Friday, June 12, 2009

Watching the game on the radio

I'm sitting at home choosing to "watch" the Red Sox-Phillies game on the radio rather than on television. Why? Because radio announcer Joe Castiglione produces a feel for the game that is more evocative of being in the park than watching it on television. His play-by-play fertilizes your imagination in a manner that, for me, brings me back to my childhood. Here's a picture of Joe in the broadcast booth at Fenway Park last Sunday when I had a chance to visit him during our induction of the newest class of Red Sox Scholars.

5 comments:

  1. He has a terrific book about his career. In the book he covers this very topic of Radio v. TV for the game.

    http://www.amazon.com/Broadcast-Rites-Sites-Revised-Boston/dp/1589793242

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  2. reminds me of my grandfather (pop)...he would sit in his rocker with the TV on, volume off and listening to the radio play by play.....wow, thanks for the memories

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  3. Mike from New YorkJune 15, 2009 9:58 AM

    Brings back memories of 1960, 61, and 62 when we used to get Mel Allen, Red Barber and Phil Rizzuto (each took 3 innings) on the transistor radio at camp. The art of “knowing how” is lost. How to… turn the radio in just the right manner, often enough to avoid the broadcast from fading away, or anticipate and relish those precious minutes of clarity before the sound would fade, or just picture the scene set by the voice of …yes…the Yankees.

    Oh yes, then there was my father coming into the bedroom at home to wake me up to tell me to turn off the radio. That’s when I learned how to position it far enough under my pillow that I could hear it but no one else could.

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  4. Deanne DiPasquaJune 17, 2009 10:18 AM

    Paul -

    I work at a children's hospital in Florida and read your blog several times a week. Last week I was on vacation in the Boston/Cape Cod area. On 6/7, I attended my first game at Fenway. I am a Red Sox fan by marriage. Fenway was AWESOME! We also drove by BIMDC in the process of looking for a parking spot. I loved the displays on the side of the hospital vans.

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  5. Yes, Joe is wonderful! A bit reminiscent of the 80s Celtics and Johnny Most. I'd watch games on TV and turn the volume down to listen to Most.

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