-row view of baseball’s modern era, calling it one of the most exciting periods in the game’s history.

“Every era is amazing,” Goldberg said. “What makes this one unique isn’t just Aaron Judge or Bobby Witt Jr. It’s Shohei Ohtani doing things we never dreamed could be done. At minimum, he’s the most unique player we’ve ever covered.”

Goldberg shared that one of the most meaningful moments of his career came far from the diamond, during a 2018 visit to Kuwait with former Royals great George Brett to meet U.S. servicemembers.

“We went there to thank them and entertain them, but they were the ones thanking us,” Goldberg said. “It ended up being so much bigger than baseball. Standing there with them, watching a Royals game at three in the morning 15 miles from the Iraqi border, I just remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m here.’”

He also gave insight into his interview style, explaining that he rarely writes questions down and prefers to let conversations unfold naturally.

“I want to keep it organic,” he said. “You can’t be so married to a script that you forget to listen. Every guest is different, some talk a lot, some don’t. You have to adapt in real time.”

Goldberg closed the session with a lighter moment, recounting the origins of the Royals’ well-known postgame celebration, the “Salvy Splash.”

“The first bucket wasn’t even Salvador Pérez, it was Alex Gordon,” Goldberg said with a laugh. “Since then, it’s become part of the culture. If Salvy’s my guest, I know I’m getting drenched. But that’s part of it, it shows the joy this team has.”

Goldberg’s presentation, focusing on trust, resilience, and leadership,  concluded the 2025 lecture season.