BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Pink Sox honored longtime radio voice Joe Castiglione, who referred to as his final game Sunday, with an on-field pregame ceremony.
The 74-year-old Castiglione, who was honored by the Baseball Corridor of Fame this summer season with the Ford C. Frick Award, has been the workforce’s lead radio voice since 1983.
In the course of the ceremony, the workforce performed highlights of his calls over movies of the American League championship workforce in 1986, and Boston’s World Sequence title groups in 2004, ’07, ’13 and ’18 on the center-field scoreboard.
Members of these groups got here onto the sector throughout the ceremony. Corridor of Famer Jim Rice highlighted the ’86 group and Corridor of Famer Pedro Martinez was one of many ’04 former gamers.
Castiglione referred to his name ending the ’04 championship that broke an 86-year title drought, when he thanked the followers. It got here on a floor ball again to pitcher Keith Foulke, who was additionally there to characterize that workforce.
“I’ll miss being your eyes and ears,” he stated. “For 42 years, all I can say is: Are you able to imagine it!”
Requested how he felt making the decision of his closing out — a liner to middle by Tampa Bay’s Richie Palacios that ended a 3-1 victory by the Pink Sox, Castiglione stated: “I used to be type of numb. It type of felt just like the ninth inning in St. Louis in ‘04. … It nonetheless actually hasn’t set in, in all probability gained’t till subsequent spring.”
Earlier than the highest of the eighth, the workforce ran a montage of his calls over highlights proven on the center-field scoreboard. When it was over, the whole Pink Sox dugout emptied, with gamers, coaches and supervisor Alex Cora stepping onto the sector, trying up and applauding towards him within the sales space behind dwelling plate.
“I had some moments, particularly when Alex introduced the gamers out,” Castiglione stated.
Jackie Bradley, the 2018 ALCS MVP, caught a ceremonial first pitch from Castiglione.
“Forty-two years is a protracted, very long time for somebody to be working each single day to undergo the struggles and the successes, the journey and the approach to life, and at all times have a smile,” Martinez stated. “These are the sort of those that deserve all of the respect that we’re giving him at present.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu handed him a proclamation declaring Sept. 29, 2024, as “Joe Castiglione Day” in Boston. Workforce President Sam Kennedy introduced him with letters from Fenway Park’s notorious Inexperienced Monster that learn: “CASTIG” in white with a inexperienced background colour of the Monster.
Cora, a member of the ’07 workforce, was additionally on the sector and Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, representing the ’13 squad, was on the sector as nicely.
Castiglione signed off like he does every season, studying a part of A. Bartlett Giamatti’s “The Inexperienced Fields of the Thoughts.”
“I did instantly, proper after the sport ended,” he stated.
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This story has been corrected to point out that Castiglione was honored with an award by the Corridor of Fame, not inducted.
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