• Don Wardlow: From Banjos to Baseball

  • Sep 6 2024
  • Length: 44 mins
  • Podcast

Don Wardlow: From Banjos to Baseball

  • Summary

  • Thank you for checking out this episode of Game Changers. If you have a story about sports, we would love to hear it. Email us at feedback@aftersight.org, or give us a call on our voice mail line at (720) 712-8856. In this conversation...
    ...Jonathan interviews Don Wardlow, the first blind color commentator in professional baseball. Don shares his journey with blindness and his passion for baseball. He discusses the challenges he faced in pursuing a career in sports broadcasting and his approach to calling games without sight. Don also highlights a memorable moment in his career. Don Wardlow shares his experiences as a blind sports broadcaster and the challenges he faced in the industry. He talks about a memorable baseball game he called and the importance of family support. Don also discusses his projects, including his blog 'Baseball as I See It' and his podcast 'The Baseball Lifer Podcast'. He offers advice to aspiring broadcasters to get an education, learn the craft, and take advantage of the opportunities provided by the internet.
    Takeaways
    Don Wardlow is the first blind color commentator in professional baseball.
    Listening to radio broadcasts of baseball games sparked Don's passion for the sport.
    Don faced challenges in pursuing a career in sports broadcasting, but with the help of his partner Jim, he developed a successful approach.
    Don's approach involved extensive preparation, including brailing notes and studying interviews and statistics.
    A memorable moment in Don's career was calling a game between St. Paul and the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks in the Northern League. Blind sports broadcaster Don Wardlow faced challenges in the industry but persevered with the support of his family.
    He called a memorable baseball game and cherishes the experience.
    Don started a blog called 'Baseball as I See It' and currently hosts 'The Baseball Lifer Podcast'.
    His advice to aspiring broadcasters is to get an education, learn the craft, and take advantage of the opportunities provided by the internet.
    Chapters
    00:00 Introduction and Overview
    03:08 Don's Journey with Baseball and Blindness
    08:28 Challenges in Pursuing a Career in Sports Broadcasting
    17:14 Approach to Calling Games Without Sight
    21:00 Memorable Moment: St. Paul vs. Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks
    21:28 Overcoming Challenges and Personal Sacrifices
    22:27 A Memorable Baseball Game
    24:11 Challenges Faced as a Blind Person
    27:09 Getting into Broadcasting and Meeting Jim Lucas
    29:32 Starting to Broadcast Games
    33:56 Projects: 'Baseball as I See It' and 'The Baseball Lifer Podcast'
    39:27 Advice for Aspiring Broadcasters
    Show more Show less
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