Two Doubleheaders

 

The pod.

I found myself in a bit of a conundrum today.

I had the call of Fairfield National/Trumbull Little League baseball at 7:30, which meant dealing with traffic. Could I do "Doubleheader" and still do the game?

Well, yes and no. I couldn't do the show from Greenwich and get to Trumbull in time for the game. I didn't like those odds.

So what if I went to Trumbull to do "Doubleheader?" But that meant being there before 4:00 p.m. Well, at that point, I might as well do the first game -- Fairfield American and Westport -- at 5:30.

More baseball is more better, right?

So, after fighting the aforementioned traffic and being unsure if I could actually get there in time for the show, I pulled into Unity Park with roughly 20 minutes to set up. I didn't let on to the radio station until I had everything in place.

Mission accomplished. I got on the air and did the show. After that, I had just enough time to get the lineups for the first baseball game and jumped right into that.

I enjoyed calling a 4-1 win for Fairfield American. It was a well-played Little League baseball game.

I stayed and called Trumbull's 16-2 win over Fairfield National as well. Trumbull cranked four home runs in the victory.

Those are the games that test a broadcaster. Working alone, I had to work my tired mind into telling stories and continuing to entertain without being a circus clown. 

The risk, of course, is that working near the crowd might lead to people taking part in the broadcast. Call it an occupational hazard.

One delightful lad decided to sidle up next to me so that he could make himself be heard. I just ignored him and carried on with the call.

Calling what is, sorry, a blowout is a delicate balance. It's Little League baseball and these are kids. There's a reality and that is the score. That's my job: to report that score. Still, our world doesn't always want such reporting. So I walked the tightrope.

As always, I left it all there on the broadcast. I just don't believe in doing it any other way. That, of course, leaves me exhausted as I drive home but it's just how I do it. I just want the families to enjoy it.

After the last out, as I packed up, a park ranger from Trumbull decided that I -- and anyone else -- had seen enough of the stadium lights for the night. Keep in mind, I had just discovered that my glasses were missing, having fallen off as I was trying to wrap up my SportPod.

It was now dark. Thankfully, I used the flashlight on my phone to locate them before they got stepped on. I folded the pod and made my way home.

The next game(s) is Sunday. We'll see if I do both. I know the teams like having me there and I like doing it.

But first, I'm going to catch up on some sleep.