Back to the Yard

 

Photo: Greenwich Diamond Club on Facebook

It was April 10, 1999, and I was nervous. 

That should not shock you.

I had been asked to handle the studio at WGCH for the first game of a baseball doubleheader. If I recall correctly, it was a split doubleheader with Greenwich playing Norwalk in the first game (I think). I know for a fact that the Cardinals were hosting Port Chester, NY in the second game.

And I was calling play-by-play for the first time on terrestrial radio. I finished the studio duties for the first game and raced to GHS in time for game two.

Twenty-four years ago this week I return to the scene of that crime.

Today, Greenwich plays Brien McMahon High School at 4:30. The proud Cardinals baseball program has stumbled to begin the season so it's in their best interest to see if they can get in the win column today. Greenwich is 0-4 while the Senators are 1-3.

Much has changed in the 24 years since I called that Port Chester/Greenwich tilt. First of all, I hope I'm a bit better as a broadcaster. I was 30 and should have been calling games sooner but I didn't have the connections or pedigree (or the money). Times were different and internet opportunities were limited in broadcasting at that point.

I focused more on working a "real" job and doing radio as a side gig. My times calling softball at Kraft and Philip Morris made me happy but now was the chance to do it "professionally" on WGCH.

Nearly 1700 games later here we are.

But oh I was raw. We had the wrong mascot for the Rams of Port Chester but otherwise, I thought it went OK.

We called the games from the old grandstand on the third base side. There was no fence between the stands and the field so you had to pay extra attention.

But we also got games on the air. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey. All of them on WGCH.

And we were the only "voice" in town.

So, yeah, times change.

I did try -- with a nudge -- to put a small slate of games on WGCH, including today. We weren't able to work that out so, since I had committed to GHS, I'm going to put it on Robcasting.

On my dime.

I can be paid in dinner or swag. Or not.

I remain firm that Greenwich sports belong on the air as they used to be. Now, to be clear, they are also on LocalLive but in many cases, there aren't (quality) broadcasters to describe the action.

I'd like to think I'll do a quality call at 4:30 this afternoon.

Rest assured I already have rosters for both teams. Since there's no booth I was advised to set up down the right field line. I've done that before so it works.

Oh, I also have a roster for tomorrow's Brunswick lacrosse game. See how easy that is?

It always feels like a bit of a homecoming to go back to the place that I started calling "Cardinal Yard" years ago. To me the name was "Yankee Stadium" but with a late-20th-century flavor to it.

And memories will flood of the partners I've called games with there as well as the games themselves. From Russ McCarroll in 1999 to Shawn Sailer the last time I was there (June 5, 2021). 

And "flood" is a good word as the smallest amount of rain can make the old ballyard unplayable. I've called a few games at Julian Curtiss School, which serves as the backup site when needed.

By the way, none of these fields have power so I'm at the mercy of my computer battery (fully charged) today. If anyone knows of a reasonably-priced power bank let me know. I might be willing to get one.

But, as always, we'll go with the memories of the past and our feet firmly planted in the present. We'll get the lineups and see if we can produce a professional-sounding broadcast for listeners. 

Hopefully, it will go well. Hopefully, WGCH will eventually come on board also. The town deserves it.

So let's play ball.

Talk to you at 4:30 at Cardinal Yard.