MY NEW GIG

[sammy the sage]

Oaklawn Park looking for a P.A...

[Valuist]

Maybe I'll check out a game in Pittsburgh.

You know what they say: you can throw out the records when Vallejo and San Rafael square off.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Valuist

Maybe I'll check out a game in Pittsburgh.

You know what they say: you can throw out the records when Vallejo and San Rafael square off.

Aint it the truth.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Thanks. Tonight's game turned out to be excellent. A 3-2 win that get's us back to 2-2 in the 2nd half. We're 21-22 overall.

I invite everybody to check out our game in Sonoma this Friday July 22.

Here's a press release that just now came through from the Sonoma Stompers.

MOD NOTE: INCORRECT LINK REMOVED

Should be a fun and interesting game.

If anybody out there is interested in doing play by play for the Saturday and Sunday games in Sonoma you're hired! All 9 innings solo. Just you and legions of fans. No experience needed.

I'll be at Del Mar both days competing in their first big live bankroll tournament of the season.

Last chance to register for the 13th annual Del Mar Handicapping Challenge on Saturday and Sunday, July 23 & 24!

Big Fields: 9 horse field size average last year for both contest days

Big Prizes: Based on an expected 140 entrants, $300,000 in prizes will be awarded, including $100,000 to first place. 100% of the Challenge prize pool is returned in cash plus five Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge full entries. In addition to the 100% return of the prize pool, Del Mar is paying for eight NHC spots to be awarded. How’s that for value and return on investment!

Big Bonus: Opt-in for chance at a $1 million bonus. Details at this link: http://tilt.tc/mj78?s=wb&u=kmcfarland3

California Chrome: Chrome is expected to race in the July 23 San Diego Handicap

TO ENTER: This is a live bankroll contest. Players are required to put up $7,000 to enter. $5,000 is used as the player live bankroll and $2,000 goes to the prize pool.

ENTRY FEE DUE: The entry fee of $7,000 is due by Saturday, July 16. Please send a check made payable to DMTC to:

DMTC

Attn: Chris Bahr

PO Box 700

Del Mar, CA 92014

Click here CHALLENGE DETAILS. For complete rules or questions, please contact me at (858) 792-4294 or chris@dmtc.com.

Chris Bahr

Challenge Director

Game 2 tonight in Vallejo vs. the Admirals. First pitch 6:35pst.

Hear every pitch on www.mixlr.com/pittsburgdiamonds

Go Diamonds!

I would fill in for you in a nanno second. Unfortunately, the flight from NC to California would be a bit pricey...
Good luck in the contest this weekend.
I'll be listening in on Friday's game.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by thespaah

I would fill in for you in a nanno second. Unfortunately, the flight from NC to California would be a bit pricey...
Good luck in the contest this weekend.
I'll be listening in on Friday's game.

Diamonds on a roll!

Came back from 7-1 down after 4 innings to win 13-9. A three game road sweep of the Vallejo Admirals.

With the win Pittsburg improves to 4-2 in the 2nd half of the 78 game Pacific Association split season. One game behind the red-hot San Rafael Pacifics who lead with a 5-1 record.

Our Diamonds continue the road trip with the first of a three game weekend series against the 1st half winning Sonoma Stompers. The Stompers went 23-16 to win the 1st 39 game block. But have started the 2nd half just 2-4.

I'm especially looking forward to Friday's game. To the best of my knowledge I'll be calling a game that will make professional history.

The first female battery. Kelsie Whitmore will be the starting pitcher with Anna Kimbrell behind the plate. Stacy Piagno is the 3rd female on the Stompers.

http://www.stompersbaseball.com/first-female-battery/

Should be fun. Really love to have some of you PA'ers listen in.

You'll find the game at www.mixlr/pittsburgdiamonds

1st Pitch 6:00pm (pst)

[Inner Dirt]

Wonder how much data listening to a baseball game uses? My only option here is horrible satellite internet and my monthly usage is capped, it is already bad enough full speed but if you go over they slow you down for the rest of the month to the point it is worse than dial-up. When I use the track feed to watch races I try to watch the race only to conserve usage. I learned my lesson when I left the track feed on all day for 3 straight cards and used a month's data in a half week.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Wonder how much data listening to a baseball game uses? My only option here is horrible satellite internet and my monthly usage is capped, it is already bad enough full speed but if you go over they slow you down for the rest of the month to the point it is worse than dial-up. When I use the track feed to watch races I try to watch the race only to conserve usage. I learned my lesson when I left the track feed on all day for 3 straight cards and used a month's data in a half week.

Sounds awful. Way too much to deal with. Just a baseball game. I'd pass if I were you. Wait for the book to come out

[Shelby]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Sounds awful. Way too much to deal with. Just a baseball game. I'd pass if I were you. Wait for the book to come out

If you have time on your hands during the games you should tweet game updates.

And hotdog updates.....

[ldiatone]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

I haven't shared much racing opinion with you guys this summer. While I have kept a very close eye on Santa Anita and will at Del Mar for tournaments. ( there's a very big one this weekend). My attention has mostly been on Pittsburgh baseball.

Wait. Before you Pirates fans ban me. I'm speaking of the PITTSBURG DIAMONDS of the Pacific Association here in the Bay Area. Did you notice the different spelling? We don't need no stinkin H!

The Pacific Association is an independent professional baseball league made up of 4 teams.

San Rafael Pacifics
Sonoma Stompers
Vallejo Admirals
Pittsburg Diamonds

We play a 78 game season. Two 39 game halves. If two different teams win a half there's a one game Championship to decide it all.

We've just started the second half of the season. We're 1-2. Sonoma won the 1st half with a record of 23-16.

We'd be 2-1 except for a lovely game on Saturday night. We were up 11-2 going to the top of the 8th and somehow found a way to lose 12-11 in extras.

We are WAY good enough to win the 2nd half and the Championship. In my only slightly biased opinion we have the best starting pitching. All very solid. 5 deep. Our bullpen is excellent. Our day to day line up explosive. Just one VERY big problem. WE CAN'T CATCH THE DAMM BALL.

In the 39 games of the 1st half we committed 50 ERRORS Including one game where we had 9. Five from our third baseman. He now plays outfield.

I became involved by sending an email to all 4 teams asking if they ever needed someone to fill in with PA for a game or two I was available..

Pittsburg got back to me that very day saying last season they had nobody. Players who weren't playing that day or out of the game were forced to volunteer . Didn't go real well.

I was offered the job on the spot. $50 bucks a game for 39 home games. Righteous Bucks Dude! I accepted.

Two days before we opened the owner called and said he had no funds left in the budget for PA. But would I still be willing to come?

I of course said what any profession announcer would say.

Who's pitching opening night?

Since then my duties have expanded to Director of Broadcast Operations. I'm in charge of PA, radio (webcast) and TV (local access). Needless to say I no longer expected this job to be pro-bono. And it's not!

My salary package now includes all the Hot Dogs I can eat. Still no $$$. But little did they know it would have been cheaper to pay me the $50 bucks rather than a free roll at the weenie stand.

Since I feel I've deprived a select few of my closest PA friends the opportunity to rip my calls since Hollywood closed. Here's a new chance. Better yet. This, baseball play by play, I really do suck at.

Consider it a late Independence Day present.

We have a game tonight at Vallejo. 1st pitch 6:35pst.

The broadcast website is www.mixlr.com/pittsburgdiamonds

We have messaging during the games. If you would like to log in and let me know you're listening. Reference PA and I'll give you a shout out.

Here's the team website. www.pittsburgdiamonds.com

BTW we've signed Jose Canseco to play the entire month of August. He'll mostly DH. With some games in the field and the occasional relief appearance. That should be way cool.

Go Diamonds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc

Vic! and what is wrong with that H! your talk'n to a true born and raised Pittsburgh boy!!! and is this the same pittsburg that changed its name to the colors of the SJ sharks!! the team Pittsburgh Penguins beat for the stanly cup! ps Good luck!

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Sounds awful. Way too much to deal with. Just a baseball game. I'd pass if I were you. Wait for the book to come out

I have always followed local minor league baseball and listened to them on the radio when available, which is now the Richmond Flying Squirrels. I am curious
how my second favorite Hollywood Park announcer (Sorry Vic, Harry Henson was the first voice I heard at Hollywood as an 18 year old, so he will have a special place in my memories.) will sound calling a baseball game. Between 12am and 5am usage does not count, are any of the calls archived? When does the season end?

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Shelby

If you have time on your hands during the games you should tweet game updates.

And hotdog updates.....

When I'm solo I have ZERO time. Maybe 60 seconds between half innings if that. That coupled with I only know how to tweet from my computer would make things very tough.

In fact my bladder is terrified of extra innings.

I try to get our GM to help with those kind of tweets. It runs hot and cold.

Love to have you and anyone you can get the message to listening in tonight.

Thanks Shelby

www.mixlr.com/pittsburgdiamonds

[Valuist]

Originally Posted by ldiatone

Vic! and what is wrong with that H! your talk'n to a true born and raised Pittsburgh boy!!! and is this the same pittsburg that changed its name to the colors of the SJ sharks!! the team Pittsburgh Penguins beat for the stanly cup! ps Good luck!

You mean there's another Pittsburgh that's not in the East bay? Next, you will tell me there's cities elsewhere known as Richmond and Saratoga.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

I have always followed local minor league baseball and listened to them on the radio when available, which is now the Richmond Flying Squirrels. I am curious
how my second favorite Hollywood Park announcer (Sorry Vic, Harry Henson was the first voice I heard at Hollywood as an 18 year old, so he will have a special place in my memories.) will sound calling a baseball game. Between 12am and 5am usage does not count, are any of the calls archived? When does the season end?

No need to apologize to me. Without Harry I would have NEVER become an announcer.

One of the best people I ever had the good fortune of knowing.

There have been two distinct era's of race calling.

Harry's day when the announcer was on track only. Harry dominated that generation.

Then with the advent of simulcasting. The call became much more like TV play by play. Enter Mr. Thomas Durkin. IMO the best that ever lived.

[Dahoss9698]

Lots of congrats are in order Vic.

I figured with all of the shake ups within the announcer ranks that this thread would be about a new gig announcing races.

I guess an unpaid gig in semi pro baseball is just as good.

I take back all the stuff about you being ostracized from racing. I was clearly wrong as this "new gig" shows.

[anotherCAfan]

Originally Posted by Dahoss9698

Lots of congrats are in order Vic.

I figured with all of the shake ups within the announcer ranks that this thread would be about a new gig announcing races.

I guess an unpaid gig in semi pro baseball is just as good.

I take back all the stuff about you being ostracized from racing. I was clearly wrong as this "new gig" shows.

Do you find pleasure in such dialogue?