Lots of Baseball

Hamden (green and gold) and Wallingford before the nightcap

 

I called two games today on a chilly October day-turned-night and it was glorious.

I also realized that these were the first baseball games I've called professionally in the month of October.

In my long (and not-so-successful) career, I've called games in March, April, May, June, July, August, and September, but never in the month of the Great Pumpkin. Especially not in the home of the Great Kato (or Tako).

Until today. So that was...something, I guess.

We had a great audience, especially since the game was on Facebook Live.

Funny thing -- you put a game online for free with volunteers and still get little hints of passive-aggressive grief.

Someone reminded commenters that we weren't ESPN with a satellite truck and four cameras (or more) and graphics packages and...no. We're not.

We set up an iPad behind home plate that couldn't show everything. It was a one camera setup. My play-by-play call and Shawn Sailer's analysis were expected to fill in literally everything else.

It was a crew of three: Perry Pierce, who set up his iPad and walked away from it, Shawn, and me.

Oh folks love to nitpick. I get it. It's part of the gig.

Throw out a fact and they'll try to outsmart what you're saying.

It's an easy target.

Not to worry. We had a great time and the teams were wonderful. The games weren't bad either. Montville rallied late to beat South Windsor and Hamden found the power to top Wallingford.

So it will be Montville against Hamden and South Windsor taking on Wallingford tomorrow.

Two more games.

I love it. All of it.

People laugh because Shawn and I are calling the games from the top of a slanted dugout on the first base side of the field.

We wouldn't have it any other way. There's no room in the press box, especially with COVID protocols and concerns.

As with everything else in 2020, it's either accept that or don't do the games. I'm sure someone else would happily jump in and do them.

No. No thank you. We're the right people. I've worked hard to build Robcasting's reputation up over three years now and I'll keep growing it with efforts like this.

"Robcasting is a better name than 'News 8,'" I heard one player say and I had a good laugh at that.

You know what? I agree.