An statement — or extra like a quip — Pat Foley made to Chicago Cubs supervisor David Ross illustrated how the retired Blackhawks broadcaster resembles a fish out of water on this planet of baseball.
Ross mentioned a reporter requested him Saturday about infielder Patrick Wisdom’s injured ring finger, “and (Foley) said, ‘We call that an upper-body injury,’” referring to the tendency in hockey to be cryptic when labeling accidents.
“I told him you guys (baseball reporters) don’t like that and why that doesn’t fly here,” Ross mentioned with fun.
Foley wasn’t within the media room on the time, however he understands that most likely gained’t be the one tradition shock he’ll expertise whereas calling his first recreation at Wrigley Field through the nightcap of Tuesday’s break up doubleheader in opposition to the St. Louis Cardinals.
“I haven’t done a baseball broadcast in 20 years. I’ve got some butterflies,” Foley instructed the Tribune whereas scoping out the scene within the Cubs clubhouse earlier than Sunday’s sequence finale in opposition to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Tuesday’s plan is for Foley to separate time between the radio and TV cubicles, calling the primary three innings on WSCR-AM 670, switching to Marquee Sports Network from the fourth by means of the seventh-inning stretch, then ending again on radio.
“I can easily say I’ve never spent as much time prepping for one broadcast as I am for this,” Foley mentioned. “I’m going to be at 5 (profession) baseball video games doing this recreation Tuesday night time.
“I’m trying to get more familiar with the pacing. Obviously it’s a different sport. It will be challenging.”
Calling a recreation at Wrigley “absolutely” checks off a bucket-list merchandise for Foley,
“I’m a Glenview kid, I spent a lot of time at Wrigley Field when I was a young man and obviously loved the place,” he mentioned. “It’s a shrine, however I’ve by no means been capable of do a broadcast right here. And that for me is a pleasant capper to a profession. I’m actually excited to get the prospect to do it and hopefully it goes all proper.
“I’ve done a (baseball) game in Minnesota before. That’s less enthralling than Wrigley Field.”
Foley mentioned the chance got here collectively due to connections between the Cubs and Hawks.
For one, Hawks president of enterprise operations Jaime Faulkner is married to Cubs government vp of gross sales and advertising and marketing Colin Faulkner.
“That helped,” Foley mentioned. “The Marquee producer is a guy named Mike Leary who Dale Tallon and I broke into hockey (with), and I’ve been a friend and a fan of his for probably 30 years. So he was in the middle of it all.”
Foley acquired a giant sendoff from the Hawks through the season after 39 years with the staff. He mentioned he has been touring and enjoying golf all summer time, so retirement hasn’t actually sunk in but.
“It’ll be different when the game starts,” he mentioned.
Asked if he may pop up once more within the Hawks sales space in some unspecified time in the future, he replied: “Maybe. We’ll see.”
For now he’s centered on the Cubs-Cardinals recreation.
“Doing this game Tuesday night and then it’s over” with baseball, he mentioned.
Until then, Foley has been hanging across the staff absorbing as a lot as he can.
“Seems like a great storyteller,” Ross mentioned. “Seems like a guy you go to a bar with and have a lot of great conversations and watch some games with.”
Ross laughed whereas pondering a reverse state of affairs if he have been in Foley’s footwear — attempting to name a hockey recreation after spending a lifetime in baseball.
“I’m a Florida boy,” Ross mentioned. “At least he has some expertise within the discipline. He was telling Harry Caray tales yesterday. It was fairly attention-grabbing. I felt like I might hearken to him speak all day.
“But me talking hockey, it would be a lot of dead air.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com