OK, I'll Call the Game

Own it.

 

Let's get this out of the way: it was my mistake.

I own it.

You know me and my schedule. I'm on top of this stuff. It's part of what I do. I'm diligent about putting everything on my spreadsheet and calendar.

So I knew, for instance, that I had to teach at CSB this morning.

A new class awaited. Most of the time we do radio before TV but it was flip-flopped today so it was a bit different and in that case, there's also someone to teach with me, mostly because he knows how to run the TV equipment better than I do, thus freeing me to critique the student's delivery of the sports news.

But it also has an impact on the class versus when I'm on my own. So it goes.

And students have questions. And different abilities.

So the plan was to head to the Hudson Valley after teaching to attend orientation for the 2024 Renegades season. 

After leaving CSB, I thought about driving towards the Hudson Valley and doing "Doubleheader" from my car.

Ultimately, I decided to head home, do the show, and hit the road as soon as it was over.

But, I glanced at Instagram and saw a story from Brunswick Baseball, promoting a game at 4:30 p.m. today.

Wait. What? 

I spent Saturday's broadcast promoting a game against Hamden Hall on Tuesday at 4:30.

I texted Wayne McGillicuddy. Was tomorrow's game moved because of impending rain?

Nope. 

So, yes, back to the beginning. I screwed up.

As such, I had to adjust my day. The drive to Wappingers Falls wouldn't happen. Sean would go to orientation and he could catch me up on any concerns. I emailed the team to tell them I couldn't make it.

I went home and got ready to call baseball.

But -- gasp! -- I didn't have hours to make charts and graphs and find my colored pens! Doesn't that mean I can't do the game?

Ha. Please.

My greater concern was ensuring I was prepared with proper layers for the weather. There was expectation of rain so I wanted to keep the equipment dry and myself warm.

I pulled everything together, got in the car, and headed to Brunswick. I grabbed the LocalLive camera and tripod and trudged to the right field corner.

I set the camera up, set my audio up, plugged it all in, and then set up my scorecard, pulling both lineups and rosters.

I was ready with time to spare.

And it was a better broadcast than Saturday's.

I felt the rhythm. I felt the flow. I felt the cadence. I liked the stories I was telling. I felt like my details were better than they had been.

Everyone prepares in their own way. I was hyper-prepared not just for the game details but for whatever the weather presented.

It got cold enough that I used all of the layers that I brought but never needed any of the stuff to keep things dry. We didn't see a drop of rain.

The thing about being prepared is trusting yourself. I have the notes. Even without a complete roster, I have my scoresheet from Saturday and that matters.

From there, trust the ability to tell the story of the game.

And tell the story of the game.

Saturday's broadcast just didn't feel right. It felt rusty but I was also tired. It's always hard to say exactly what it was.

Today felt right.

Even if I had to hustle to make it.

Because it was my mistake.