Beat goes on: Jerry Coleman on San Diego and 70 years in baseball

In the midst of his 70th year in baseball and his 40th calling Padres games, Jerry Coleman took a few moments this week to reflect on his career in broadcasting.

"You get to see the game up-front and in-person," he said while sitting in the home dugout at Petco Park. "That's one of the best things a broadcaster has going for him -- he's there to see the things most people pay big money for."

Coleman, who retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Marine Corps after serving in both World War II and the Korean War, also chatted about San Diego's connection to the military and his current broadcast partner, Andy Masur.

Said Masur of calling games with Coleman: "The thing I really enjoy is that I never know exactly where the broadcast is going. It kind of keeps you on your toes a little bit, calling the game and trying to figure out which direction we're headed."