A clunky, disheveled mess at the start (exemplified by the platform from which it initially spawned…sorry, SoundCloud), “Dodd Save the Royals” struggled through the early frames. A minivan full of hackneyed dad jokes transporting an Uber-load of hipster clichés, these early episodes belied the considerable talents of its capable hosts. After all, shouldn’t we expect more from the youngest sports director in local KC television in nearly three decades and the fledgling young scribe who scaled a paywall and lived to write about it? The answer, is “yes”. And, like any good lineup, a second time through the order (and maybe a swig of whiskey) appears to have done the trick.
Shaffer’s small-town, salt-and-pepper sensibilities sprinkled atop Dodd’s avocado toast and smug of joe make for a surprisingly palatable smorgasbord of banality and ‘ball. The ennui of spin rates and launch angles notwithstanding, the pair’s enthusiasm for the Local 25 engenders a disproportionate level of support from a fanbase destined for a decade’s worth of disillusionment and sorrow. No small task, and for which the hosts deserve praise.
The pod is not without its flaws, of course. Naturally devoid of the sexual tension which subtly invigorates many a modern podcast, the conversation here flows honestly but tediously, taking the decidedly platonic approach of a married couple reserving time to rekindle a perpetually extinguished flame (except in this case it is the listener who is rendered prone, asking herself, “How much longer? I have work in the morning…”).
It is often stated that baseball podcasts are like Aussie rocker chicks, inexplicably inundating the mainstream, but most often worth a listen. Simply put, seventy five thousand baseball podcasts are currently listed on iTunes, and “Dodd Save the Royals” is certainly one of them.
