Opening Day, 2015
One quick story…
When I was a budding sports writer, one of the biggest days for me is when I was granted a press pass to the Giants Spring Training Camp. There was never a sense of having “made it” more than that…until I got there.
The first thing I found out? The catered lunches in Spring Training for the press were world’s better than my many minor league experiences. My first day there, waiting for a game to begin, I gathered my grilled chicken and rice and sat down, alone, up in one of the tables at the press area. I was an unknown, and I was fine with that. I sat alone in many high school cafeterias, enough to be comfortable.
I began to get my thrill, however, when Jon Miller sat down at an adjacent table, and began talking stories with a scout who sat down, an unidentifiable former major leaguer. They laughed and joked, until a deep voice interrupted them, accusing Jon of making things up again.
It was Lon Simmons.
This was not too long after Lon had retired from broadcasting, but he still was around the Giants quite a bit. He sat down, and he and Jon began riffing and joking and laughing. I sat there, a gobsmacked fly on the wall, listening to these two and their stories. I couldn’t repeat a single one…I was just in awe.
In all my moments of being a part of the press, that is one of my favorites.
Rest In Peace, Lon Simmons. You helped many of us become baseball fans with just your voice. I hope there’s some amazing games to call wherever you are now.
