A Stand-Out in the Booth and On the RailsMeet Denny Matthews: Sportscaster for the Kansas City Royals, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame…and lifelong model railroader. Mr. Matthews took a break from prepping for Spring Training to chat with us about his experiences in two of America’s most quintessentially traditional pastimes.
A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Mr. Matthews began his announcing career at local television and radio stations in Peoria and St. Louis before joining the Royals in 1969, the year the team was formed. In 2007, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, a recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, which honors sportscasters. (Frick was a former Commissioner of Baseball.) Mr. Matthews’ life in model railroading began significantly earlier. His grandfather was an engineer for Gulf, Mobile & Ohio in Central Illinois. His earliest memories are of visiting him in the train yard with his grandmother. “My grandfather would pick me up, carry me across the tracks and lift me into the cab,” Mr. Matthews said from his Kansas home. “Later, I’d spend half a day with him. He’d let me sit in the cab and pull the throttle. When you’re 10 or 12, that’s like being on top of the mountain.” Around age 6, his family began buying him O Scale trains and he set up a 4’ x 8’ layout. Since his grandfather worked with switchers, that was, and remains, a major focus of his modeling endeavors. Except for a brief lag during college and his early employment years, he’s been an O scale model railroader ever since.
Once he settled in Kansas, his parents brought him the boxes of trains Mr. Matthews had left in their basement. He opened them in the baseball off-season and began running, expanding and maintaining them in his own basement. He currently owns some 20 locomotives and over 100 freight cars, not all of which operate at the same time. His layout, which harkens back to his childhood experiences, includes a mainline, classification yard, passenger stations, several passenger trains and industries such as a mill and corn syrup plant. In addition to G, M & O, he also models Illinois Central and Union Pacific. “I just got three Atlas tank cars and they are terrific; a step above the rest,” Mr. Matthews said. “Atlas makes really good quality stuff with sensational detailing and nonpareilled efficiency.” Mr. Matthews’ hobby came to light at Atlas headquarters when his local hobby shop closed and he contacted Bob Lawrence, Atlas O National Sales Manager, who introduced him to a major Atlas dealer. The pair forged a friendly relationship which is not surprising, as both are gregarious, humble and good talkers!
“Model railroading is a great escape,” Mr. Matthews said. “There are so many aspects. I enjoy painting and decaling plain cars, or sometimes I just get hypnotized watching my trains go around. There’s maintenance and scenery; whatever you’re in the mood for. During baseball season I don’t get to work on it for weeks at a time, but I know it’s always there. Model railroading clears the mind.” Occasionally, his hobby crosses over into his professional life. Bob Montgomery, a former catcher for the Boston Red Sox, is a model railroader and the two frequently talked trains and shared ideas. Neighborhood kids, including the children of his good friend, former KC Royals Third Baseman George Brett, “think it’s super.” His trains also made a big hit with the grandchildren of former Royals General Manager Spencer “Herk” Robinson. Namedropping is unavoidable for a Hall of Famer, as are fascinating tales of his adventures in Cooperstown last July. Prior to the event-filled weekend, George Brett told him it would be four of the most memorable, yet four of the fastest days in his life, so enjoy it. Mr. Matthews heeded that advice.
“I can’t think of anything more prestigious; words can’t describe the thrill, or the events,” Mr. Matthews said. “You’re part of an exclusive club and they embrace you. I played golf with Carlton Fisk and Whitey Ford. At the dinner party, my family sat and talked with Cal Ripkin Jr. and his family. We were both nervous about making our speeches. When I received the Ford C. Frick Award, Brett joked, ‘you’re getting a Frickin’ award!” “Two busses take you from the hotel to the induction site,” Mr. Matthews continued. “While waiting, I was talking to (Hall of Famer and former Detroit Tigers Outfielder) Al Kaline and felt a presence behind me. I did a quarter turn and standing right next to me was (legendary former Dodger Pitcher) Sandy Koufax. He was soft spoken, polite and quiet. He was very fit and looked like a guy in his 40s. I sat down and Willie Mays got on the bus with his niece. Then Sandy got on the bus.” The two greats started ribbing each other about their playing days and Sandy laughingly warned his former foe, “Willie Mays, sit down or I’ll knock you down.” Both baseball greats agreed the other looked a lot bigger when they faced each other on the field, Mr. Matthews related. Of Mr. Matthews, baseball historian Bill James said, “His voice has a pleasant timbre which suggests a cheerful occasion. He has a dry, understated humor that drifts through much of his audience undetected. One cannot learn these things at a microphone; they are given.” Mr. Matthews is also the co-author of 1999’s, “Play by Play: 25 years of Royals on Radio” with fellow announcer Fred White and Matt Fulks. Many famous people are Atlas aficionados. Some prefer to keep their hobby private and we at Atlas respect that. We’re grateful Mr. Matthews willingly discussed his model railroading hobby with us, so that we can share it with you. Play ball! And keep rollin’ on the rails.
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