North Bellmore's Eddie Kraus, 12, shines in SNY Mets broadcast stint

Just moments away from what he acknowledged as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity, 12-year-old Eddie Kraus of North Bellmore beamed with excitement. 

Named the winner of SNY’s 2022 Kidcaster Contest, Kraus joined the broadcast booth of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling to do play-by-play during the bottom of the second inning of the Mets' series opener against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field on Thursday night.

“I guess you could say this is my Major League debut,” Kraus said from the SNY suite prior to his appearance. “Even though I’m commentating just an inning. But it feels great to be here.” 

That debut featured not only some quality play-by-play and analysis as the Mets stranded runners on the corners to end the inning, but also some witty comments from Kraus that drew laughs, including stating that Pete Alonso “is not the fastest,” agreeing with Darling that ketchup does not belong on a hot dog and telling Hernandez that he likes “everything but relish.” 

In response to Cohen lightheartedly asking Kraus if he had a closet full of blue and orange ties similar to the one he wore, Kraus answered, “Essentially, you never know when you’re going to get the chance to do something like this.” 

Kraus, who aspires to work in sports media one day as either a broadcaster or reporter, said the moment certainly lived up to his expectations. 

“Getting a chance like this is a dream come true,” Kraus said. “You see these guys almost every night on TV and now they’re right in front of you. It’s insane. It was a great opportunity and I’m so glad that I got to do this.” 

Accompanied by his family, Kraus left his dad, Edward, seeing a bright future for him as a broadcaster. 

“Absolutely, I thought Eddie did a phenomenal job,” Edward Kraus said. “It takes some talent and guts as well…Got to give the kid a lot of credit.” 

After first learning of the Kidcaster Contest through Twitter, Kraus was immediately intrigued. He proceeded to submit an audition sometime between late June and early July of a Pete Alonso walkoff home run. 

Kraus then had a phone interview with SNY about two weeks ago before receiving an email last week informing him that he’d won. 

A lifelong Mets fan, Kraus also detailed who his favorite player is and how he relates to him so well. 

“My favorite Met has got to be Mark Canha,” Kraus said. “I love his Instagram page with all the food that he eats because I’m a big food guy – try everything at least once, that’s the rule. He also plays the outfield and I do too. A lot of similarities between us and I just love him.” 

Earning his first experience in the booth only confirmed Kraus’ desire to pursue broadcasting as a career in the future. 

“One hundred percent,” Kraus said. “Having an opportunity like this to actually do this at such a young age and to hone your craft definitely made me want it even more.”