ARE WE THERE YET? YES!
(TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan) – So concludes the longest bus trip of the season. The Evansville Otters coaches, players, and I left on Tuesday night from Bosse Field bound for Traverse City.
We left the ballpark at 9:15 p.m. and did not arrive into the team hotel in Michigan until 8:15 a.m. the following morning.
The players and coaches file back on to the bus for the journey to Traverse City, Michigan.
It may sound like a wild amount of time to spend on a bus but it was actually very productive. I was able to accomplish a lot of reading in a new book that I am working through (Bullpen Gospels by Dick Hayhurst) and also study some of my broadcasting game notes for the next contest.
With a lot of reading, and studying, I was also able to succeed in sleeping a bit on the bus. Overall, the bus trip was well spent in a number of different ways for me. I was able to see the sun rise, change time zones for the first time this summer, and see some old, classic movies as well.
Time to rest up a bit in the hotel before tonight’s game.
Evansville and Traverse City will be playing a three game series beginning on Wednesday, continuing on Thursday and coming to a conclusion on Friday.
Expect a lot more blogging in the future including a post coming up soon about Wuerfel Park…one of the nicest baseball facilities in the country!
Here’s to a wonderful journey ahead of us in the next week!
Best wishes from Traverse City, Michigan
Teeing it up with Jeremy Schilling
(SADDLE BROOK, New Jersey) – Just finished up a great interview on Teeing it Up with Jeremy Schilling.
Jeremy Schilling, host of Teeing It Up
Jeremy is a good friend from college who has continued his award-winning show on the Internet, without missing a beat.
The weekly show is a hit with great and unusual portions of the program like the Relationship Advice segment, while also having superb insight into the worlds of sports.
I just joined him for an interview where we talked about my appearance in the Wall Street Journal, my experiences with the Evansville Otters and a few other topics.
The link can be heard by clicking here (starting at 34:00) !
Last day at Historic Bosse Field
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – The clock ticked down and the last day working at Historic Bosse Field was over.
It seems as if I’m the victim of a time machine that zipped me from May and zapped me to September, but it is entirely true.
Usually, workers tend to relax on the last day and not go the extra mile to finish strong.
That simply was not going to be my final few moments.
Josh Hebert, Jon Cruzen and I cleaned out the Corona Light Party Deck at Historic Bosse Field in the morning and concluded the day by doing one of the toughest jobs of the summer.
Jon and I brought all of the flags down from the concourse level, which may sound routine but is far from it. Check out these pictures:
This is how high I had to go on a 20-foot high ladder to take down the banners.
From the ladder, I had to reach up to the top of this restroom banner in order to bring all the signs down.
Also, when we were told the day was over, I ran around the field to take a few more pictures to remember my time at Historic Bosse Field:
A look out to the diamond!
Wrap-around look at the roof at this jewel of a ballpark.
Ever climb a foulpole? I'm not afraid to! This is the look up the right field pole into the blue skies.
"Bosse Field: Where Every Fan is a Friend!" It couldn't be said any better!
Thank you sign! I'm glad I visited Bosse Field this summer!
That’s the final images of my summer at Bosse Field! Let me know what you think.
More thoughts on the entire season coming tomorrow.
The End of the season Road trip – 2010
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – The end of the season road trip plans are coming along.
Now that I’ve made the decision to return to New Jersey, I need to map out how to get there.
The GPS machine is all set for the journey, and the car is mostly packed.
It is still tough to comprehend how quickly the season went, but I am looking forward to my next opportunity.
Any ideas on where to stop along the way from Evansville, Indiana to Saddle Brook, New Jersey?
Taking care of those who take care of you
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – Networking is one of the most important elements of succeeding in life.
Well friendships and generosity may be even more important.
On Monday afternoon, I took out the entire production staff at WUEV as a way to say thanks for all of the hard work over the summer.
John Luttrell, Paul Mattingly and Josh Woody did a superb job the entire summer working on the Otters games, that taking them out for lunch was the least I can do.
They made commercials, cut highlights and made the broadcasts possible every day for the entire summer.
I highly recommend each and every one of these guys and it was an honor to work with them during the season.
Thanks again guys!
Athletes then and now
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – On Sunday night, I had an interesting discussion at the dinner table with Bill McKeon, the Evansville Otters color commentator.
We had a true Polish meal of kielbasa and pierogies (which were both delicious) but the highlight of the night was the conversation.
The guests started talking about playing sports back when they were younger and how intense they were (Elbows being thrown and slamming people to the ground was merely a foul in basketball). Then the talks shifted to today’s generation and how athletes tend to be different now and are not allowed to play as rough.
What do you think? Are athletes softer now? Do today’s athletes have it better or worse? Let me know
Productive Production
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – The broadcast of the soccer game went along smoothly.
The University of Evansville played East Tennessee State in the Championship Game of the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic and it was an incredible game.
The Purple Aces came out strong and finished well in a 2-0 win.
It felt like old times working with the board just like when I did the same thing at WQUN for Bobcat basketball/hockey games.
I took notes while producing the game, including phrases to switch up my language.
Here are the notes:
Page One
Page Two
Can you believe that all of these phrases can be used in a soccer game?
Also, Otters producer Paul Mattingly snapped a couple pictures of me working the game.
Here are Paul’s snapshots:
Playing commercials during the pre-game show
Recording the game to edit highlights
Me in the WUEV Main Studio
Next stop: University of Evansville soccer
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – I’ve always been a big believer in going the extra mile.
This means working at nights, on weekends, and on holidays when everyone tends to take the day off.
Not for me! I love working at all times.
I’m at the University of Evansville today and am extremely excited to be working the Purple Aces soccer game. It is the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic as Evansville challenges East Tennessee State in the championship game.
The broadcast starts at 3:15 PM EST (2:15 PM CDT) with Tom Benson announcing all of the action. The game is set to begin at 2:30 from Evansville, Indiana.
I’ll be in the studio producing the game in anticipation of broadcasting the game on Wednesday night against Belmont.
Please tune in if you can.
Evansville Elite Club
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – Today was a very special day for me as I was inducted into the Evansville Elite Club.
President Sandy Broyles invited me to this morning’s meeting where I had an opportunity to meet all the members of the club.
They also asked me to give a speech after being welcomes to the exclusive group.
I thanked everyone who made my transition to Evansville so smooth and easy. When coming to this city in May, I had a single friend and a dream that I was chasing.
Because of everyone here, I leave with amazing memories and friendships to last a lifetime.
Thanks again to everyone in the Evansville Elite Club!
From one journalist to another
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – Today was a great night to catch up with some old friends and some great sports reporters.
I graduated from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut where I had the honor and pleasure of working with Mike Silverman and Justin Cohen.
We all talked about life and where our paths have taken us.
WYMT Sports Reporter Mike Silverman
Lincoln Saltdogs radio announcer Justin Cohen
Mike originally is from Michigan but journeyed out to Kentucky where he is now a sports reporter for WYMT. Silverman is going to do a tremendous job for the community and I have no doubt about it.
A week ago, Justin, who is from Florida, finished up the season announcing baseball games for the Lincoln Saltdogs in Nebraska.
Meanwhile, I’m in Evansville, Indiana talking to some of my best friends from Connecticut, who are in completely different states.
Something seemed a little bit off here, but it really isn’t!
Journalists need to be open to traveling to new and exciting places to do what they love. Mike’s passion for covering local sports brought him to Kentucky, and Justin’s interests in baseball moved him to the Cornhusker state.
We’re all doing very well for ourselves and knew that moves like these were a big part of the business. Mike and I talked about keys to what it took to make the transition from college to the pros in this field, while Justin and I talked more about what people need to succeed in this business from one place to the next.
I’m lucky to have great friends who can bounce ideas off of each other and have the vision to help others on their own ways to reaching one dream after another.
Here’s to our present and future boys! Friends mean a lot in life and in journalism too.
Favorite Patriotic Picture
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – Earlier this year, there was a rain delay at Historic Bosse Field.
It poured for a couple of hours as the fans waited around hoping to see baseball on that particular night.
At the same time, broadcasters are also put on pause, forced to wait out the delay in hopes of the game being played.
Well during this particular day, I had the unique opportunity to meet one of the Evansville Otters Booster Club members who routinely dresses up in fantastic outfits.
That night, it was one of the most patriotic costumes I have ever seen and truly is MY FAVORITE PATRIOTIC PICTURE:
True patriotism on display.
First Television Pro Broadcast
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) - Yesterday was one of the most exciting nights of my journalism career.
Now, I have worked a number of incredible games like a pitcher throwing a no-hitter, and a D1 basketball conference championship game, but this somehow reached new levels.
The game featured the Castle Knights and the Central Bears and the atmosphere was simply electric.
I was excited for a week, preparing my big board and asking friends for tips.
For my first football broadcast, it could not have gone any smoother. I felt very welcomed right away from the WFIE Channel 14 crew who quickly introduced themselves. The staff even offered food and drinks while setting up to make sure that everything was ready for the broadcast.
Reporter Joe Danneman then stopped by as we went to the top of the football stadium and entered the press box. The view quickly set the tone for the evening. It was lifted high atop the stands and had a great view of the field.
Joe and I then shared notes, compared our game boards and worked on the pre-game.
We both appeared on air for a minute as we dissected the upcoming matchup, took a commercial break, and it was right to covering the kickoff.
We had chemistry right from the very first play, and didn’t trip over each other the entire night.
Central won the game 35-3 over Castle, but we both had a winning broadcast and one that I am very proud of.
I’m working on getting the highlights and should have them sometime soon.
Keep checking the website for the updates.
Thanks for all of the support!
Best wishes,
Mike
Friday night lights!
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – Words can’t really tell you how excited I am for tonight’s experience.
Today marks my first professional television broadcast as sports reporter Joe Danneman and I announce the Castle and Central High School Football game.
The show starts at 7:00 PM CDT on NBC affiliate WFIE Channel 14.
If you are in the Evansville area, please try to tune in. If you can’t, I’m working on getting the audio and video clips from the game to post soon.
Thanks to everyone for all of the incredible support. I’ll post again tonight to let you know how it went.
Best wishes,
Mike
Radio interview on ESPN Radio
(NEWBURGH, Ind.) – On September 8th, I appeared on ESPN Radio to talk about my time with the Evansville Otters this summer.
The interview aired lived on All About Sports with Dan Egierski and I had an amazing time.
Here is the audio from the interview (courtesy of Josh Woody) :
Tune into my live radio interview
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) - Today, I will be appearing on the Dan Egierski radio show to talk about my experiences this summer with the Evansville Otters. We will also talk about the offseason plans for the team and look back on the year that was.
The interview will air live from Archie & Clyde’s in Newburgh, Indiana and will start at 5:40 PM CDT ( 4:40 in the east).
Please tune in or feel free to stop by.
My next broadcasting adventure
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – A lot of fans have been asking lately where I will be broadcasting next.
Well today, I’m excited to announce that my next opportunity will be on television.
This Friday, reporter Joe Danneman and I will be announcing the high school football game between Castle and Central on WFIE Channel 14.
This is an amazing chance to work with one of the best sports reporters in Evansville while also returning to television, the medium where I started my journalism career.
You can tune in by going to WFIE Channel 14 in the Evansville, Indiana area on Friday night at seven o’clock.
I will also have clips and footage of the game up on the website hopefully in the upcoming days.
Thanks to everyone for all of the support and I look forward to bringing my hard work, intensity, preparation, and passion to the broadcast booth on Friday night.
Best wishes,
Mike
“Off day”
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – Baseball has two types of days: Game days and “off days.”
Typically, the off day is seen as a get-away day where not much gets done.
That is not the case with me! An off day is a chance to get better and improve when most others are taking the day for grantite.
I’m worked on updating the website, sending along a few congratulations to the winners of the postseason Frontier League awards, and taking down the flags at Bosse Field.
I also had the honor of working with Mike Bach, who is a rising sports journalist based in Iselin, New Jersey. Mike and I have been in touch for a number of weeks since he reached out to me in July, and have been working with each other on improving our weaknesses.
Both Mike and I acknowledged that no one in the field is perfect, and that there are always ways to improve. Mike worked on improving his interviewing skills today as we both performed a few mock interviews of each other.
While doing this, we found ways to strengthen ourselves to become better journalists and serve the public in a much better way than we currently do.
We started the professional relationship as more of a mentor-mentee connection, but it truly is more of a friendship now than ever. Mike has taught me so much and it is a blessing to have a friend who is committed to getting better every day like I am.
It’s a lesson to us all – there is no such thing as an “off day,” rather only another opportunity!
Defining
(EVANSVILLE, Indiana) – Typically a baseball game has a few defining moments. It may be a bases loaded double or a strong defensive play, but we know defining moments when we see it.
Life also has these defining moments that immediately change where we are and affects where we are going next. Well, today was one of those days my friends.
After staying up late working on videos for the website, I woke up at seven o’clock and rushed to get packed for work. My broadcasting partner, Bill McKeon, invited me over for breakfast and I drove over to the color commentator’s house with the morning meal.
Bill presented an amazing breakfast spread with scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, bacon, and toast that immediately hit the spot. The conversations were also incredible as we swapped life stories on our experiences with baseball. Right away, I could tell that this would be a defining moment for what turn out to be a great day.
After thanking Bill, I drove over to Bosse Field to start working with the Evansville Otters staff. The team held a nine o’clock meeting and then I hit the ground running.
I was in the zone and nothing could stop me. In the span of the first few hours, I had posted three new videos to the site, a brand new top story with my interview of Sam Barloga, and answered all my emails.
This set me up with some free-time to talk to an up-and-coming sports journalist named Lee Mowen. A senior at Wright State, Lee found my profile on LinkedIn and was looking for advice on how to get started in this business and how to succeed. I told Lee everything that helped me like reading books on networking, becoming more social media friendly and overall being very reachable (this means email, Facebook, Twitter, and phone calls). We talked about making a website, how we broadcast games and everything in between. It was a defining moment for Lee who is looking for his next step while taking his current step, which is exactly what most of us should be doing. (Take a look at Lee’s profile!)
We thanked each other for the time and then I went back to my daily routine. I updated the Otters website some more, posted a new poll to get the fans talking, and updated my blog too. Then I relayed all of that new information to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn before finishing my final research for the broadcast.
The game was a season-defining moment and win for the Evansville Otters. Manager Andy McCauley called this a good statement series and it was. Evansville won two out of three games against the 1st place Southern Illinois Miners including a message-sending 5-0 shutout on Tuesday night.
The broadcast was also the best one I’ve had this season and felt so comfortable with my call, analysis and phrasing. It was one of those types of days for me, and a few other people too, as I saw a lot of smiles with a lot of support today.
Make sure to be on the look out for defining moments and to be ready to star during them. They only come along once so often just like a comet across a night sky. If you miss it, the moment might not come again for some time. If you are ready, hopefully it is you mastering the moment instead of missing the mark. The way you define it is simply up to you.
PHOTO OF THE DAY:
It's tough to define this interesting group that just visited Bosse Field and starting playing imaginery baseball today.
SKI’S STATS:
0 – Runs from the league’s leading Southern Illinois Miners.
1 – Career win now for Evansville Otters pitcher Chris Peters.
2 – Hits for the league’s leading Southern Illinois Miners.
3 – Video uploads to Youtube for the Evansville Otters.
4 – Runs batted in for Otters outfielder Nick D’Amico.
15 – Game home games in July…
21 – …Consecutive days that it took place during.
29 – Minute phone conversation with Lee Mowen.
2199- Screaming fans, arguably the loudest this season, at Bosse Field.
Reflection
(FLORENCE, Kentucky) – Every once in a while, we all need to stop what we are doing in life to reflect on how we arrived at this point.
I like to do this as much as possible, but unfortunately, it doesn’t happen as often as I would like it to during the baseball season.
This morning, I started with a full moment to look back on life and appreciate where I am.
Awake at eight, I walked downstairs to the Wildwood Inn breakfast suite for a morning cup of orange juice and a nice Belgium waffle.
The new waffle machines was a great investment by the hotel.
Moving sip by sip and bite by bite, I started to think about everything that has been taking place lately. My talks with John Leahy last night were amazing and it helped boost my confidence even higher for today.
Finishing up on the deliciousness, I also finished my morning work of scorebook updating, audio uploading, and broadcast open for today’s doubleheader. While I was doing this (and multitasking as always), I started talking to my mom by text message. It then hit me how lucky I am to have her support and how poorly I have been trying to keep in touch the past few days. Family and friends are the main reasons why most of us succeed in life and reach out furthest away goals.
I packed up my bags for the road trip tonight and hit the getaway suite with the rest of the team. There, I worked on the blog entry for today and had a chance to again think how lucky I am to be working with a baseball team and doing what I love. Life really is pretty darn sweet!
Then at 2:30, the team piled on to the bus for the ride to the park. After some final prep, I walked over to the clubhouse to interview first baseman Derek Wiley who had an outstanding game the night before. Wiley talked about the game and reflected on how important winning was to him (something he linked to family).
I then sat in with the coaches for some game talk and storytelling. It was a great experience that helped me get the quotes I needed for the game and the feel of the moment.
Now it was time for first pitch.
It's time for blue skies and baseball at Champion Window Field
John and I both had to endure hot and humid broadcasts with sweat dripping from all spots. It’s our jobs to paint the picture and it was a sweat-dripping 95 degrees! We also saw a piece of history. The Florence Freedom swept the doubleheader 2-0 and 7-0. Both contests saw complete game shutouts from Andy Clark and Julian Arballo, something I had never seen before and maybe never will again. It doesn’t matter who the history happens against; I am a fan of how it is made and how the history is accomplished. This was one impressive feat and I’ve worked a no-hitter and a division 1 basketball championship game before.
When I look back at today, I will remember these games and the on-going trend of being hospitable and open to helping others. Being a Grinch really doesn’t make the world a better place and often corrupts it. Being friendly and treating everyone like a Major League, now that actually benefits the people around you and makes life more enjoyable…even if it is one breath at a time.
PICTURE OF THE DAY:
I did not know it was possible to be an apprentice at a fast food restaurant. I guess I was mistaken.
SKI’S STATS:
0 – Runs scored by the Evansville Otters
1 – Chipotle Grilled Chicken Burrito for lunch (a great first time visit!)
2 – Time zones traveled on Saturday night (Eastern and Central)
8 – Total hits by the Otters in the doubleheader.
12 – Minutes slept on the bus ride back to Bosse Field.
40 – Otters Booster Club Members who bussed to the game (Great to see you all!)
51 – Pages read of David Wells’ “Perfect I’m Not”
121 – Minutes of No Country For Old Men watched at the hotel.
205 – Miles traveled from Florence, Kentucky to Evansville, Indiana.
Welcome
Hey everyone. My name is Mike Radomski and I am a sports reporter currently working in Evansville, Indiana. I have 10 years of sports reporting experience dating back to my time covering the Bergen Catholic Crusaders and continuing with my reporting of the Quinnipiac University Bobcats. As a broadcast journalism major and sports studies minor, I was a play by play broadcaster and radio host at Quinnipiac before moving on to become the lead broadcaster for the Evansville Otters baseball club. I have served as a sports editor for Patch.com in Fort Lee, New Jersey and also announced sporting events for LMC-TV in Mamaroneck, New York. Now, I am back in Evansville as the Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting for the Otters and I want to thank the organization for allowing me to do what I love every day. I would also like to thank my family for their undying support and dedication to my dream.
I started the site to highlight some of my old work and post new pieces of material as well. Feel free to let me know what you think and contact me anytime.
Thanks and best wishes! -Mike
Determination & Dinner
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – During the course of the baseball season, I had a number of guests in the broadcast booth.
I was blessed to have the commissioner of the league, general managers, directors of operations, vice presidents, journalists, and writers.
But none of them may be more determined than Bryce Weiler who joined me on the air just a few weeks ago. Bryce is a blind sports journalist from the University of Evansville. He was dealt cards that are working agaisnt him, but he is committed to following his dreams. He hopes to be a play by play broadcaster and his resiliency is remarkable.
This evening, Bill McKeon and I took Bryce Weiler out to dinner to talk baseball and his plans.
We enjoyed a great meal at Texas Roadhouse will talking about who we have worked with in the past and goals for the future.
Bryce is on the right path and hopefully someone gives him the chance to reach for the stars.
September 13, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: analyze, Bill McKeon, blind, Bryce Weiler, Color Commentator, committed, describe the action, determined, Evansville, Evansville Indiana, Evansville Otters, follow your dreams, Indiana, journalist, McKeon, Mike Radomski, Play by play announcer, Radomski, reach for the stars, reporter, resilient, sports journalist, sports reporter, Weiler | 1 Comment »