​Astros broadcaster Geoff Blum, who was relegated to a spectator rule during previous postseasons, got to call his first playoff game Tuesday. (Karen Warren/Staff photographer)
For nine Houston Astros playoff appearances in the previous 11 seasons, the routine would be the same for Geoff Blum.His broadcasting duties were over, he’d take in games from the stands – with the occasional shot of him enjoying a cold beverage on the video board –  and someone from a national outlet would be occupying Blum’s chair in the Daikin Park television booth.ALSO SEE:Where to find NBCSN? How to watch Astros-White SoxBut an MLB broadcasting change has resulted in a new opportunity for Blum, allowing him to call playoff games for the first time.When the Astros and Chicago White Sox start their American League wild-card series Tuesday afternoon, Blum will be on the call for NBCSN with play-by-play man Tom McCarthy, fellow analyst Steve Stone, “Inside the Pitch” analyst Adam Ottavino and field reporter Britney Eurton. “It’s exciting,” Blum said a couple hours before first pitch. “It’s good to be a part of it. I know that (Space City Home Network) tries to do the best I can with some of the postgame efforts and things like that, but obviously national TV and the limitations they put on them make it interesting. “But at the same time, to have created the opportunity with NBC and Peacock has been phenomenal. As a kid, you dream of playing in the World Series, in the playoffs, and as a broadcaster, the dream now is to call some games, and here it is.”ALSO SEE:Why NBC analyst Anthony Rizzo is bullish on the AstrosNBC, in its first season back as an MLB rightsholder, opted to use analysts from the respective teams for this year’s regular-season broadcasts. Blum called two Astros games on NBC in August with analysts from the Padres and Mariners.On Tuesday, he was joined by Stone, the longtime analyst for White Sox games on Chicago Sports Network.”I think it’s a great setup,” Blum said. “They had kind of some growing pains early on, but they kind of figured it out and nailed down a program that they feel is good for the fans. And ultimately, as good as it is for myself and Steve Stone to be able to have the opportunity to call our teams in the postseason, I think it’s better for the fans.”Because one thing you always hear is (complaints about) the bias on one side or the other side, one team’s not getting represented well enough, and the fans get upset about it. So for this first round, at least, both fan bases should be pretty happy with what they’re able to watch and listen to.”That the series pits the Astros and White Sox is only apropos for Blum’s postseason debut. They were among the six teams Blum played for in a 14-season career. His biggest individual moment came in the 14th inning of Game 3 of the 2005 World Series, when he hit the tiebreaking homer for the White Sox – against the Astros – en route to a sweep and ending an 88-year championship drought.And in