The Last Baseball Call (for now)

 

2021: Before the first Renegades broadcast of the season

I'm listening to the Yankees play the Blue Jays on the radio tonight.

Justin Shackil is filling in for John Sterling and is working with our Yankees compañera Suzyn Waldman.

Justin is doing a perfectly fine job. Yes, there have been mistakes but I find it understandable for the time being.

Yet, to be honest, I find myself thinking I could do an equally good job. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to take anyone's job. If anything, I'm complimenting Shackil and just reminding myself that I'm not so bad either.

And it further reminded me of the picture I saw in my memories. The picture -- selfie -- I took before the first Renegades home broadcast two years ago.

I've run myself through the wringer emotionally over that experience. I loved it. Loved. Loved. Loved it.

Yet I'm occasionally the public address announcer for the team now. I keep doing it because I love the people there and I love baseball.

Yet, somehow, I was serviceable enough to call play-by-play occasionally there for 20 years. In the times that I wasn't doing games, I sensed that I could make a phone call and work myself right back into the radio booth.

Now? I hang out in the PA booth.

The visiting scorecard from that first game

Would I go call games if they asked? The thought has gone through my mind and of course, I'd likely say yes. It's always nice to be asked. But it's completely hypothetical. 

When my mind wanders, I allow myself to think about things like being the Sunday broadcaster or doing the middle three innings on nights that I'm in the stadium doing PA.

But alas I just do my thing and try to cause no trouble.

All of this further jumped into my skull for a few other reasons, including that today was my last baseball call for Brunswick. The Bruins won their FAA semifinal against Greenwich Country Day but I won't be on the championship game on Thursday. The reasons are 1) they might be on the road against Hamden Hall and 2) I'm committed to the Hunt Scanlon conference on Thursday.

So it goes. I juggle things as best as I can.

I also wonder if anyone has ever considered the worst call of a championship moment ever. It's possible I might have heard one (but I won't say what it was).

But the Renegades experience was so wonderful and I always think about ways that maybe I failed or how we could have been better during what was a simply bizarre season during the back end of COVID.

But I also think that, in such a season, we were pretty damn good, including our one road game that August in Brooklyn.

I loved what small bonds I was able to make with players like Kyle MacDonald and Derek Craft, and being able to see Anthony Volpe, Josh Breaux, and other players. Several of them how now made it to the big leagues and it's just so thrilling.

Beyond that, the bonds I created with the families -- Renegades and opponents -- were treasured as well.

And, perhaps just as much, was the friendships and relationships with the coworkers, especially on the broadcast crew. Zach Neubauer and I built something cool, including a fun podcast over Facebook as well as my gameday interview series, "Rob's Roundup."

And when the season was over, I discovered it was -- at that time -- a year at a time. 

Instead, I moved a few doors over.

None of this is to complain. I'm looking back wistfully, especially calling the Brunswick game today. If the fates are kind, the FCIAC and maybe some other games will come my way. I'm also supposed to do the Babe Ruth State tournament at Trumbull in July.

But, yeah, I loved the grind of the season.

More than that, people said they were excited to have me doing the games. Friends who knew were tuning in from around the world. Others actually stumbled on me a few times. I became a trusted, soothing voice for some on their way home from a job at night (yes, I was really told that).

I even sort of inspired a few people to come out to the stadium.

I take no credit but I'm so honored by these things.

That September night in 2021 when the season ended, I took a deep breath and choked back the tears of sadness I felt for the season being over, combined with the gratitude I felt for the experience. I thought of my parents and what they'd think of me doing this and getting the positive reviews and reactions that I received.

Of course, Sean was next to me for all of it. Now, he's a legit camera operator in his own right with a solid résumé that he is building.

I look back with pride. It was a treasured experience.

So was today. Things worked just fine today technically. Look, I make mistakes, including calling Brunswick "Greenwich" after a fly ball almost crashed into me (along with Greenwich Country Day's right fielder).

I was mortified but the call -- and the game -- must carry on.

So cut Justin Shackil a break.

I called the game the same way I call them all.

So, yeah, I think the theme of this post was to take a moment and be proud of calls then and now.

And occasionally remind myself I'm not bad at what I do.

Today