Troy Benjamin wanted to be the “Black Chris Russo.” Instead, he has the vaunted position as the lead producer on Yankees’ broadcasts for YES. His story is a unique one in major sports television.
Benjamin is the guest on “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand”
The ‘Mad Dog” Dream: Benjamin wanted to be the “Black Chris Russo” — but the story of what happened instead is pretty cool
The Foundation Born in Antigua, raised in Harlem by a mom working two to three jobs, Benjamin’s first love was cricket which led him to baseball and the Yankees
The Grind: Out of college, Benjamin was a security guard. How he got his first break at Ch. 9 and then to ABC and, finally, as a YES original.
Yankee Classics: The indescribable feeling of going into the Yankees’ clubhouse and interviewing Derek Jeter, etc. and the story of how “next time I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Plus, the intimidation of seeing the people he read, like Jack Curry and Joel Sherman, in the locker room
His “TV Pops” Connection: How one of the best producers in the business, Bill Boland, was so important in his career. Benjamin’s stop at ABC made him know he was in the right profession. And the connection to his now boss at YES, Jared Boshnack.
YES Education: What he learned from Boland, Frank DiGraci, Kevin Smollen, John Moore and John Filippelli.
Bittersweet: When Benjamin got the top Yankee job, he replaced Boland. Boland did something he didn’t have to
Principles of Producing: What is Benjamin trying to accomplish with the 130+ games YES does? How does he prepare? What are the ethos? Where should the cameras be? The resources from Jon Litner and Boshnack. What is a typical day like? The nuance of “Name that Yankee,” how Alex Mangini, Sean Sullivan and Bryant Gumbel have had a hand in it. And a sweet story about it all.
Kay Corner: His love for Michael Kay as the voice of the Yankees
Learning from the Greats: What Ian Eagle and Marv Albert taught him
What’s Next: The adrenaline of the three-hour rush.
All-Time MLB Play-by-Play List: His love for Jack Buck
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Legendary NBC director Drew Esocoff and the Super Bowl mindset
The future of baseball & local rights with SNY president Steve Raab
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