Respect for Exit 55

Rob's Blog Profile Photo

Streaks of doing something in a row are super impressive. 

Whether that be in sports, like Lou Gehrig or Cal Ripken, or anything in life. 

Like writing. 

My friend, Rob Adams, announced earlier today on his blog, "Exit 55", that his consecutive days streak of blog posts will come to an end tomorrow. Today is the last day of the streak. 

Since December 30, 2018, Rob has written a blog post every day. 

2,129 consecutive posts. 

Just incredible. 

Another friend, John Nash, challenged Rob late in 2018 to "Project 365", which meant writing one post every day for a year. Rob did that and so much more. 

Some might say, it's just writing, how hard is it? Oh, it's a lot harder than it looks. Believe me. 

To have the time, energy, and creativeness to come up with topics just shows incredible dedication. 

It's also about having a device with you to do it and having internet access everywhere you go. 

Yes, it's possible to write on a phone, but much simpler to write on a laptop or computer. 

And so much more that goes into it. 

It's not about the number of readers, and sometimes people write for themselves, but you also want to write something interesting, in some way. 

It's not my story to tell, and Rob wrote a lot of it on his blog, but everything that has gone on since Rob started the streak, both personally for Rob, and in the world, just makes the streak even more impressive. 

He's written about so many important topics. Some posts are more serious, some more light-hearted. And many different topics. Sports, both local and professional, family, music, broadcasting, and so much more. 

That is what makes his blog even better, how diverse it can be. 

As Rob says, he will continue to blog, and I hope he does a lot. I always look forward to his posts. However, now there is no pressure, and he can write when he wants about what he wants. 

If I write more, I am just rambling. 

I just wanted to give the respect to Rob, "Exit 55", and the streak that it deserves. And I likely didn't give it the justice it deserves. 

He's not only a tremendous broadcaster, but a terrific writer as well. Most importantly, an amazing, loyal friend and person. 

I'll leave you with this. Make the Exit 55 Blog part of your reading. 

Well done, Rob. Well done, my friend. 

Enjoy the well-deserved break. 

Another Summer of Baseball

2024 Barums team photo. Players (who were there) and coaches

It has been another summer of watching and covering a lot of baseball. 

This means the Bridgeport Barnums and Trumbull Babe Ruth. 

The Barnums had a terrific season, winning the Connecticut College Baseball League Championship. 

Congrats to all the players and coaches Chris Bugyi, Jim Chaves and Mark Keeney. It's also about Sars Ford, the general manager, who had the vision for bringing a college team back to Bridgeport before the 2023 summer, and ultimately got that done.  

For the Barnums, I serve in a team media/scorekeeper role. Although I will do whatever they need. 

If that's setting up or breaking down items, I've done it. After the July 4 fireworks, we helped clean up the fire of debris. It's about being a team player and supporting however is needed. 

In my media/scorekeeper role, I am managing GameChanger (a scorekeeping app) during games. I'm letting the coaches know if pitch counts, and anything else they may need. 

And yes, I likely (definitely) show too much favoritism toward the Ludlowe guys on the team. That includes Cole Gibson, Luke Anderson, Andrew Fortunato, Blake Benway, Matt Longo and Joey Sangiuolo.   

Additionally, my role includes managing the team Instagram (@BPTBarnums) and Facebook accounts (Bridgeport Barnums Baseball) and writing game recaps on Blogger that are shared via social media. 

That being said, it's in no way about me. We are the support staff. It's about the players, first and foremost, the coaches and families. I hated even getting told to get in team photos (and wouldn't post the ones with myself in it on the team accounts.)

Then, there was Trumbull Babe Ruth baseball with Rob Adams. 

A tradition like no other. 

This is the sixth Babe Ruth tournament in Trumbull that I've been a part of with Rob. 

2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. 

In 2018, we did one in Norwalk (I joined Rob for at least one game that year, so I'll count it.)

We also did one in Stamford in 2019. 

Of course, even when I'm not with Rob, I'm often listening. 

This year, we broadcasted the 13U Connecticut State Tournament. 

Stamford won the tournament, beating Easton/Redding in the Championship. 

It's always a blast to join Rob on the calls. He's a professional and more importantly, a great friend. 

There's something special about doing these tournaments and getting to know so many people. 

We get to talk with so many in the booth, from Mike Buswell, who is the reason Rob (and I) keep doing this year after year, to Bobby Gerbert, to members of CT Babe Ruth, and so many others. 

When coaches would stop up to bring lineups, or some coaches would be in the booth between games or during games they weren't coaching in, we would get a chance to have conversations. 

We didn't get to know as many people from the teams this year, but that's okay. Every year is different. 

On the air, we get to talk about what we see on the field and tell stories from past years of doing these tournaments, and so many other memories. 

Like when Rob brings up the 2019 FCIAC baseball championship. Yeah. That game. 

But again, it's about talking about the great athletes we see on the field, and if we can get information and get to know them off the field, that just allows us to promote them even more, and that is the ultimate goal. 

High school sports will be here soon. I'm excited for them all, but selfishly, cannot wait for the winter for basketball and the spring for baseball. 

Baseball, Radio and Work

The original look of the offices when I started. Many changes since then. 

The Yankees are bad. 

There is no other way to put it. 

Seven losses in a row and three games under .500. As I type this, they are down 5-2 to the RedSox in the seventh inning so, barring a comeback, those numbers get worse. Ok, now they tied the game on an Anthony Volpe home-run. 

And now they are losing again in the ninth as Clay Homes gives up a run in the ninth inning of a tie game. 

And now they have lost. 

Make it eight in a row and four under .500. 

There are games where they don't pitch, games where they don't hit, games where they make mistakes, both physical and mental. Then there are games where multiple issues happen. Just not a good baseball team. 

I think there needs to be changes in the offseason. Management changes are likely needed because that is the only way you get a change in philosophy for the organization. 

We will see how the rest of the season plays out and then see what the off-season brings. 

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Happy National Radio Day! I enjoy dabbling in the little radio I do, both on and off the air. I really enjoy listening to the radio I do, whether that be sports talk, games, or other items. 

A lot of that is with Rob Adams. Whether it's joining him on air, hanging with him as he calls games, or listening to him call games. I enjoy it all. It's also listening to him on his sports talk show, Doubleheader, and occasionally coming on with him. 

Beyond that, it's listening to WFAN, both talk shows, and games. 

There's the occasional other broadcasts I will listen to as well, often to listen to the broadcasters more than the actual game. 

So many people want video, but there is something great about radio broadcasts, whether that be terrestrial or online radio. 

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I'm way late on this and I've already wrote multiple times about it, but congratulations to Trumbull Babe Ruth 14U on an amazing run to the Babe Ruth World Series quarterfinals. 

It's a tremendous group of players, coaches and families. That's led by Mike Buswell, who is not only the 14U coach, but also is the managing director of Trumbull Travel Baseball, which covers, Trumbull Little League, Trumbull Babe Ruth and Trumbull American Legion. Trumbull Travel is truly something special. 

I am excited to see what these kids do going forward, especially in high school, both on and off the field. 

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On this date in 2018 was my first day working in the Athletic Departments at Ludlowe and Warde. It's been a wild ride. Many great moments, other not so great moments. Some changes. Often chaos. 

I guess that means technically year six begins. It's been crazy already. 

Excited for the high school sports year. I'm excited about all the improvements that have been made/are being made to the facilities this summer. It's what the student-athletes deserve. 

Good luck to all the athletes, coaches and teams as another year begins. 

2023 Babe Ruth Baseball

A tradition like no other. Babe Ruth baseball on Robcasting Radio. 

I'm paraphrasing, but that is how Rob Adams opened last Saturday's first broadcast of the 2023 14U Connecticut Babe Ruth State Tournament at Unity Park in Trumbull. 

This is the the seventh tournament Rob has done since 2015, and I've been a part of at least some every year. From the first year on HAN, to the others on Robcasting (one before it was technically Robcasting). Always a blast. Always appreciate Rob having me, for what I bring, and despite what I don't bring to the broadcast. Thanks for having me, Rob. 

This year I believe was the most I was able to join for, missing half of two games on Sunday and missing the championship tonight. It went from me just hanging to chiming in a little on air, to now being Rob's only color person. Times change, and that's ok. 

Rob is terrific at "Scullying" (flying solo) and although he says he likes me around, he's definitely better with me not there or off-air. There's no ego from me about needing to be on air. I'll hang, or do whatever. 

What frustrates me, and I don't say much on the air, but the times I do, I noticed myself multiple times stepping on Rob's call. I started to talk as Rob was about to say something.  And I know that's not a good thing for the color analyst to do. But Rob is great and doesn't throw me out of the booth (or mute my mic, which sometimes he probably should!). Please note, I am yelling at/picking on myself. 

I've probably talked too much about the broadcast. 

It's about the athletes, coaches and families, and that is what makes it so fun. Watching these terrific athletes, and getting to know the families. 

Congrats to Waterford, who won the title, 5-1 in the championship over the host Trumbull. Both teams will be headed to the New England Regional in North Providence, Rhode Island as Connecticut sends the top two teams. 

A lot of these players, especially on both Trumbull and Waterford, we have seen for a couple years now. That makes it even more fun. Watching players like Matt Shampine and Colby Sheehan for Waterford, along with the likes of Luke McDermott, Ryan DeMelo, JJ Scavone  on Trumbull and many others is just so special. This is not to take take away from anyone who I didn't name or any players on other teams. These are just off the top of my head. Great players who, from what we see and hear, seem to be great kids. 

I say this all the time, it's about more than baseball. It's about relationships you build. With teammates, coaches, other teams, parents and so much more. It becomes a family atmosphere. 

Great job by everyone in the booth who did a terrific job all tournament. From the Babe Ruth officials, to the many parent volunteers. I'm not going to name people here because I know I will miss people. A huge thanks and job well done to Mike Buswell, who not only coaches the Trumbull team, but played a huge role in the whole tournament. 

Good luck to both teams in the Regionals! You will represent CT well. 

Rob's broadcasting of Babe Ruth baseball is not done for the summer. He's headed to Rhode Island as well to broadcast. I can't make it, but I will be listening as much as possible and "executively produce" from the CT office.  

Cardinals Are The Champions

The Fall high school sports season came to a close on Saturday with the football state championships. 

Six championship games were played across two sites. Arute Field in New Britain, home of Central Connecticut football and Rentshler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, home of UConn football. 

I joined Rob Adams and Chris Erway as part of the WGCH crew for Greenwich and Fairfield Prep at The Rent. 

Greenwich came away with the state championship, defeating Prep 37-17. For the Cardinals, it's their ninth football championship. 

Turnovers were really the name of the game, as Prep turned the ball over six times (five interceptions and a fumble lost) and Greenwich did not turn the ball over once. 

Three of those five interceptions were picked off by Charlie Dixon, including one which he returned for a touchdown. Dixon also had five catches offensively. 

Rob and Chris did a tremendous job on the broadcast. Yes, they were calling it for WGCH out of Greenwich, but they have affiliation with both schools and both towns, and they called an extremely fair game.  

I tried to do stats for them. It did not go well. I need to learn a better way to do stats for football, because whenever I try, it never works out well. Wish I could figure it out because I know it would make be more valuable. Of course, I Tweeted and tried to promote the game and the broadcast. I also tried to take some photos. 

Thanks to John Holt at the CIAC for welcoming us and for answering our questions. 

It was a fun day with lots of laughs. Great experience. Thanks to Rob for asking me to join him and Chris. 

Photo: John Holt/CIAC

Despite the loss, it was a tremendous season for Prep. A team that started 1-3 and then finished the regular season with six straight wins to get in the playoffs. The Jesuits were playing the season in honor of their teammate Jimmy McGrath, who died in May. 

Congrats to all the state champions who were crowned on Saturday in football, and this Fall across all sports. Happy for friends who are coaches, including Dan Farina at New Canaan and Tommy Howell at Joel Barlow, who each won football championships as assistant coaches. 

Winter sports are already underway, but now it's full speed onto basketball, maybe some hockey and maybe even watching some wrestling. 

Fairfield Little League Baseball

Watching though the wind screen because we always make it work and respect space where we are guests.  

Little League baseball was back on Robcasting Radio on Tuesday. 

I was honored to join my friend Rob Adams for Fairfield National and Fairfield American in the final game of district two pool play at Unity Park in Trumbull. 

Fairfield National asked Rob to broadcast it, and well, it's Fairfield related, so I'll often be there. 

We all know how much I love sports involving Fairfield, so a all-Fairfield matchup is very enjoyable. #OneTown 

We have done little league broadcasting for Fairfield American three times, 2018, 2019 and 2020. We also did some National in 2020 after they won district two over American. 

It's been a blast every time. So great getting to know the players, coaches and families. 

Tonight, American came out of top 12-2. Both teams will be playing in the double elimination portion of the district two tournament beginning Friday at Unity. Rob will be back on Friday when National plays Trumbull at 7:30pm. Listen on Robcasting Radio. 

We had to watch the game tonight through the wind screen. We made it work. Like always. We can see enough and Rob was able to look though where two pieces of the wind screen were zip tied to the fence. 

It rained off and on at points in the game, but Rob is prepared and brought a pod to keep the equipment dry. He also had a tarp to keep the power strip hopefully dry. Safety is no accident, you know. #Preparation 

Sure, we got a little wet, but that was fine. Knowing the equipment was dry and safe, the only other real issue was keeping our scorecards as dry and possible so we could: 1) Read what they said and 2) continue to write what was happening; I gave up on my scorecard with an inning to go, to be honest. It was a losing cause. 

Rob trying to keep his scorecard dry. 

I'll be bouncing between a number of things this summer, including little league when I can. My main priority will be the communications work for Fairfield American Legion baseball I am doing. I've also got some basketball coaching. 

After Legion, it's somewhat wide open, little league baseball, Babe Ruth baseball, AAU baseball, anything else I can think of. Basically, if Rob is there, there's a decent chance I will be there at some point if I can. And even things Rob isn't at, I'll go watch and/or cover in some way. 

I also want to watch as many of the Ludlowe baseball guys as I can who are playing on various teams this summer. I'm always going to support those guys especially, as well as all the others playing. 

Here is the full broadcast from tonight. 

High School Football Weekend

GHS Senior Day Ceremonies

 It was a good weekend of high school football. 

On Friday, I went to Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport, where Ludlowe took on the Central Hilltoppers. 

The Falcons won 45-0 and got contributions across the board on both offense and defense. The one highlight that I will throw out there was Charlie Began with a 90+ yard INT return for a touchdown. 

Ludlowe will look to finish with a .500 record when they take on Warde on Thanksgiving (10:30am at Warde). 

Then today, I went down to Greenwich for the Cardinals game with Stamford and joined Rob Adams for the broadcast* on Local Live and Robcasting Radio. It was a good chance to see Rob, and I also got to see the new Cardinal Stadium. I used to go to a bunch of games with Rob a few years ago, and then, well, life got in the way. 

When I say I "joined Rob Adams for the broadcast" that really means I sat with a headset on and threw in thoughts every once in a while while Rob did 95% of the talking. That's just how I am on broadcasts. I know the sports, but don't say a whole lot on air. I also think this was the first time I was his only color guy for football. Other football games I've either been a third or fourth voice, or off-air. Rob knows I don't consider myself a broadcaster, but have fun with him. Baseball has been the sport I've done with him the most. 

Back to the game, Greenwich took the lead on the first drive and never looked back, cruising to a 64-12 victory. There was a lightning delay of about 50 minutes that began during halftime and delayed the start of the second half. Lots of lightning, some thunder and heavy rain at times. 

Greenwich will finish the regular season on Thanskgiving as they host Staples at 10am. The Cardinals will likely need to beat the Wreckers and get help in order to make the state playoffs. You can tune in to that Thanksgiving matchup with Rob and Chris Erway on Robcasting and Local Live. 

It was also the official grand opening of the new stadium and senior day at Cardinal stadium, so there were a lot of festivities going on. 

The renovations to the stadium are awesome, even if everything is not fully functional yet and there are still some items to be finished. The press box is glorious with six different rooms for PA/scoreboard, broadcasters, camera operators, writers, coaches and more! There is a ticket booth, a concession stand, real bathrooms, and more. I always felt like there was something special about going to Cardinal Stadium in the past, now it's REALLY nice. It should definitely be a spot to consider to host big games.

It was a fun day and always thankful Rob allows me to join him for anything. He's a true pro, who is just tremendous at doing play-by-play and calling a game. He knows broadcasting and should be on anyone's list when you are looking for a broadcaster (No, he didn't pay me to say this). 

Good two days of games.  

Some photos from the day. 

Looking Back On 2020 and Forward To What's To Come

I wasn't going to write about 2020. Let's be honest, it wasn't that exciting. There was nothing that specifically stands out, at least from a fun, good, point of view. But then I'm like, if I want to keep writing, I should write something. There's kind of that "I see other friends who blog (Rob Adams and John Nash, specifically) writing end of year posts, maybe I can/should. 

Overall, this has been a boring year, but in the same fate, an Ok year personally. However, plenty of friends have lost family members this year and plenty of others are dealing with tough times. Obviously, COVID-19 has been a big chunk of the year and has impacted all of us in many ways. 

From a local sports perspective, we had the 2019-2020 winter season cut short, no 2020 spring season, and an abbreviated 2020 fall season. At this point, the 2020-2021 winter season is put on hold, so we will see what happens in the coming weeks. There were some sports played over the summer and it was nice to see baseball. I got to see a bunch of Fairfield American Legion games, as well as Fairfield American and Fairfield National little league baseball. In addition, Rob and I broadcasted the CT State Little League baseball State Tournament. 

If I think about some local games and moments from the year that stood out, there aren't that many. More, there are behind the scenes moments that stand out. Those are stories we can tell at later times, or are for others to tell. In terms of games, here are a few that come to mind. 

1) Fairfield Legion walk-off vs Greenwich in the playoffs

Fairfield walks-off on Greenwich 7-6 to advance in the FCBL Playoffs #ctbase pic.twitter.com/tQyTMPDkLu

— Shawn Sailer (@ShawnSailer) August 9, 2020

2) Hamden defeating Montville in the Little League State Tournament

 

3) Despite it being a Warde loss, the Mustangs boys basketball FCIAC semifinal game was a fun back-and-forth game that came down to the final seconds. https://events.locallive.tv/events/37157 

I'm probably forgetting some games that I should include, but honestly there were not that many. I also tried to find games where I had video or audio. 

Oh, and I really need to learn more music so I can know what people are talking about and be more involved in conversations. That will be one of my New Years resolutions. If I can somehow relate the songs to sports, that would be much easier and much more likely that I will pay attention. 

Here's hoping things get better for everyone and we can enjoy 2021 and beyond. It's not going to change just because it's a new year, but hopefully things change soon. Also, as I wrote a couple blogs ago, hoping for a lot of sports soon. Thankful for many friendships built and those strengthened and looking forward to more of that.  

To better days.....

Missing Sports

I haven't blogged in over two months. I keep saying I want to blog more, but I just don't have much to write about, and don't want to write about news you can get many other places. What's the point? I need to be better at finding topics and just write. Write for myself. It doesn't matter who reads or doesn't read. It doesn't need to be sports (even though, as I say below and everyone knows, sports are my life). I want to continue to keep my journalism passion and sharpen my writing skills. 

I look at what Rob Adams is doing over at his blog, Exit 55, with Project 365+. He's almost at two full years of one blog a day. Or John Nash at The October Weekend, who first challenged Rob to Project 365 in 2019 and continues to blog often. I'm not saying I'm going to be them, but I just see what they are doing and which I would write more. 

Now to my main point of this post. 

I miss sports, especially at the local level. I realize what's going on in the country (and the word) with the COVID pandemic is more important than sports, but I am still holding hope that there is a safe way to have local sports around here. 

Connecticut fall high school sports ended in early November* and as of now, winter sports don't start until January 19th at the earliest. Hopefully we get some sort of winter season in. In addition, no matter what happens with winter sports, the CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) has said they will try to give as much of a normal spring season as possible consider the spring athletes lost their entire spring season last year. 

*It was a modified season, but we got a fall sports season in without much disruption and the athletes and teams got to have a fall sports experience, which is the goal. 

I see photos from people in other parts of the country where games are being played. It makes me miss sports even more. 

As I said to someone else, not only is high school sports my job, it's my life. As pathetic as that may sound. I live for HS basketball and HS baseball. 

Between helping out the basketball team at Ludlowe and being on the Ludlowe baseball coaching staff and then of course dealing with all the other Ludlowe and Warde teams as part of my job, there's not much else. There's still work to be done, and I'm able to get ahead on some things, but not as much as I'd like just due to the uncertainty of the seasons. 

I've enjoyed all the professional and college sports we have gotten to watch. From MLB, to the NFL, to college football and college basketball, as well as the NBA and NHL and so much more. I've been home more so I've watched a bunch and it's been great to watch. To those who say it's not real, or it doesn't matter, you're not a real sports fan. 

We will see what happens. Hopefully we have some answers soon. And hopefully there is more from me around here. 

Another Year of Little League Baseball in the Books

The postgame ceremony as Hamden win the state title

Another year of broadcasting little league baseball came to an end on Sunday. It's the third straight year that Rob Adams and I have broadcasted little league baseball.

The two previous years, we did just Fairfield American (FALL). This year, we did Fairfield American and a lot more. We covered FALL in the district tournament and when Fairfield National (FNLL) defeated FALL in districts, they asked us to broadcast them in sectionals. In the middle of all that, Rob was asked to be the voice of the CT Little League State Championship, so we did that also. 

We called 17 games over a six week stretch in three different locations, Bridgeport, Milford and Stamford. 

Hamden, who defeated FNLL in sectionals, went on to win the state championship, 12-1 over Montville on Sunday afternoon in Stamford.

It was a blast. It's great when we get to know the players, coaches and families. Sometimes we get to know them more than others. 

"Robcasting is the best 'casting" was a comment from multiple Hamden players before Sunday's Championship Game. That's a testament to the great job that Rob does. 

During the state tournament, Hamden seemed to be the team we got to know the best, as we were near their dugout often. We had a great back and forth between us and the players and coaches of Hamden. That's not to say all the other teams weren't great also, it just seemed as though we connected with Hamden the most of the teams in the state tournament. 

In a year where things were crazy and nobody knew what was going to happen with sports, it was great that the kids where still able to get the opportunity to play in a district, sectional and state tournament. There is no regional tournament or Little League World Series this year, so the state tournament was the final stage.  

It's obviously about the kids and teams, but in a time where spectators are limited to family, we had a responsibility to "bring the action" to those who were unable to attend. 

Thanks to all the coaches, players and those who were a part of putting the tournaments on for having us and all the help. I'm going to miss people, but a big shoutout to Perry Pierce and Chris Kaelin, as well as the city of Stamford for putting on a fantastic state tournament. Thank you to the Fairfield American coaches, Rick Krollman, John Palladino, Tony Dodder and Greg Wolf. Thank you to the Fairfield National coaches, Jason Takacs, Michael Bertot and Dave Dobbs.  

 Thanks to Rob for once again allowing me to ride shotgun on the broadcasts. Rob did a tremendous job as always. His professionalism, dedication and commitment is off the charts and was shown even more during this run. 

Congrats to all the teams we saw this summer on a job well done. 

Hamden celebrate the state title.

The "booth photo" from Milford as we worse masks to call the game

Fairfield National Topples Stamford North To Advance To Section One Final (Broadcast of game included)

Fairfield National Little League defeated Stamford North 15-0 in three innings in the Section One Tournament on Sunday afternoon in Milford. Fairfield advances to the Section One Championship next Sunday. They will face the winner of Hamden and Stamford North, who play next Saturday. 

Brady Takacs led off the game by drilling a full count offering over the wall in left-center field to give Fairfield a quick 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Nick Crosley hit a pop-up to short right field and an infield fly rule. However, the ball fell between the second baseman and the right fielder. Jimmy Dobbs was able to come in and score on the play to give National a 2-0 lead. 

Fairfield broke the game open in the second inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Nick Garofalo was hit by a pitch and Dobbs walked to increase National's lead to 4-0. The next batter, Henry Vincent singled to right field to bring in two more runs and increase the lead to 6-0.

Later in the inning, Crosley doubled off the wall in right field to bring in two more runs to make it 8-0. Crosley moved to third on a wild pitch and then came in to score as Tommy Galvin reached first on an error. 

The offense just kept on coming in the third inning. With on on and one out, Garofalo drove a 1-2 pitch deep down the left field line and snuck it just inside the foul pole for a two-run home run to make it 11-0. 

A walk to Dobbs and singles by Vincent and Dylan McDonald loaded the bases. Crosley then walked to force in a run and make it 12-0 as the bases remained loaded. Vincent then came in from third to score on a wild pitch before the scoring was capped on a two-run pinch hit double by Kellan Gilligan. 

On the mound for Fairfield, Garofalo allowed one hit and walked two, while striking out five in the rule-rule shortened three inning game. 

You can hear the broadcast as Rob Adams and I had the call on Robcasting Radio. Follow Rob, Robcasting Radio and myself on Twitter for updates about the broadcast of the championship game and more. 

We called the game wearing masks....We do what is asked of us. I am betting I could not be heard....considering it's tough to hear me normally. 

Dobbs Pitches Fairfield National Past Hamden In First Sectional Game

Jimmy Dobbs' complete-game lifted Fairfield National Little League Past Hamden by a 3-1 score in the first game of the Section One Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Ralph Clarkson Field in Milford. 

Fairfield National got on the board in the bottom half of the first. Nick Garofalo doubled to left with one out. Dobbs then reached on an infield single on a high chopper up the third baseline as Garofalo moved to third. Dobbs moved up to second on defensive in-difference before and groundout to third off the bat of Henry Vincent brought Garofalo home. 

Hamden tied up the score in the third. Eric Jagielew walked to lead off the inning. He moved to second of a wild pitch. With one out, Nate Marczak reached on an error and Jagielew moved to third. Two batters later, with two outs, Kam Gamm hit a popup to short right field that was dropped and allowed Jagielew to come in to score and tie the game at one. 

Fairfield National took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Dobbs reached on an error and moved to second on a wild pitch. Vincent lined a soft single into center field and Dobbs moved to third. Vincent would move to second on defensive in-difference. Then, back-to-back wild pitches allowed Dobbs and Vincent to come in and score and give National a 3-1 lead. 

That would be more than enough for Dobbs. He threw a complete game, allowing one unearned run on three hits, while walking two and striking out six. 

Fairfield National will be back in action on Sunday at noon against Stamford North. 

Rob Adams and I broadcast today's game on Robcasting Radio. We will have the rest of Fairfield National's games in the Section One Tournament and Robcasting will have the state tournament in Stamford, whether Fairfield National makes it or not. 

Fairfield National Powers Way Past Fairfield American in District 2 Pool Play

Fairfield National's Nate Jackson delivers a pitch during the fifth inning

On the strength of two home runs, Fairfield National Little League defeated Fairfield American 6-3 in pool play of the District 2 tournament on Wednesday night at Blackham School in Bridgeport. 

Fairfield American got off to a strong start, scoring three runs in the first inning. Ian Moore led off the game with a single to center. Four batters later, with runners on first and second, Nate Swineford singled to center to bring in Moore. 

Two batters later, with the bases loaded, Cole Krollman singed to center to bring in Brennan Davis, who had walked, and Swineford to put American up 3-0. 

National came right back in the bottom half of the inning. Nick Garfalo singled with one out, the next batter, Jimmy Dobbs homered to right-center field to cut the American lead to 3-2. 

National would tie the game an inning later. Nate Jackson led off with an infield single to shortstop. After a strikeout, Jake Capola walked and Brady Takacs singled to right to load the bases. The next batter, Garfalo, worked a full-count walk to bring in Jackson and tie the game at three. 

After the three-run first inning, American would be shut down offensively for the remainder of the game, managing just two hits over the final five innings against three National pitchers. Garafolo picked up the win, throwing four innings, allowing three runs on three hits, while striking out six, walking two and hitting one. Jackson threw two-thirds of an inning, bridging the gap to Tommy Galvin, who picked up the save. 

National broke the scoreless tie in the fourth. Galvin reached on a lead-off walk. After back-to-back strikeouts, Garfalo, the left-handed batter, drove all ball to the opposite field that easily cleared the left-field fence and landed on the field on other main field in the complex. 

American had their chances, as they left eight men on base, including leaving the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings. 

National improves to 1-0, American drops to 1-1 in District 2 Pool Play. 

Here's the broadcast as Rob Adams and I had the call on Robcasting Radio. 

Hogan Leads Fairfield 19U Past Greenwich

Fairfield and Greenwich in action on Saturday morning at GHS. 

Phil Hogan's complete game two-hitter led Fairfield 19U past the Greenwich Cannon's 2-0 on Saturday morning at Greenwich High School. 

Fairfield got on the board in the top of the first against Greenwich starter Zach Karson. Jack Pierce walked and stole second base. Two batters later, Joey D'Elia doubled to to the wall in right field to plate Pierce and give Fairfield a 1-0 lead. 

Fairfield added another in the third inning against Cannon's reliever Alex Roath. Christian Homa led off with a single. Pierce then sacrificed Homa to second base. Two batters later, with runners on second and third, Blake Benway singled though the left side of the infield to plate Homa. 

Greenwich had their best chance to break through against Hogan in the fourth as they got a runner to second with one our and had runners at first and second and two outs but could not plate a run. 

Hogan walked three and struck out five in addition to allowed just the two hits. One base-runner reached on an error.  

The Cannon's pitching was very good also. Four Greenwich pitchers, Karson, Roath, Jake Mondschein and Zack Alza allowed just the two runs of six hits. 

Fairfield will now gear up for the playoffs next week, while Greenwich will have a final regular season game on Sunday at Trumbull at 10am. 

The playoff brackets for both the 19U and 17U tournaments can be found at greenwichcannons.com 

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Rob Adams and I broadcasted the game on Rob's channel, Robcasting Radio. Thanks to Rob for having me along for the broadcast. Fun to get out there and help Rob out and provide some (very little) color commentary, especially with Fairfield being involved. 

We had a few technical issues, but as always, Rob is able to find a way to get the broadcast done, one way or another. He knows how to fix issues and will try multiple ways to fix them, if need be. To be clear, neither issue was Rob, or anyone's, fault. We (mostly Rob) worked though them to produce the best broadcast possible. 

Here's the broadcast with Rob and I on the call. Due to the technical difficulties, Rob recapped the lost portion of the game. 

 

Stay turned for Rob's broadcast schedule on his Twitter or the Robcasting Radio Twitter.

Broadcasting Fairfield American Little League (With links to the broadcasts)

Team Pic (FA/Twitter) 

I had the pleasure of joining Rob Adams for some little league baseball this past week.

Rob was asked by people with Fairfield American to broadcast the District 2 tournament at Unity Park in Trumbull. He asked me if I wanted to join him. On Monday we saw Fairfield American play Fairfield National. You can listen to that game here.

Then on Wednesday, Rob saw Fairfield American play Trumbull National (I couldn't make that game).

Finally, today, we saw Fairfield American play Trumbull National in the district two championship. FALL defeated Trumbull 12-2 to advance to the Section 1 tournament.


Being a huge advocate for sports in the town of Fairfield, and also being a huge baseball fan, I was more than excited to be part of the broadcasts. I always enjoy following the runs that FALL makes, but having covered some this year, it will be even more enjoyable to follow their progress.

There were plenty of people at the games that I knew. Current and former campers (Both FFLD American and National), Ludlowe baseball players, and many other people from town.

Fairfield American advances to the Section 1 Tournament in Stamford. They will face Weston, the winner of District 1, on Tuesday at 7pm. The other team in the tournament is

Follow me or Rob and Robcasting Radio on Twitter to see what games might be broadcasted. You can also follow along with Fairfield American on their Twitter feed.

MLK Classic

I had a great time today doing color for the Martin Luther King Jr. Basketball Classic at Webster Bank Arena along side Rob Adams on Robcasting Radio. Normally, I am the third, fourth or fifth person as part of the crew. When that's the case, I can Tweet, do some stats, and talk very little. Today, I actually felt like I had to talk at least a little so I didn't make Rob talk for eight hours. (Not that Rob "Scullying" is a bad thing, I really enjoy listening to that).

I didn't say a lot, but I said much more than I normally do when I'm on air.

It's weird, I normally talk a lot when I'm just talking...especially about sports. However, when you put a microphone in front of me, I don't say much. There is something very wrong with that.

We saw four good games spanning almost eight hours.

First up, Ludlowe took on Bridgeport Central. Obviously, being a Ludlowe grad, being a former student manager for the basketball team, and still being around the team some (Ok, ALL of the time), this one was extra special to be a part of. It helps to know things about the team like I do with Ludlowe in order to provide analysis.

In the second game of the day, Career Magnet from New Haven faced Warren Harding from Bridgeport.



In the penultimate game, Notre Dame of Fairfield matched up with Xaverian from Brooklyn, New York. It was fun for me to see a team that wasn't from Connecticut play because CT high school basketball is what I am used to.


The day was capped of with Wilbur Cross from New Haven taking on Bassick from Bridgeport.

Thanks to Rob for having me. Also thanks to everyone who was part of the event, from the people at Webster Bank Arena, to the people in the Bridgeport Athletic Department who organized and ran the event. Also thanks to all the players and coaches on the eight teams.

Ludlowe and Greenwich Baseball

As I Tweeted yesterday, my "worlds collided" as Ludlowe and Greenwich played in baseball at Cardinal Yard at GHS. I've used the term of my worlds colliding when the Falcons and Cardinals played in football and basketball, as well. Obviously basketball and baseball are the teams I was a part of and am still involved with so those mean more to me.

I've been doing a lot with Rob Adams and WGCH Radio in Greenwich and obviously with it being Ludlowe baseball, I knew I would go to the game.

I was pestering Rob to call the game and as Rob alluded to in his blog, the cell service and WI-FI at GHS was not great. For that, Rob should #BlameShawn for making him call the game.

Rob called the game with Mick McGowan and I was there to Tweet, do stats, and assist the broadcast from a Ludlowe information point-of-view.

Always a fun time watching baseball and hanging with and helping of friends. 

You can listen to the game here or at 3pm today on WGCH.com on Greenwich Sentinel Doubleheader.