DETROIT -- Even in a pandemic-induced lockdown, Matt Shepard is busy.
The play-by-play broadcaster for Tigers games on Fox Sports Detroit has no Tigers games to call right now -- not new ones, at least. Yet his face is all over the network and its re-airing of classic Tigers games this month. He anchored a video chat with Matthew Boyd and Bryan Holaday as the two re-lived Boyd’s 2017 no-hit bid against the White Sox, going inning by inning with an impressive recall of pitch selection and reading swings. Shepard has done similar chats on Facebook Live, including with Hall of Famers Alan Trammell and Jack Morris, Kirk Gibson and Dan Petry. He also joined Morris and their AL Central counterparts in the Grillin' the Central division overview earlier this month.
He’d still rather be the ballpark, of course. But all this video conferencing has been a nice way to keep in touch.
“I’ve enjoyed it actually,” Shepard said. “I hope people have enjoyed it too. It’s been fun, it really has. I like the personal interactions. Those are the things I miss most. I’m going to miss going into [manager Ron Gardenhire's] office and hearing the stories and then going around the clubhouse and talking with the players. That’s a really big part of your job and my job.”
Though his home office has become his broadcast booth, he also is stepping outside Monday to give back to the community, teaming up with the Alex Thoresen Legacy Foundation, Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizzeria, Rochester Mills Beer Company, American Axle and GMC to help deliver meals and masks to Detroit Police officers.
Busy is Shepard’s default mode. Before he became the voice of Tigers telecasts full-time last year, he was the voice of University of Michigan basketball and Eastern Michigan University football on the radio and Detroit Lions preseason telecasts, while pinch-hitting for Tigers and Pistons telecasts. He also had a daily morning show on the radio in Detroit and across Michigan. He’s a two-time winner of the Michigan Sportscaster of the Year award from the National Sports Broadcasters Association, and the 2018 winner of the Ty Tyson Award for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting by Detroit Sports Media.
That’s why asking Shepard about his favorite call is a tricky question. He has a small sample size of Tigers games, but a massive number of games across Detroit-area sports.
“With only one full season under my belt, it’s a little bit more challenging to find that one call for the Tigers,” Shepard said. “Christin Stewart on Opening Day with the go-ahead homer. Brandon Dixon’s home run against Kansas City to send us home was pretty darn cool. Outside of the Tigers, it’s probably Trey Burke’s 3-pointer against Kansas in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. And I’ve been fortunate to call three outdoor hockey games, the Big Chill, the Cold War, Michigan-Michigan State. To call those games, it wasn’t one specific call, but there was a ton of NHL talent on the ice.
“I’ve been lucky, man. I’ve been really lucky. I’ve been really fortunate to work with great people. II don’t know if it’s necessarily a famous call with the Tigers per se. ... It’s special to go into that clubhouse and call games for your favorite team.”
Shepard hopes to have more Tigers moments to call this year. Until then, he’s staying busy and giving back while waiting like the rest of us.