1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: Boom. If you thought four hours a day, minutes a 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: week was enough, think again. He's the last remnants of 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: the old Republic, the sole fashion of fairness. He treats 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: crackheads in the ghetto Cutter the same as the rich 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:20,240 Speaker 1: pill poppers in the penthouse, the clearing House of hot takes, 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 1: break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with Ben 7 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: Maller starts right now that it is the Fifth Hour 8 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: with Ben Mallor back at it again, a spinoff of 9 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,840 Speaker 1: the Overnight show. We are so happy you have found 10 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: us is we are in the air everywhere, the vast 11 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: power of I heart, the global reach of podcasting. As 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: we are together again. It is the weekend and we 13 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: were back at it now. This is an interview podcast. 14 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: And there's a couple of things you need to know 15 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: about this. You are giving You're being given a gift 16 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: here because this weekend. Why is this weekend like most 17 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: other weekends, Because David Gascon is not here. So it's 18 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: you just stuck with me on this Friday podcast. Now, 19 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: on Saturday and Sunday, I'll have my trustee sidekick, not Gascon. 20 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: Somebody's actually good uh in here. But this particular podcast, 21 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 1: it's all about me in the interview and all that stuff. 22 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: So welcome in our a friend, a broadcasting friend here 23 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: in a minute. But a couple of things to take 24 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: care of. If you have not like this podcast, please 25 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: do that. That helps us out. I know it seems ridiculous. 26 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: It's a pain, and that took us. I understand that. 27 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: But five stars. If you have some time to write 28 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: a review, I know you've got to come up with 29 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: the name and all that. That helps us out as well. 30 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: Positive reviews. We don't need negative reviews. Positive help us out. Uh. 31 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: And then Cameo dot com. If you're on the internet, 32 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: and which obviously are, you'll see your podcast. But if 33 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: you if you have a big fan of the show, 34 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: if you have a relative that's a fan of the show, 35 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: and you want a video monologue, a Mallard monologue just 36 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: for you, uh, we can do that on cameo. It's 37 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: not free, but it's not very much there on Cameo 38 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: dot com and obviously all of the social media channels. 39 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: Ben Mallar on Twitter, we use that a lot during 40 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: the weekday radio show, on the overnight Instagram, Ben Mallar 41 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: on Fox and the Facebook page which is Ben Mallard Show. 42 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: So I am very excited. I admit it's one of 43 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 1: my guilty pleasures. I love talking to broadcasters, especially people 44 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: that influenced me, that I watched and listened to in 45 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: my younger days. And we have pulled out of the 46 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: ethos Mel Proctor. Now, if you're from the Washington, DC area, 47 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: if you're from Baltimore, chances are you are well aware 48 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: of Mel Procter because for years he was the play 49 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: by play voice of the Washington Bullets. That's right, they 50 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: used to be the Bullets and the Baltimore Orioles. And 51 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: I most associate Mel with the Orioles. I actually was 52 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,399 Speaker 1: around him a bit a few years ago. I spent 53 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: a long time now, but he was the radio guy 54 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: for the Clippers for several years, and that's where I 55 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: got to know Mel a little bit, and I had 56 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: lost track of him. I was like, I wonder what 57 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: Mel proctors up to. And for those that have not 58 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: seen his work, if you're younger, you can actually find 59 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: some old Orio games on YouTube and very entertaining fun broadcaster. 60 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: Did everything, did network play by play, did NF for basketball, 61 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: did play by play boxing football. He was all over 62 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: the place, so let's welcome in now, Mel Procter joining 63 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: us here on the fifth Hour with Ben Maller and Mel, 64 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: thank you for doing this. I guess we want to 65 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: talk about you, who make this all about you, at 66 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: least most of it. So how old were you Mel 67 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: when you realized you wanted to be a broadcaster? Well, 68 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: when I was growing up, but it was the last 69 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 1: thing that I thought of. I wanted to be amazing 70 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: League baseball player, and uh, it was good enough to 71 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: play in high school and college, but I had a 72 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: little trouble hitting the curve ball. So when I graduated 73 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: from college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. 74 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,239 Speaker 1: I took a real job in Denver for about six months, 75 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: and uh, there was a football player who just retired 76 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: from Denver Proco's named Lionel Taylor, and he worked at 77 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: this company C A. Norgren. He was, you know, he 78 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: kissed babies and shook ads and stuff. And I got 79 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: to know him and we both admitted that we missed 80 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: being in sports and had to get back. And he 81 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: showed up one day and said, I'd like you to 82 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: meet the new wide receiver coach the Los Angeles Rams, 83 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: and he left for that job, and I thought, well, 84 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 1: I gotta get out of here somehow. Code and tie 85 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: seven thirty in the morning were two coffee breaks a day. No, 86 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: thank you, I can't do this. So uh, Steve Sable 87 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: of NFL Films had gone to Colorado College, where I 88 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: went to school. I didn't know Steve, but he was 89 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: several years ahead of me, and some of my fraternity 90 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: brothers knew Steve. So I started writing letters to his father, 91 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: Ed Sable, about a job, and they said that out 92 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: there's nothing there, and so I just kept sending stuff anyway, 93 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: ideas for shows and that kind of thing. And I 94 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 1: happened to call one time talk with a friend of 95 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: mine new works there, and I said, I gotta come 96 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: back there for a wedding. Would it be worth stopping 97 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: buy in Philadelphia to see NFL films And he goes, yeah, 98 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 1: You're timing may be perfect. So I went back, Uh, 99 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: talked to Ed Sable, he hired me. I spent three 100 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: and a half years at NFL Elms as a writer producer, 101 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: still having no thoughts of being a broadcaster. But I 102 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: got to know a lot of the guys who came 103 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: into their age films like past summer and Charlie Jones 104 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: and Tom Brookshire and those guys. And I heard him 105 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,119 Speaker 1: talking about the games they've done that day, and I thought, 106 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: you know, I would really rather be out of the 107 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: game somewhere, but in a dark editing room or writing 108 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:28,119 Speaker 1: a script. So I cont the local radio station into 109 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 1: let me do some high school football. I was a 110 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: coling man at first, and then one day to play 111 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: by play guy called and said, no, I can't do 112 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 1: the game. I'm sick. Gonna have to do play by 113 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: play and I can still to this day remember it. 114 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: It was the Upper perky Omen Indians and in Pennsylvania 115 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: against somebody. That was the first game I did, and 116 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: I said, God, I could do this for the living. 117 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 1: So I went from there to doing high school again 118 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: for for a team for a year or so and 119 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: who lollly advertising did everything and then uh, to make 120 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: a long story showed, I guess. I went to Hawaii 121 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: on vacation and fell in love with the place, and 122 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: I had written a letter there to the radio station 123 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: but never got an answer. So I called the guy, 124 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: Earl McDaniel, who was general manager of k g MP, 125 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: and he said, come on over and we got together 126 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: for lunch, and he liked me and we hired me, 127 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: and so I love for Hawaii Wire spent five years 128 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: and that's where I really got online experience. So to 129 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: answer your question, I never really thought about being broadcast 130 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,559 Speaker 1: until after I got out of college and the real 131 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: world kind of hit me. Yeah, well, it certainly beats 132 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: having having a regular job. But I didn't even realize 133 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: he would have worked in NFL films, And I knew 134 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: you had done all the different play by play stuff. 135 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: But I loved, you know, growing up, it influenced me 136 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: as a sports fan the stuff that NFL films turned out. 137 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: And like a lot of guys around my age before 138 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: high school football games to fire up the team, they 139 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: were putting an NFL films, you know, season and review 140 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: documentary and and it was an amazing thing that you know, 141 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: and you worked and you were part of it. I 142 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: they would make the most mundane, boring team that was, 143 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: you know, like a typical little six and ten and 144 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: five and letter, but they were it seemed like gladiators 145 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: in the uh in the NFL films. What was it 146 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: like behind the scenes there in those days putting those 147 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 1: videos together? Oh? It was. It was a great place 148 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: to work. They basically you didn't have hours. You just 149 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: showed up and work when you wanted to go on 150 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: your films. As long as you got to work done. 151 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: You could work from midnight, day in the morning, or 152 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: anytime you wanted. Really, so it's perfect and it just 153 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: lets you do your own thing. And I got to work. 154 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: You know, I worked with Jonathan Sounder, the great voice 155 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: of God, who narrated those films, you know, Cooling Durn Green, 156 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 1: and you know, I came up doing but it was 157 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: it was funny that all all these announcements would come 158 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: in to narrate the various films. So I got to 159 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: know them. And some of the more NBA podcasters would 160 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: come into town, and I talked him into letting me 161 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: be their statman. So I go out to the games 162 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,599 Speaker 1: with them, like Jack Brickles to the Chicago Bulls and 163 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: people like that Van Miller of the Buffalo Bills and 164 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: Buffalo Braves. Um Marty Grickman was a big influence. The 165 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: guy from New York was well known. So I got 166 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:40,079 Speaker 1: to know all these guys, these these podcasters, top of 167 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: line broadcasters, and I thought, God, this is this is 168 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,320 Speaker 1: really what I wanted to do, So I just I 169 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: was in a good spot to to learn from some 170 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: of the best, and it was It's a great place 171 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: to work. It tough us decision I ever had to 172 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: make was sitting on the back steps at NFL Films, 173 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: trying to decide whether to stay in this prestigious job 174 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: in the NFL with great people and creative and fun 175 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: and or quit and go full time to a little 176 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,679 Speaker 1: five thousand water radio station in Chester, Pennsylvania, like a 177 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: broadcast sports full time. And uh, I took a leap, 178 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: and it was very difficult and time be sure to 179 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: catch live editions of the Ben Maller Show weekdays at 180 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: two am Eastern Pacific. How hard was it, mel when 181 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,839 Speaker 1: you you find your networked obviously worked at the NFL 182 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: films and you met all these people, but then and 183 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: to do stats, to go from the stat guy, and 184 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: then you went out to Hawaii, and then to get 185 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:46,079 Speaker 1: that first big league play by play opportunity? How how 186 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: how did that work back in those days as opposed 187 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: to what's going on in you know today? Well, I 188 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: was in Hawaii for five years and and loved it 189 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 1: and married a girl from there from Maui, and you know, 190 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: as I'm truly sure that I was probably gonna stay there, 191 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: but I wanted to do big league sports. And I 192 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: was doing minor league baseball for the Hawaii Islanders, which 193 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: are the Padres Cripple a affiliate, and so i'd go 194 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: to spring trending. I get to know their announcers Jerry 195 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: Coleman and Rob Chattel, and are those guys. Um, So 196 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: I started applying for a few jobs. I'm more than 197 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: a few accident, I think. I I applied to the 198 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: Houston Astros when in they're and interviewed. The balt Memorials 199 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: flew me into Oakland for a series because they thought 200 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 1: Chuck Thompson was going to retire. Well it went on 201 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: for another thirty years like chever uh, And then the 202 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: Angels talked to me. I came down the number two 203 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: guys there. Um. I'd applied for some NBA jobs and 204 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,439 Speaker 1: I was getting close to things, but it was so frustrating, 205 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: you know, looking back at it, I had no idea 206 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 1: how hard it is to advance to that level of broadcasting. 207 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,599 Speaker 1: But one Sunday we were sitting out on there my 208 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: lan I having a glass of wine my wife and 209 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: I are wife to be and in the phone rang 210 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: and it was w t Op in Washington, DC. The 211 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: call and asked me if I wanted to be the 212 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: Playboy play announcer for the Washington Bullets were just one 213 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: NBA championship, and I said sure, yeah, let's go. Well, 214 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: about about two hours later, I get another phone call 215 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: the merv Kings. It was general manager of the San 216 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: Diego UH Clippers, and he says, we like you that 217 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,559 Speaker 1: we are player by playguy on radio. I said, oh Jesus, 218 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: I don't understand. This is after years of trying. Suddenly 219 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 1: I get two calls within twenty four hours offering me 220 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: NBA jobs. I said, I'd really rather come to San 221 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: Diego because it's warmer, and my wife says, from Hawaii, 222 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 1: I think it'd be an easy your adjustment for her. 223 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: But earth Caves became a good friend. Said I'll be 224 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:07,719 Speaker 1: honest with you. He said, the Bulls suggested on the 225 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: championship it's a bigger market, there's more exposure, UH, And 226 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: to be honest, I'm not sure how long we're gonna 227 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,559 Speaker 1: be in San Diego. So he said you have to 228 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: take the Bullets job. So that's how I got my 229 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: first day of league job. Wow, that's that's a wild, 230 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: wild story. And and and then you know, I always 231 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: associate you because in my age, I associate you with 232 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: the Orioles, but you were with the Bullets, you in 233 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 1: that area back and for when you run across people 234 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: that recall your career. Do people associate you more with 235 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: the Orioles or the Washington Bullets or somebody else? I 236 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: think both? Really, yeah, because I was sitting at Baltimore 237 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: Washington Market for almost twenty years. So uh, you know, 238 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 1: my first day with the Bulls a seventy seventy nine. 239 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 1: They went to the finals and lost to Seattle after 240 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: winning the previous year. But that franchise has never made 241 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: it back to the NBA finals since then. What is 242 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: that forty two years or something? They evilid it back? 243 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: I happen to be part of it, so that was 244 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: wonderful and they haven't and they have a new name now. 245 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: See they seemed their name and number of years ago. 246 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: So there no no more Bullets anymore than yeah, but 247 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: I was there when they had great teams with Wes 248 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: Unseld and Elvin Hayes and Bobby Dandridge and Dick Motto 249 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 1: was a coach, and it was a great time to 250 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: be there. And then of course I was for the 251 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: Orioles and got to see most of Cal Ripken's career 252 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 1: and they had some great teams there. I did that 253 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: for fourteen years um and then came to the cable network. 254 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: I worked for Home Thing Sports was being sold and 255 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: everything was up in the air, so I didn't know 256 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: what I was gonna do. But Loyal Lakino, who had 257 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: run the Orioles, was president of San Diego Padres, and 258 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: they offered me a job doing the TV games. And 259 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: I've always learned to live here, so I said, let's go. 260 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: So we headed to San Diego. I think maybe a 261 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: Padres be the Padres forever. It lasted five years. Then 262 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: Larry got pushed out by the owner, John Moore's, and 263 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: everyone who worked for him out the door too. So 264 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 1: far in our life works sometimes. But yeah, and you 265 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: have you know you so you've you've done play by 266 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: play across I know you did network stuff. You did 267 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: some football play by play, if you don't any hockey, 268 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: whereas if you hockey is the only thing I've never done. 269 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: I've done boxing for Turner, uh, T n T and 270 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:48,479 Speaker 1: TBS uh. You know, did the good World Games boxing. 271 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: I've done everything except hockey. Yeah, I mean all the 272 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: sports that you've done, What do you find the easiest 273 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 1: and what is the most difficult as a play by 274 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: play guy. Well, I I think the easiest thing comes 275 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: easiest for me for some reason, and it's the most fun. 276 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: It's doing NBA basketball and a radio by myself, which 277 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: I did for many years, no color man, just me, 278 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: and it could get so lost and doing it's just 279 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: a wonderful feeling. And I think I had a feel 280 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: for it because I had played college basketball and kind 281 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: of sense the rhythms of the game and developed in 282 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: an orthodox style of describing things that seemed sitting well 283 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: with people. And I think that was probably the thing 284 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 1: I did best. Baseball is the most difficult because well, 285 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: it's every day for one thing, so you have to 286 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: you have to be around the batting gage and find 287 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: out what the latest is. It's easier now with all 288 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: the information, and but you know, in those days you 289 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: had to really work at it to get fresh information 290 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: because you can't just keep the same thing every day 291 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: about the same players, the same teams. You have to 292 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,120 Speaker 1: come up with the press material and baseball games can 293 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:12,160 Speaker 1: get didn't get slow. I'm free to have our game 294 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: with you know. I still remember the game in Texas 295 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 1: when the Rangers beat the Oils twenty six to seven 296 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,880 Speaker 1: whatever for that game, and I don't think I've ever 297 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: drunk so much there in my life. And after that 298 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:33,120 Speaker 1: game they saw asuly your question. Yeah, I think baseball 299 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 1: was the most difficult. Yeah. And I used to watch 300 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: you on the satellite during the Oil Again, you always 301 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:40,719 Speaker 1: seem to have a good time even when the Oils 302 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: had terrible teams. Occasionally you seem like you were enjoying yourself. 303 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: You you were not you weren't taking it too seriously. 304 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: You had the fun. I feel like you had a 305 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,719 Speaker 1: pretty good balance of having fun and then you know, 306 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: calling the game. How did you get to that point, 307 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: mel Because a lot of it is like two types. 308 00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,360 Speaker 1: Those guys have fun there the guys that are kind 309 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:02,119 Speaker 1: of hard old types to take it way too serious. 310 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: I felt you had a good time. You were you 311 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: were having fun doing the games even when they were terrible. Well, 312 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: a couple of things happened, but like for many years, 313 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:16,400 Speaker 1: I think I I emulated different broadcasters or tried to 314 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: steal things from different people, and did things to please 315 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: the people I work for. And at one point I 316 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: realized this is not gonna work. This business is so 317 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: fickle that you know, we can't please your boss or 318 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,400 Speaker 1: you know who your boss is gonna be next year, 319 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: or the hell with it. If I can please myself 320 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,439 Speaker 1: and have some fun, that's all I care about. So 321 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:39,720 Speaker 1: that's the attitude I took. I'm just gonna go out. 322 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: I want to have fun. I'm gonna try to have 323 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 1: much excitement as I had experience if I was at 324 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 1: a ballpark. And then when I got to Baltimore, they 325 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: had a crazy ex player named John Lowenstein retired and 326 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: he became my partner. And John is about the most 327 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: awful walk character I've ever met in my life. And 328 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:02,679 Speaker 1: that we just hit it off and it was like 329 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: it was love stopfter after that. Yeah, that's outstanding. And uh, 330 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: and some of your some of your old games are 331 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: on YouTube, but I don't know if you ever check 332 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:14,880 Speaker 1: those out. But every you know, I occasionally, especially last 333 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: year during the pandemic, I'd flip on some of the 334 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: old games and they you know, the random old like 335 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 1: mid eighties orios and A's game will be on and 336 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: you'll you'll be doing the playoff. That it's pretty cool 337 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: to check out some stuff. But you mentioned getting information, 338 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 1: and I think we have a bunch of young guys 339 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 1: that listen, that want to be They want to follow 340 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 1: in your footsteps, guys like yourself that have had big 341 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,399 Speaker 1: careers and play by playing with not but but put 342 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,640 Speaker 1: in perspective, and now I can go on Twitter and 343 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 1: social media and have content coming out of my ears 344 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: and my you know, my nose and my eyes miss everywhere. 345 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: But it wasn't like that. You had to depend on 346 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: the newspapers and you had to depend on getting information. 347 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: So so kind of walk me me what it was 348 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: like when you're preparing and you had to get, as 349 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: you said, new information. How difficult was it to obtain 350 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 1: new information on the teams. Well, that's a good question. 351 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: It was. It was difficult. I used to carry around 352 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: like a huge, well just scrapbook was filled with newspaper 353 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: clippings and stories taken out of magazines and about different 354 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: players and teams, and that was constantly updating that looking 355 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: for stuff and books and wherever I could find it. 356 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 1: It was all in print then, but it was not 357 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: on the internet. That what's the internet or as I know, 358 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: And uh so that's why I had most of the stuff. 359 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,360 Speaker 1: And some of my broadcast partners you just laugh. I mean, 360 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: like the late Mike Clinic and Baltimore said, I can't 361 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: believe to carry all the stuff around, like the big 362 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: book full of clippings and stuff that I would refer 363 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,439 Speaker 1: to from time to time and you know, pullout and 364 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: nugget to talk about. Then I I just spent a 365 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: lot of time around the Bad Engage in the clubhouse, 366 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: just you know, getting to know the players and the 367 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,919 Speaker 1: manager and so forth, and just just working at it. 368 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,919 Speaker 1: But I always loved the research in the things for 369 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: some reason, which I think is what let me into 370 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: writing some books. Be sure to catch live editions of 371 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:23,440 Speaker 1: the Ben Maller Show weekdays at two am Eastern Pacific. Yeah, 372 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,440 Speaker 1: that's right, if I wanted to talk about that, because 373 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 1: for those that don't know mel long career as a 374 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:32,120 Speaker 1: play by play guy, but you've you've written several books. 375 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,439 Speaker 1: The one that they caught my attention. I'm still in 376 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 1: the middle of it, so I have not been able 377 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 1: to fish it. But it's a few years old. But 378 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 1: love the work, Hate the Business is the headline on this, 379 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: and it's one of the several books that you've written 380 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: over the years that really resonated with me because I 381 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,360 Speaker 1: have a similar perspective. Mel I am a little younger, 382 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: but I love working in sports radio. Some of the 383 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: politics of it. Uh, yeah, I'm not a big fan, 384 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,200 Speaker 1: so kind of you know, sell me on the book here. 385 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 1: Obviously I'm a fan. I'm a believer in the book play. 386 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,400 Speaker 1: But for those that considering it, why should somebody buy 387 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: that book? Well, I should point out that the book 388 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 1: originally came out on ten twelve years ago, but I 389 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 1: just recently released an audio book where I narrated the book, 390 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 1: and I think it's better than the pret work because 391 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,119 Speaker 1: you know, my voice is there in the emotion of 392 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: some of the things that I felt. So that's available 393 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:33,880 Speaker 1: now from audible, Amazon and iTunes for those who want 394 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: to get it sparted. But yeah, I I just what 395 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: what happened was how this book thing came about? It 396 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 1: was Well, first book I wrote was a book called 397 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: The Official Fans Guy That Affused It, which is about 398 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: the old TV to television show in the nineties sixties, 399 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: which is my all time favorite show, and it was 400 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: one whether when I had some spare time, so I 401 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 1: I always wanted to write a book, so I said, 402 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 1: I'm gonna research this thing and see if I can 403 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: come up with a book. So when we take road trips, 404 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:15,199 Speaker 1: I would try to schedule them with interviewing people who 405 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 1: had worked on the show. UM, like Barry Morris who 406 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,960 Speaker 1: played Lieutenant Gerard. He lived in Toronto. When I was 407 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:25,640 Speaker 1: up there for a game, I got together with him 408 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:31,639 Speaker 1: and UM, all these different stars that were on the show. 409 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 1: I interviewed a lot of them. They wrote the book 410 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: and got it published. So that was the first time. 411 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: But then what really inspired the book you're talking about 412 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: was in two thousand seven, Uh, I had broadcasts for 413 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: both the Orioles are most of cal Ripton's career, also 414 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 1: for Tony Gwinn's three thousand hit last game of his career, 415 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:03,920 Speaker 1: which was my last in San Diego. But I went 416 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: to a bookstore in San Diego, Warwick's well known bookstore, 417 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: where cal Ripken was signing the book. I went down 418 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: to see cow and say hello, and I was talking 419 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: with John Maroon, who was the pr director to the team, 420 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 1: and we figured out that I was the only person 421 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: not only in the universal, the world or anywhere, to 422 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:30,200 Speaker 1: a broadcast for both Ripken and Tony Glenn and to 423 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: call Ripken's record setting game when he broke through Garrett's 424 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: record and Tony Gwinn's the three thousand hit, and both 425 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: of them were going in the Hall of Fame that 426 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,400 Speaker 1: year two thousand seven. So I paid my own way 427 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 1: back to Cooperstown and said, I'm just gonna experience this. 428 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: It's a one of a lifetime thing, and almost say 429 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:51,400 Speaker 1: if I can write a book about it. So that's 430 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: how it began. I just kind of went from there 431 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: and thought, looking back on my career, how much I'd 432 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 1: enjoyed it. But I started from the big I think, 433 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: I just, you know, give a chronical chronological history of 434 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:07,239 Speaker 1: what I had done, and it turned up to be 435 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: a book. Yeah, And you were around Ripken and Gwynn. 436 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: I was around Tony a little bit, uh and he 437 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:18,199 Speaker 1: was like the coolest star most you know, down the 438 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 1: earth star that I recalled being around in those days 439 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: because he just seemed to have a really good perspective 440 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:28,400 Speaker 1: on on everything. What was it like being around him 441 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,479 Speaker 1: with the Padres in those days. Ah, he was the best, 442 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:35,920 Speaker 1: one of the best human beings God ever made. Unfortunately 443 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: lost him too early. And you know, but he was. 444 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: He was so talented, such a wonderful person. Um. One 445 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: of my favorite Tony Gwen stories is my son was 446 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:50,040 Speaker 1: in high school at the time and he was playing 447 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 1: baseball and he was in a slump. He wasn't hitting. 448 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,120 Speaker 1: So mord Rettenan was the Podres hitting coach and I said, 449 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: lord of my son's had a whole trouble with his hitting, 450 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 1: but you help him out. He said, sure, bring him 451 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,680 Speaker 1: in Sunday in the morning before a game and I'll 452 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: help it. So I brought my son in. We went 453 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 1: down to the batting cages inside the stadium and Tony 454 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 1: Groom was already there at about nine o'clock in the morning, 455 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,359 Speaker 1: and they had played a late game the night before, 456 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: and he was Tony working up a sweat in the 457 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 1: batting cage swing Balay early the morning when all of 458 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: his teammates are probably sound asleep. And I remember saying, 459 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: I said, Tony, what what are you doing here? And 460 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 1: they were playing Seattle that night, so he said, I'm 461 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,400 Speaker 1: trying to figure out a way to hit Randy Johnson 462 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,880 Speaker 1: the big unit, but he was one of the few 463 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,679 Speaker 1: guys who gave Tony's trouble. But that's how dedicated Tony 464 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: was to his craft to be there early in the 465 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,920 Speaker 1: morning after a night game the night before, and that 466 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: just showed the kind of person he was. And by 467 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: the way, morv did help my son get out of 468 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: the slump. But always impressed about Tony. Yeah, and now 469 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: you were in with the oils felt were you there 470 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: when they had that one star? When you're there? They oh, yeah, 471 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:13,400 Speaker 1: what do you? What do you do as a broadcaster 472 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: when you're already buried a month into the season, Like, 473 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 1: how do you? How do you? How did you handle 474 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: that night? Was I think was the year in the tea? 475 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,159 Speaker 1: How walked me through what that was like as a broadcast? 476 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: It's painful thing back on it. But they were, you know, 477 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: they were losing in every possible way, being there or 478 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: here or hit bast on the bases, loaded or fan 479 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: interference or I mean any thing you could imagine that 480 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: They just kept losing and losing. And I remember John 481 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: lowinstyme my partners, saying to me, he said, you know 482 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: the best thing that could happen to this team is 483 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: they keep losing because if they win a game, people 484 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 1: are gonna stop covering them. But the more they lost, 485 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: the more the coverage in East and there were writers 486 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: and reporters showing up from everywhere including Japan. I think 487 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 1: that the chronicle this team going one start this season. 488 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: It was just unreal. And uh, I can still remember 489 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: a picture of Billy Ripton leaning on his bat with 490 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 1: his forehead on his novel of his bat and looking 491 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 1: just so sad during that time. Um, but it's amazing 492 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:36,920 Speaker 1: what happened. They were all in twenty one and they 493 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 1: came back after finally winning a game, and Larry Latino 494 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,320 Speaker 1: was president of the team and he had been working 495 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: UH with ed were Benn Williams, who owned the team, 496 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:53,600 Speaker 1: and the mayor of Baltimore on a on an agreement 497 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 1: to get a new stadium built. So when the team 498 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: came back into town they finally won a game to 499 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: end the losing street, they made this dramatic announcement about 500 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: the new stadium, which turned out to be calmed in 501 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: the arts. So they turned into an amazing positive and 502 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:14,320 Speaker 1: the next year in they came within a few days 503 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 1: of winning American League ease, Yes, it was. It was 504 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 1: a great turner. And that eight Oil team for those 505 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,440 Speaker 1: that are young and don't I mean they had a 506 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: Hall of famer Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray was on that, Yeah, 507 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: a young Kurt Schilling who was not a Hall of 508 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 1: Famer but a very good player, and Chilling, Brady Anderson. 509 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: Um yeah, and and still owing twenty one to start 510 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 1: the year. But uh no, just a word of advice 511 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:43,479 Speaker 1: that if somebody breaking in right now, what would you 512 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: say to a young broadcaster who wants to, as I 513 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: said earlier, following your footsteps, what advice would you give 514 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:54,120 Speaker 1: him go out and win twenty games or win a 515 00:29:54,200 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: Heisman trophy? That does help? I yeah, I mean it is. 516 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: It is difficult for a guy without your professionally always, right, 517 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: I mean it's very you know, I deal with the 518 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,920 Speaker 1: same thing in my you know, doing sports radio. It's 519 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: you know, it's a little a little difficult. But it 520 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 1: is also networking, right, I mean, you got to know 521 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 1: people and you did a great thing. As you said, 522 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,280 Speaker 1: you started in the NFL films. You networked. That's a 523 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: big dealt of it too, right. You gotta meet people 524 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: and usually the people you start out with, the people 525 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: behind the scenes, end up, you know, moving up, and 526 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:29,960 Speaker 1: then they can help you out, right, he had to 527 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: some degree. But when I got the Bullets job, I 528 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,960 Speaker 1: was working in Hawaii and I used to have a 529 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: game called the Rainbow Classic where they bring in teams 530 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: from all over the country to play. And all the 531 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: NBA general managers would would use this as an excuse, 532 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: you take a tripto Hawaii party for a week. And 533 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: so I you know, I hung out with these guys 534 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: and I got to know them. So in the case 535 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: of Washington team, Bob Perry was a general out at 536 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 1: your well, I heard about this opening in Washington. I 537 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: I called Bob and I said, you know, there's this job. 538 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: There's an involved played by played for the Bullets And 539 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:11,720 Speaker 1: he said, yes, do you want to do it? And 540 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 1: I said hell yes, he said all right, So he 541 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 1: made a call and I had a lot to do 542 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 1: with my getting iron absolutely all right, and again promote 543 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: the pull out the book, the audio book, and uh, 544 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 1: how can people find it? And he said only ten bucks? Right, 545 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: that's a good that's the deal. They love your work. 546 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:31,719 Speaker 1: I love the work. Hate the business is the name 547 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: of it, and again where can they find it now? Uh, 548 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 1: it's a audible Amazon or iTunes? All right? So where 549 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: do you get your audio books your audio content there? 550 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: And where do you go to? W w www dot 551 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:54,239 Speaker 1: audible dot com? All right, Amazon obviously, Yeah, And then 552 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: what do you want? What have you been up to you? 553 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 1: I mean, I haven't talked to him about you would 554 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 1: do for those I was around you with you doing 555 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: the Clippers. You actually ended up doing the l A Clippers. 556 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 1: You did some some work with the clips, and I 557 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: was around you a little bit then. But what have 558 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 1: you been up to recently? You're living in San Diego, right, 559 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 1: You're enjoying life. Is a beautiful place to live, wonderful city, 560 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,680 Speaker 1: the whole thing. Oh yeah, uh yeah. I I did 561 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 1: the Clippers for three years and I probably was stayed forever, 562 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: but they weren't paying me much and so I had 563 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: a chance to go to Washington to be the first 564 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: television voice of the Washington Nationals. But it was only 565 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 1: a one year deal because the team had no ownership. 566 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: They were being run by Major League Baseball, so they 567 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 1: could only offer a one year contract. And uh, looking 568 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: back on it, it was a mistake, but I took 569 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: the job and went there and had a ball working 570 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 1: with Ron Darling went on to have a great career 571 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 1: as a good friend. But that's where things pretty much ended. 572 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 1: And so I just, you know, came back here. I 573 00:32:56,480 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 1: wrote another book about Gene Mark, former major league manager, 574 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 1: and well did it. Little list little that did some 575 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 1: college games for the University of Y and a few 576 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: other things. But basically I'm just ticked back now and 577 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: spending time with my dogs and trying to think of 578 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 1: another book to write. There you go, you gotta come 579 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:22,280 Speaker 1: up with another. And when you come up with the book, Mail, 580 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: we're gonna have you back. We're gonna sell the book, Bell, 581 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: We're gonna move a product for your mail, is what 582 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: we're gonna do. Okay, all right, Well, don't forg you. 583 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:33,320 Speaker 1: We've got official fans guide to the Fugitive. I love 584 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: to work when I hate the business and the little 585 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:42,560 Speaker 1: general baseball life of Gene Mark, which is very interesting. Awesome. Hey, no, thanks, 586 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 1: thanks for your time. I appreciate it, and we'll catch 587 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 1: up again soon. Thank you. Then, anytime, it's been a pleasure. 588 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 1: Thank you.