June 30, 2004 - Dad
Newport Richey, FL
We are up and on the road by 9:30 a.m. One last look at New Orleans and breakfast at Café du Monde – chicory coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh beignets. After a long days drive, that takes us from Louisiana through Mississippi and Alabama, we end up in Newport Richey, Florida where we find an inexpensive motel that has air conditioning – all we really care about.
Oakland 4, Anaheim 2
WP: C. Bradford (4-4) LP: S. Shields (5-2)
July 1, 2004 (EARLY AM) - Bob
Newport Richey, FL
We’re back on baseball track -- heading to see the D-Rays today. We’ll be at Ferg’s (an awesome sports bar/grill right outside Tropicana Stadium that has given us free drink/eats) early and will do an interview with a local TV station there. From there, we’re on to the ball game. It’ll be nice to go in and enjoy the game -- not worried about the fundraising elements, not worried about the crowd, not worried about anything, really -- just enjoying the game. Nice.
Yesterday was a long day of driving, but quite enjoyable. I feel like the coordination efforts with this trip are really coming together. I know pretty well where everything is and how it works -- we get the tickets, we see where the PD community is, we hit the media up, THEN we check on food, and the group tickets (those are the easy elements).
By the by, big ups to Qdoba Burritos in Tallahassee for the donation of our dinner burritos.
Current mood: tired. We’re in an Econo Lodge just about a 1/2 hour outside of St. Pete’s. That lets us sleep easy tomorrow knowing we’re so close to where we need to be. Nice. I’ll probably get up at about 8:45. That’ll work. I’ll try the internet situation -- maybe take a run at the beach. We’ll see.
July 1, 2004 - DAD
Oscar Scherer Campground, FL
Up at 8:30 and on the road by 10:15. It looks like we are going to be late for our pre game TV Interview. Bob calls ahead and they say, "No problem."
We arrive at Ferg’s at ll:40 for our 11:00 interview. We are greeted by Mark Ferguson, proprietor. Mark is enthusiastic about our project. He gives us orange wristbands, which allows us unlimited food and drink at his restaurant. We order lunch and realize that our TV Interview is ready. The local CBS affiliate team is very interested in our story and does a complete interview.
At the game, we are given media passes which allows us to go everywhere except the locker room. Bob is able to get three good interviews, including one with local announcer Enrique Oliu, who is the color commentator for the Spanish radio station. Enrique is blind -- seriously!
Bob:
What makes you unique as an announcer?
Enrique:
I don’t know, they same I’m blind. But I don’t know if that’s unique or out of the ordinary.
Bob:
What attracts you to baseball?
Enrique:
Sports in general. The fact that my father was a big sports guy. and radio was still king in Nicaragua where I grew up. I’ve always loved sports because it’s not a subjective matter. The numbers are what they are. And it’s the mark of excellence. That’s why I’m drawn to sports. The records...the mark of excellence.
Bob:
Have you been blind you’re entire life?
Enrique:
Yes.
Bob:
When your dad was a player, did you listen to the games on the radio?
Enrique:
No, no. He just played on the sandlots or high schools. I went to his games when he was in the 30 and over or 40 and over leagues -- something like that.
Bob:
Baseball’s a big deal in Central America?
Enrique:
Yes -- in some areas it’s soccer, in other areas it’s baseball. Wherever there has been an American presence for any length of time, baseball is there.
Bob:
So how did you start calling games?
Enrique:
I just started doing it. I began with three innings of color commentary for Ripley’s. Then I did 15 games for the senior professional baseball league. And I don’t know, I had talk shows and I did sports correspondence or the updates during the day and different things at different stations around the town. It just so happened that my friend was an ex Major Leaguer and he was nice enough to talk to the Devil Rays and give me a chance and that’s how it happened.
Bob:
What does baseball mean to you?
Enrique:
It’s a vehicle. To meet people. To watch something that I love and get paid a couple bucks for it.
Bob:
Do you see where baseball could be a metaphor for life?
Enrique:
Any sport. That’s why the broadcasters always use metaphors. The Excellence, the attrition, the people that get cut and those that go on. In essence that’s life. Not everyone’s going to get everywhere in life. Some of them are going to be digging ditches, some are going to be doctors, some are going to be low on the totem pole, some are going to be high on the totem pole. That’s just the way life is.
Bob:
Do you think you’ve taken this opportunity, with your being blind, to the next level?
Enrique:
I think so. I mean it’s a chance for me to have done some motivational speaking. And people have been receptive to it. And you go to somebody’s house and: “Oh, I’ve read you, I’ve seen you on television, I’ve read you in the Reader’s Digest in Spanish. You know, the bigger thing is somebody reads it and says, “well, he’s not such a big thing”. Which I’m not. And I can go on from there.
Bob:
What’s the nicest thing somebody’s said to you about your work?
Enrique:
That I know what I’m talking about, coaches and players.
Bob:
So it’s meaningful to you that you do a really good job?
Enrique:
Well that would be in anything. Whether I work as a public defender or I work here. As a public defender, I’m not a lawyer, but I know just about as much as any lawyer.
Bob:
So your official job beyond this is as a public defender?
Enrique:
I work for the public defender. As kind of an intake specialist -- a liaison for the people who are in jail. They have a toll-free line.
Bob:
So do you see yourself calling sports for a long time?
Enrique:
Yes. Why not? If Vin (Scully) can do it for 55 years with the Dodgers and Ernie Harwell can do the Tigers for 42 years, hey. I would love it. Have you guys met Muhammad Ali?
Dan:
No. We have the support of his research center, but we haven’t met him yet.
Enrique:
But you haven’t met him? I thought you might get a chance to meet him. I’ll tell you what, to me he’s an inspiration. When he lit up the torch and took it up as far as he could in Atlanta. That was impressive.
Bob:
He is what many people consider the greatest.
Enrique:
Yes he is. And in many more ways than one. Whether you agree or disagree with him, at least he had a stand. Which most people -- they talk a good game, but they don’t really stand for it.
Dan:
After the game we returned to Fergies to say thanks to Mark. He insists that we have a beer before leaving. We drive to Oscar Scherer State Park, just south of Sarasota, check in with the park ranger and take off for the beach with about an hour before sunset. The beach is beautiful white sand, water is at least 85 degrees. We swim and goof around until the sun sets. By the time we get back to our campsite, it is quite dark and there is thunder and lightning.
We are setting up camp and I am surprised by a noise from the surrounding darkness. It sounds like a large animal moving through the bushes.
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