Team Player: Karl Ravech and Sarah Langs
Front Row’s “Team Player” series continues with baseball commenatator Karl Ravech.
A 24-year ESPN veteran, Ravech knows a terrific colleague when he sees one.
For more than two decades, Ravech has been fortunate to collaborate with hard-working employees on Major League Baseball, Little League World Series, College World Series, college basketball, SportsCenter and other ESPN properties.
While juggling both Little League World Series and MLB pennant race coverage this week, Ravech shines the spotlight on ESPN baseball researcher and “Team Player” Sarah Langs.
“I consider it an honor and a privilege to work with Karl. His humor makes show preparation feel nothing like work, and his attitude on set, even when things go awry, is always even-keeled. He’s very open to research – any good note I bring him during or prior to a show will find its way to air. Perhaps most importantly, he understands how my job works and understands the ways I can be most helpful. Karl’s passion for Baseball Tonight is evident in everything he does for and with the show – and that passion permeates across the entire team, inspiring us all to be better. I can always count on Karl to have my back during the show and respect research’s place on it.”
What makes Sarah successful in her role?
Sarah provides the most important element any member of any staff can, which is complete trust that she will do her job and do it to a level that she doesn’t need to be asked or reminded of the expectations. Equally important is the fact that she does it with a professional attitude – she’s always smiling, she’s never rattled and she does it all with a fantastic sense of humor. What makes Sarah unique is her ability to anticipate what MLB story lines may present themselves as opposed to providing information on the stories we already know that we’ll discuss.
How does she help you do your job to the best of your ability?
In my 24-plus years of working at ESPN, I have not worked with anyone who more often will ask what she can do to help prepare us for a show or a game. Sarah provides extensive research notes and always follows them up by saying, ‘if there is any other questions you may have, please let me know.”
Describe a time that Sarah went above and beyond to help you out.
Most recently at the Little League World Series, while on assignment for Baseball Tonight, Sarah sent an email thanking me and the staff for a well-done show, and then asked if there was anything Little League-related that she could provide as well – even though she wasn’t assigned to the event.
