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| There's a hint of pride in that face |
I made my second appearance as the on-field host for a Renegades game last night.
I was told that the possibility existed on Thursday but I honestly didn't give it much thought.
By Saturday, I had confirmation that I'd be on the field.
I appreciated the vote of confidence and hoped to do my best.
Unlike last time, Sean would be in the stadium.
So my goals were
- Don't embarrass the team.
- Don't embarrass Sean.
Me? Oh, heck, I can deal with embarrassment. I'm good at it.
Early on, things went according to schedule, at least on my end.
I handled the on-field hello and the first pitches. I chatted with people on the field, including Renegades "Mount Rushmore" legend Wade Davis, who came to the stadium for a first pitch of his own.
The team gave away mini Mount Rushmores, with four of the legends in team history portrayed on it.
One thing I did notice was that the microphone I was using was being temperamental. So was the walkie-talkie I was carrying.
But, OK, I've been down this road. I've gotten around equipment failures.
Right before game time, my job is to get the word from the dugout to the PA booth to start the music that serves as the introduction of the team. Then, the on-field host normally introduces the players.
I got the OK to point up to Clicks to start the music.
I also tried to radio up. They couldn't hear me. Eventually, they started the music.
Then, I tried to take my microphone off mute.
And it died.
Jamie Goerke took the mic from me and I left it in her hands as chaos began. The Renegades waited to come out. The national anthem singer was waiting.
And it was like dead air in radio. It felt awkward.
I stood and waited. Patiently. Jamie radioed up to play the national anthem on the PA system.
The Renegades took the field on their own.
Jamie got the mic to work but it was too late. The anthem had started and the singer couldn't sing.
Honestly, that could have killed the vibe of the night right there but we weren't willing to let that happen. This, as you know, wasn't my first rodeo or baseball game. It also wasn't my first time as the on-field host.
Initially, we decided we would leave the mic on and let Clicks handle the volume in the booth. That means there's no option for me to mute and unmute the mic, thus taking away my ability to ad-lib during the game. That wouldn't be the end of the world but it takes some of the fun away as a host.
Eventually, Jamie got another microphone working and handed that one to me. It worked the way it should and we were in business.
After playing a game of Tic Tac Toe with a mother/son duo, I felt my mojo kicking in.
The night took off from there.
I felt like I was able to shine in a few moments, especially standing on the first base dugout when I had to play the "Dirtiest Car in the Parking Lot" segment. It is exactly what it is: a car is selected and we have some fun with it, before giving the "winner" a prize from a local car wash.
I heard some laughs as I shamed the car in question.
Later on, we played a trivia game involving players who had played for the Renegades before making the major leagues ... or not.
I played it with the entire crowd and, again, I used the skills I developed in various Hunt Scanlon conferences and banquets.
It has to be done quickly, in the span of an inning break and, where I struggled in my first game, I was much cleaner this time.
Once again, Jamie Goerke was the rock star for me, patiently dealing with any questions.
I'd have to say, my anxiety was non-existent. I relaxed and had fun with the fans as well as my coworkers who were universally supportive.
I appreciated those who called out my name to say hello. I appreciated the fan who noticed I was wearing a Bobby Murcer 1973 1973 Yankees jersey. It was Old Timers' Day in The Bronx after all.
I appreciated the good humor of those who played the games, including the couple involved in Water Wars, a trivia game in which the person who gets the questions wrong gets doused with buckets of water.
The questions -- which I came up with -- were impossibly silly and simple.
The man in this couple got all four wrong. Soaking and, with a smile, he fist-bumped me.
The Renegades won the game so I couldn't be blamed for them losing.
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| Players sign autographs, especially taking care of the kids |
After the final out, I returned to the field to thank everyone for coming out before playing the post-game tennis balls event. People buy bags of tennis balls and try to throw them into hoops on the field to win prizes.
With that complete, I handed the mic back to Jamie and officially said goodnight.
Sean, Anthony, Clicks, and Jason were waiting to support me and hear the stories. Clicks had his own crazy night with the PA mixing board giving him grief.
It was one of those nights but we got through it without fans really knowing what was going on.
That survival skill is the best.
I don't know if I'll ever get to do it again but I had fun and I proved to myself that I was capable of doing a good job.
Most of all?
My son wasn't embarrassed.
I drove home with a smile on my face.
*****
WCBS Newsradio 880 switches formats at midnight. I've been listening whenever possible and, like many of my brethren, will mourn its end.
It's a shame. I've mentioned it before but I wanted to say it once more as the end is almost upon us.
Sad. That's all I've got. Just sad.
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