Get Your Pencils And Scorecards Ready!

Whenever (usually) a guy reaches his mid-40’s to early 50’s there is a threat that he could have a Mid Life Crisis. I don’t think this is it. I think this is more of Making a Contribution To Society.

Listening to Cubs games on the radio has become a HUGE chore. Ron Santo can’t explain his way to the corner and when he’s ailing or unable to travel we have the equally inept Dave Otto (or Oh-tto as Pat Hughes says). Not to be morbid but it’s not certain how much longer Ron is going to last, maybe a couple of seasons.

Pat Hughes just signed a contract extension with WGN recently so he’s got a few years left as well. That gives me two to three years to get prepared and I need your help. I fully realize that I cannot simply walk into WGN’s offices and declare my candidacy for Cubs Radio Play-by-Play guy with no practical experience. So I’m ready to head off to Pawtucket to play-by-play the Red Sox games. Or Durham to describe the Bulls. Shoot, maybe the Oaks in Visalia need someone to give verbal representation to their loyal fans. I’m on it – ready to cut my teeth. I just need an opening. If any of you loyal readers have any connection to a baseball team in need of an announcer, let me know.

I cannot promise that I will be the next Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell or even Vince Lloyd. But what I will promise you is that I will love what I do, will broadcast a full nine innings (extra if necessary) and will not talk about my tuna sandwich.

Here is a smattering of what Hughes has related to us recently. The Cubs are playing 21 straight games and that is a long time without a day off. The Cubs played in San Francisco where it was cool in the evening, but they were headed to St. Louis for the weekend where it was unbearable hot, over 100 degrees.

In recent years Hughes has negotiated to (originally) take the top of the fifth inning off and then (most recently) added the bottom of the fifth inning to his time off. He doesn’t do Cubs pre-game (that’s handled by Santo Valet, Judd Sirott) or post-game (that’s done in ‘GNs studio by Dave Kaplan, Jim Memolo or George Ofman). If the game runs over three hours his tone makes it sound like he’s working overtime without getting paid.

When the game heads into extra innings Pat very deliberately says “we’re headed into the 10th” as in “oh my god, could this get any worse?”

I’m actually torn by this because purely as a baseball announcer I think Pat is one of the best. When he doesn’t try to play footsie with Santo (sorry, probably not the best phrase to choose) and he stays on the game, he’s really very good.

But ever since I heard that he negotiated the fifth inning off and had actually complained that it was getting to be too much and needed some time off during the season, all I hear is him whining about having to do more work, or work in less than perfect conditions. It’s kind of like being told not to think about space aliens - - that’s all you’re going to think about.
Give me two years to get the cadence to “line drive – up the middle!” A few seasons to perfect the homerun call. When I hop in the chair you will get a guy relating about what a great day it is at the ballpark and if we go to extra innings SWEET! More baseball, what could be better than that?

Chattanooga Lookout! Here I come!