What a day. Sunshine galore at Petco Park, 13 innings of baseball and a Walk-off Home Run for the Padres and a well deserved victory. Padres 8- D-Backs 7.
We all meet people in different places. Being a ML scout alot of those times its in the Mess Hall 1 hour before games-the dead time at the stadium when there is no BP or infield going on.
Thursday Night in San Diego I was lucky enough to sit next to the great baseball announcer Jon Miller. Jon Miller is my Vin Scully. He was sitting with former Big Leaguers Duane Kiuper and Mike Krukow. Duane a little bit quieter, Mike the very talkative one of the two friends.
Apparently in San Diego u eat fish tacos-well Krukow and Kuiper had them spread out all over at the end of there table. They were munching. I was at the other end in the corner and in walks Miller with a bunch of Sushi. These guys were in the middle of a fish feast.
Jon Miller turned to me and introduced himself, what an unbelievable person. After exchanging stories and people we knew for about 10 minutes, I told him how great it was to be with a person who is so happy and that it carried threw to his on air voice-his excitement to be covering a ML game. He responded to me in that great voice-I have the greatest job in the world hy wouldn't I be happy.
I guess I'm not the only one who thinks he has the best job in the world- but I think alot of us in baseball feel the same way-we are very fortunate. Thank You for going to the games and supporting our teams.
I also need to mention Oakland A's announcer Ken Korach. I met Ken when I was a youngster growing up in Petaluma-the booming metropolis of Petaluma all 14,000 of us Now Over 70,000. Ken worked at the local radio station KTOB-the home and voice of the great Ron Walters-he used to sing happy birthday to you over the radio. Ken was just beginning in the business and now is the lead announcer for the Oakland A's Network. Still remembers me and is always very cordial when we see each other.
Got the chance to see the great Greg Maddux pitch the other night. What a Pitcher, can make the ball dance and really hit his spots (command the ball) and the area's he wants to put ball in. I remember when I was working for the Braves and the scouts were in Spring Training, Greg was warming up for a spring training game in West Palm Beach when the announcer announced a 7 hole hitter named Rondell White. At this point Maddux had never heard of him, without missing a beat in his warmups he asks Leo Mazzone who is that name he didn't recognize it and if so how am I gonna pitch him. Unbelievable a Hall of Famer in a Spring training game wants to know how to pitch this Rookie. Thank God one of our scouts the great Hep Cronin had seen him in AA, and Mazzone asked Hep to come over and tell Greg how to pitch him. Recognize the Cronin name-great Cincinnati guy whose son Mick is the new Coach at University of Cincinnati Basketball Program.
Can't wait for tommorrow, Webb vs Peavy. Power Life vs Power Slider. How lucky am I-baseball in a sun splashed location-SAN DIEGO. Monday go back to freezing my ass off at AT&T in San Francisco.
Goodnight everybody. To my Friends at Home see u Monday at Coffee. I never believed it but time does fly as you grow older.
Keep It Real
Butch Baccala
ML Scout
Cincinnati Reds
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