The following originally appeared on thesoundofbaseball.com in April, 2006.
One of the great things about spring training is having the chance to catch up with broadcasters from the other league. Recently in Lakeland, FL, I had a chance to meet three announcers who are in their first year in the big leagues after spending many seasons broadcasting in the minor leagues chasing the big league dream.
Brett Dolan and Dave Raymond of the Astros and Dave Jageler of the Nationals were in town broadcasting for their respective teams and I had an opportunity to chat with all three. I couldn’t help but to think back to my first year broadcasting big league baseball after eight seasons in the minor leagues. I wondered if these three announcers were going through the same things I was. The odd feeling of both excitement and anxiety. Getting your first real opportunity and hoping that you make the most of it.
I have always appreciated how lucky I was to break in when I did with a consummate professional. Bob Starr was the lead voice of the California Angels when I was hired to be his partner in 1995. There was one striking difference between us. He was in his sixties, and I was in my early thirties. A generation apart in age to be sure. But the one thing that really impressed me about Bob was his willingness to help me grow and establish myself, instead of trying overshadowing me. Bob was known as the “Burly Broadcaster” to his friends. I assumed it was because of his size, but I never did ask because I was too afraid to. In my mind though, the only thing burly about Bob was his generosity. He was always quick to pick up the check at every dinner on the road and even purchased an expensive briefcase for me to carry my stuff around my first year.
He was generous with his money, but he was also well respected for his talent. Broadcasting in the shadow of the great Vin Scully in Los Angeles most of his career, Bob was one of the lesser known treasures of baseball broadcasting. LA has produced some of the giants in the sports broadcasting industry. Whether it was Scully with the Dodgers, Chick Hern with the Lakers or Bob Miller with the Kings, Bob Starr always seemed to be in the background. He didn’t mind. Bob never chased attention. In fact, he hid from it. I’ve said this many times, but for me, Bob Starr was what baseball broadcasting should sound like. A deep smooth voice with a down home tinge that made you feel like listening to the Halos on your radio was like being at the game.
My one enduring memory of Mr. Starr (everyone called him that, including me) was the night in Baltimore in 1995 when Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played. As luck would have it, the Orioles were playing the Angels, and there we were at Camden Yards. I called the play-by-play for the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but because the record would become official in the fifth inning, I decided that I would turn the mic over to Bob. He insisted that I call the inning because it was mine and he wanted me to enjoy the experience. I told him that it was he was the senior member of the crew and it was only right that he have the honor. Besides, I was convinced that I would find a way to screw it up and we needed the “A” team calling the historic moment. When the game became official and Ripken took his lap around the field, I simple turned my mic off and listened. It was the best fifteen minutes of radio I have ever heard. He captured the moment to perfection. Bob would look over to me as if to say, “Well, are you going to say something?” I just smiled and took it all in.
Bob always had a saying about players. “Just because you wear a big league uniform doesn’t make you a big leaguer.” The point was that you needed to earn that respect. Bob was always a big leaguer. As I look back at that first year in a big league booth, I realize now how much his friendship and guidance helped shape my attitude toward the profession. Mr. Starr made it fun to come to the park and always made you respect the game and your job.
Bob passed away in 1998, but for me, the memories still live.
Mario,
My memories of Bob are two-fold. As a youngster growing up in the Chicago area, he, along with Tom Kelly and Jim Turpin were “The” voices of the Illinois high school state basketball tournament television network. Those were great times. I also finally had the chance to meet him in 1994, my first year in the PCL. That, of course, was the strike season, and Bob and Rene Lachemann came to Vancouver to broadcast the playoff series between the Canadians, then the Angels’ affiliate, and Salt Lake. He was a genuninely nice man and I enjoyed talking with him about our club as we prepared for the series.