Seeing former big leaguers Mark DeRosa and Sean Casey on TV is nothing new, given their ongoing studio roles with MLB Network. But seeing them yuk it up on a late-night talk show is a bit of a different experience -- both for them and for viewers.
Following MLB Network's most-watched regular season in seven years, DeRosa and Casey will be guests on Friday's episode of "Late Night with Seth Meyers" to promote the MLB postseason, discuss their careers and to otherwise have a few laughs with Meyers, who's a big baseball fan.
“Sean is a live wire unlike any guest we’ve ever had,” Meyers told MLB.com. “My thoughts and prayers are with Mark for having to work with him every day.”
The segment was taped on Wednesday, the latest in a long-time collaboration between the show and MLB Network. But for DeRosa, it was his first experience with "Late Night," which tapes in front of a live audience. A brief talk with Meyers backstage before the show helped ease him into it, but everything was still a mystery until he walked on stage and saw the audience in front of him.
"I honestly didn't know what to expect," DeRosa said. "So I felt like ... I'll just follow Sean Casey's lead because this is old hat for him."
Old hat, indeed. Friday's episode marks The Mayor's ninth appearance on the show since 2014, when producers first contacted MLB Network about a team-up, given Meyers' love of baseball. MLB Network personalities Kevin Millar and Ryan Dempster have also made appearances through the years, but Casey is the true veteran, having been a guest for every one of the collaborations.
His advice for first-timer DeRosa was simple, especially after they talked baseball with Meyers backstage.
"I said, 'It's just going to be that. It's just going to be a conversation ... just like 'MLB Central,'" Casey said. "So I told DeRo, 'Just be yourself.' And he was. DeRo's the best, one of the funniest guys I know."
For Friday's show, the three discussed a range of baseball topics, including the state of the postseason, DeRosa's job as manager of Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, and the time Casey blew out a hamstring playing for the Savannah Bananas.
Being a guest on a comedy show brings a certain pressure to be funny. But after so many appearances, Casey has learned the best path to humor is to make fun of yourself. Like the hamstring injury with the Bananas, or the time a young Clayton Kershaw buckled him on a strikeout.
"Everyone laughs. Everyone loves when you can poke fun at yourself a little bit. All of us love that," he said. "So I always feel like that's gonna get a laugh. It's good."
DeRosa called the experience "an absolute blast."
The nerves he felt before taping weren't all that different from what he feels before each airing of the Emmy-nominated "MLB Central," or before taking the field for a game. It's more excitement than nervousness.
"Definitely you feel a little something, but then you just get into talking ball and having fun," he said. "So, kind of a really, really cool experience."
It's a similar feeling for Casey.
"We're a little out of our element," he said, "but we're really in our element because we're doing live TV every day."
DeRosa and Casey's appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" will air Friday night at 12:35 a.m. ET on NBC and stream on Peacock.