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No formula for success in Kansas City Royals host's new book, just 'adversity and a lot of grit'

Joel Goldberg has been a part of Royals television broadcasts since 2008.
Joel Goldberg
Joel Goldberg has been a part of Kansas City Royals television broadcasts since 2008.

Joel Goldberg, the in-game reporter fans see throughout the season on Kansas City Royals television broadcasts, is out with a new book, titled "Small Ball Big Dreams."

If you enjoy your humid Kansas City summers by sitting in your air-conditioned home and turning on a Royals game, you’ve certainly seen Joel Goldberg broadcasting as the in-game reporter for the team.

But Goldberg does much more than that: He’s also a keynote speaker, podcaster and author. In his new book, “Small Ball Big Dreams,” Goldberg talks about how baseball can fuel dreams off the diamond.

He told KCUR's Up To Date on Monday that he hopes readers are inspired by the stories he tells about big league ballplayers and everyday people.

"This isn't just a: 'Hey, if you work hard, your dreams can come true,'" Goldberg said. "I want people to understand that our paths are different."

"Every one of these baseball players and entrepreneurs have taken a different path in the way that they have risen — myself included. And it comes with a lot of adversity and a lot of grit. And it's never exactly what we expected, but those dreams can continue to happen no matter what age we get," he said.

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When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
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