Validation

 

 

My memory tells me it was a rainy Sunday.

The Hudson Valley Renegades had been rained out but I was already at the ballpark. If I recall correctly, Zach Neubauer and I did our podcast live from the stadium (we normally did it on Monday) and then I headed out.

Instead of going home, I went north towards Poughkeepsie, where a Barnes & Noble bookstore was (and still is). Imagine that? An actual brick-and-mortar store?

I made my way to the sports section and scanned the shelves. The website said they had a copy of the book I was looking for.

They had it.

The Baseball America 2021 Directory.

I have read that book for years. 

I've owned a couple of editions.

I remember reading it almost cover to cover at the 2003 Winter Meetings in New Orleans.

And there it was, on page 126.

The entry for the Hudson Valley Renegades. 

Below the entry for game information sat the words I'd always wanted to see:

Radio Announcer: Rob Adams

Wow.

I stood there stunned. Smiling. Choking up. Recognizing that the hundreds of games and the grind of the myriad times things had nearly gotten the best of me had manifested into this moment.

Here was this book, that had led me to the Gades' booth in the first place back in 2001 and now it had my name in it.

The multiple times that I thought I should have been in the running for the position and the times that I thought it was completely over and now it was real.

Oh, the 2021 is such a joy to look back on. I talk to people who lived it and they say the same.

It was special and, yet, it was weird.

I was actually the Renegades broadcaster for two years, having been offered the opportunity in late 2019. But, of course, the 2020 season never happened. I visited the stadium a few times to say hello and even call a summer tournament there but otherwise, I had to be patient.

I hosted "Doubleheader" once from there in the summer of 2020. I'm always happy to give that kind of free publicity.

As the '21 season opened, Sean had picked up a job with the team as a cameraman. He'd work in the radio booth as COVID was still at least a concern.

To that end, I had one instruction: the field and clubhouse were off-limits. Eventually, I'd get down to the field at times but I never did get to the clubhouse. Any and all communication with the players and coaches was via interviews on my "Rob's Roundup" pregame show. That, in fact, was initially only via Zoom meetings.

But as a broadcast, with little to go on, we crushed it. Sure, there were hiccups with cameras and a bad night with a fake lineup card due to an impending trade, but we roared through it all.

In fact, every day brought a level of grief with the lineup but that was all part of the grind.

I still had to work, as the position was part-time, so I'd keep doing games where I could, such as the Trumbull Babe Ruth tournament, and I did some teaching at CSB.

I remember I was on my way from Stratford to Wappingers Falls when then-Pres./GM Steve Gliner called me to ask for some reports. Knowing he wanted them, I immediately pulled into a Stop & Shop/TJ Maxx parking lot near Newtown, turned on my phone's hotspot, and created them.

I wanted there to be no doubt they'd ask and I'd jump. This was about as happy as I could be.

Heck, I was even (sort of) a salesman that year, in that Trumbull won their Babe Ruth tournament and they came to the stadium for a game. Mike Buswell came on the air with me for an inning, and I got them a mention on the scoreboard.

I never did quite have the analysts I wanted in the booth with me, as I wanted to welcome friends who have worked hard for the chance. Chris Erway, Chris Kaelin, Kevin Halpenny, Jake Zimmer, and others were on my mind to join me but it just didn't work out.

And my friends were listening. They'd never listen otherwise but I'd get texts from Greg and JoAnn and others, telling me that were sitting around the fire and enjoying the ballgame. My friend Michelle said I helped get her home from work every night.

It was about the community, which isn't just the Hudson Valley. It's also the player's families, listening all around the world. Many of them would come to the stadium and make their way to the booth to meet me.

Obviously, Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza were two of the big names that came out of that year. To that end, I make Volpe's parents and his dog. 

We only did road games in that fun-filled summer. but I did push for the one road game in Brooklyn on the 100th anniversary of the first broadcast in MLB history. Had the Renegades made the championship that year, we were planning on going to Kentucky for the series. However, all good stories come to an end and the Gades didn't make it.

But I did some of the best work of my career in 2021 and received some of the best reviews. The night Jomboy posted one of my calls -- of a Josh Breaux game-winning home run -- was astounding. My phone blew up.

Then Jomboy asked me to be their play-by-play announcer when they came to the stadium. So. I did.

There were so many great nights. Incredible comebacks and even a (7-inning) no-hitter.

And then it was all over. The Renegades changed the position to full-time in 2022 and brought in Joe Vasile, whom I imagine was more of a "multimedia journalist" than the "old man" (my quotes).

I was crestfallen. A few days after I found out, I just sat on the couch, empty. On Christmas.

"I'm fine," I said. 

I lied.

Initially, I laughed when I was asked to come back to do PA announcing. Most people I told laughed as well. 

Then I got it. So did almost everyone else.

Sean still worked there. Lori, my cousin's wife, was there also.

But so was basically everyone else that I'd grown close to. Scott was down at the wine bar. Allison was still working in the suites.

Luis was still running the team store. 

Zolz -- a huge advocate for me -- was still Zolz. He wanted me there. Even now, he continues to support me.

So, why not? I get to go to baseball games for free and have fun. 

We all know I should be on the air, but I'm not. So we have fun a few doors down.

I get to embrace a bit more of my goofy side, which I tried to bring out a bit more during 2021.

I had to rebuild my confidence a bit after it was over. I remember doing a University of New Haven baseball game in the early spring of 2022 and wondering if I was still a good baseball broadcaster.

Yes. I think I still am. I think so.

I think there are those who would back that point up.

I still had a lot to offer.

I still do.

I'm not done. Not by a long shot.

And I'll be back in that booth tonight doing public address announcing.

Tomorrow, I'll be the PA announcer as well as the producer of the PA booth.

I suppose my hope is you can't keep a good man down.

Assuming I'm a good man.

And I still have that Baseball America Directory.

Like many things, I put it away after 2021 because I needed to not see it. All of my Renegades stuff -- shirts, swag, etc. -- sit in a bin. Then, as the sun came up, it all eventually reemerged.

It's a treasured memento of an important year in my life.