2024 Ford Frick Award Winner Joe Castiglione Chats About People Who Helped Him In His Broadcast Career

Transcript

00:00But we talked even then, you were working on the speech, so you've sort of, I think at that time,

00:05you said, I got to the 12 minutes, it has to be 10, and last night I checked in,

00:09you're like, I'm just going to go 13. Yeah, that's about right. I sent it in today.

00:13Oh, you did?

00:14They printed it in big font, so I don't have to wear my cheaters.

00:19Oh, really?

00:20It makes it a lot easier to follow, so I'm anxious to see that. And we'll have a couple of rehearsals,

00:26I think, because we're getting there next Wednesday, and the event is Saturday afternoon.

00:31But it's a big thank you, basically. A lot of people to thank, people I work for,

00:36people I work with, people who help me get started, and to keep me going, partners and

00:42others behind the scenes as well. And when you last that long, a lot of people help you.

00:48And I've had many blessings and many great friends.

00:50Tucked together in 13 minutes, yeah. But as we get closer here, is it, has it hit different?

00:57I think it is. I read the speech today, it was a little more emotional than

01:00I was when I was putting it together, because certain people trigger reactions when you

01:06mention them. Especially people who are no longer with us, like Johnny Pesky and Lou Gorman and Ken

01:11Coleman and Bob Starr. But I got a call from Pat Hughes, the voice of the Chicago Cubs,

01:18who was last year's winner. And he gave me some advice about the speech. He said,

01:24for one thing, you're not going to be able to see the audience because of the way the

01:27lights are set up. Oh, interesting. He said he could barely make out his wife.

01:30I said, well, that must help you keep the emotions in check, right? And he agreed. So

01:36we'll have to practice that before it happens. Did he go 13 minutes? What did he say?

01:40He said he went 15. Oh, come on.