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| (Photo: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) |
I'm happy to say I'm not done with baseball yet.
Through a series of conversations this morning, I became the play-by-play announcer for this week's FCIAC baseball semifinals and championship game. The games will be carried on Robcasting at robcasting.mixlr.com live from Cubeta Stadium in Stamford, CT beginning with the semis on Monday.
No. 3 Staples vs. No. 2 Warde will begin our coverage at 4 p.m., followed by No. 8 Westhill vs. No. 5 Trumbull at 6:30 p.m. I'd suspect the broadcasts will start with a five-minute pregame show but I'm still working those things out.
The winners will meet in the championship game Wednesday night at 7 p.m. At a quick glance, I think it will be my sixth baseball championship call.
Unless I download some public address announcements the games will run commercial-free.
Ah, the last time I called the championship was in 2021. I was sitting in Fairfield sipping a cup of coffee that Friday morning, expecting to head to Hudson Valley that night to call a Renegades game. Then I got a text from Kevin Devaney, Jr saying that LocalLive needed a broadcaster in Stamford that day.
Yes, that day. As in the game was roughly 2.5 hours away from starting. My initial reaction was that it was a tall ask, especially having to get to what is now Heritage Financial Park that night.
Also, how would I prepare? I didn't have the 20 hours that are apparently required! I did, however, have equipment, my computer, and my scorebook binder with me.
But, this is me. I got nudged to do the game -- Greenwich versus Fairfield Warde. I fired off a couple of quick messages on Twitter to the two teams, hoping for any help with rosters and notes. Warde didn't respond (they would eventually) but Greenwich did and loaded me up.
Now, with a 1 p.m. game, I had to hope to be wrapped up shortly after 3 p.m. to begin the drive to Fishkill.
To Stamford, I went. Fortunately, I had a blank scorecard with me, and the lineups were delivered to the booth.
Oh, one thing to know about the booth at Cubeta Stadium: there is no soundproofing so any chatter will get picked up on the mic. I can still hear broadcasters from WWPT on my call of the game-winner in 2019 (don't read this, Shawn Sailer!) when the Wreckers rallied to win over Shawn's Fairfield Ludlowe team.
We avoided that in 2021 and I suggest we try to avoid it again this year. Trust me, I like the guys from WWPT and they promised they wouldn't step on the FCIAC call in 2019 (I'm sort of there in the "official" capacity) but, yeah. They're high school students calling games of their friends and classmates and haven't quite developed that neutral stance quite yet.
So, think of it this way: I'm like the national broadcaster. Even with Greenwich in the game in 2021, I only focused on keeping the call fair and when the Mustangs of Fairfield Warde secured a decisive title, I proclaimed they were the definitive champions.
It doesn't matter who I'm "affiliated" with.
So, yeah, 2019. Not long after I got to Cubeta Stadium, I got a text from Joe Ausanio, my boss with the Gades at the time, telling me the game was postponed due to impending storms later that night. I heaved a sigh of relief. Now, the pressure of the game length was off and I could also go to honor our dear friend Susan as she departed from the Darien Times. The town hosted a sendoff for her and I wound being asked to speak at it.
As for these games, I'm pleased that I've already seen Warde play and I know enough of the other three teams heading into the broadcasts on Monday. It should be a blast.
While we're on the broadcasting bug, tomorrow's Prep Nationals Championship lacrosse game is the rematch that I thought might happen. Brunswick will play Lawrenceville for the title. The Big Red beat the Bruins back in April and it really set them on a tear to be the number-one team in North America.
Now, the Bruins have revenge on their minds. Technically, they're the lower seed and will be the visiting team but don't fool yourself. They'll have the home crowd.
The game is at 2 p.m. tomorrow and Dan Arestia will join me for the call.
I was overwhelmed by the number of people who stopped in the booth last night during the semifinals to say hello from all of the teams to say how much they enjoy the broadcasts. One person called it "better than most college broadcasts" and that's a testament to the people behind the scenes that make it look good. For me, it's humbling and a great reminder to keep grinding at this stuff.
As I've noted many times, confidence can be so fleeting for a variety of reasons. But to have people stop in the booth to say how their mom stays home "just to listen to you" is overwhelming.
I worked with the weight of knowing what the broadcasts mean to viewers and the last thing I want to be is annoying or a negative aspect of the experience.
*****
Aaron Hicks is a former Yankee today, designated for assignment by the team after a rare trade with the Boston Red Sox to acquire outfielder Greg Allen.
Hicks had become a mess and that happens. He signed a huge contract a few years back, dealt with injuries, and never found himself again.
Fans were, of course, brutal. Heck, even I knew he had to go.
But, still, he is human and, much like the Joey Gallo fiasco, nobody looks good when it becomes personal. Personally, I wish Hicks well wherever he goes. If it's to another team then so be it. If he retires, well, again, I hold no malice.
Thanks for the good memories and best wishes.
*****
I've read that Mahopac, under pressure and scrutiny from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, will indeed be changing their mascot -- the one they've had since 1937. Many of us proud Mahopac -- gulp -- "Indians" will have to get used to the new moniker: the "Wolf Pac."
Yes. "Wolf Pac" as in "Pac" as in Mahopac.
For those thinking "old (white) man will be screaming at cloud" I only say that, sure, I'm sorry to see the mascot that I grew up with go away. I've never been a fan of renaming. I also thought "Lakers" would have been a great name, given our pride in Lake Mahopac as well as Kirk Lake, Lake Casse, Lake MacGregor (where I spent many summer days) and most of all, Lake Secor, where my grandparents had a house.
So, sure, I'm bummed. But wasting the energy of the anger simply isn't worth it to me. We'll evolve and move on.
But I'll always be a proud Mahopac Indian and should I ever get the chance to broadcast their games again, I'll do the professional thing by calling them the "Wolf Pac."
Time moves on.
Like it or not.
*****
We finish with a tip of the cap and microphone to Bobby Ray Murcer on what would have been his 77th birthday. We lost him far too soon and I still see the details with perfect clarity of the moment I found out he had passed.
He was a wonderful baseball player who became a wonderfully charming broadcaster. Like the other heroes of my youth, he had a profound impact on me.
I watched part of his Yankeeography today and his five-RBI game the night of Thurman Munson's funeral is still the stuff of mystique and aura.
I wish the Yankees would honor him in Monument Park for nearly 50 years of service and that's all I have to say about that.
He's missed.
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