Sea Dogs Monthly Luncheon

The Portland Sea Dogs have a monthly luncheon at Hadlock Field during the season, something that I just found out about this week.  The cost is $8 (anybody can attend), and the fans are treated to lunch in the picnic area (nice) and a talk by a special guest.  I attended my first lunch this afternoon, and found it to be a fun experience.

Most of the fans in attendance were veteran season-ticket holders.  By "veteran", I mean "retired".  I was well below the median age for attendees, though there were a couple of people with their kids (10-12 years old or so).   In talking to a couple of folks, I found that the monthly speaker is usually a Sea Dogs player, coach or manager, though they have brought in other guests of note (the guy with the frisbee dogs, for example).  The Sea Dogs are just returning from a road trip, however, so today's speaker was Dean Rogers, who has been the PA announcer for the Sea Dogs for all 11 years of their existence.  Rogers is a veteran radio man whose familiar voice has been on the Portland airwaves (WHOM currently) since the late 1970's. 

Rogers talked briefly about his radio career and his role in establishing an over-30 baseball league in southern Maine, and more extensively (including a question and answer period) about his work with the Sea Dogs.  Rogers described the cramped quarters that he shares with the sound effects person, the video board person, and the stats person. 

The biggest challenge by far is pronouncing names, especially all of the hispanic names that he sees (Gonzalez is the most common name that he comes across).  Rogers has learned to talk to the opposing team's radio personnel to make sure he gets the names right - apparently word gets back to him surprisingly fast if he mispronounces a player's name.  The most challenging name through the years has been current Chicago Cub infielder Mark Grudzielanek (it's impossible to spell, too!).

Rogers also shared his most embarrassing moment: calling for the seventh inning stretch - in the middle of the sixth inning!  (I might have been at that game).  The announcer saved face by making a joke about it being a practice run, and everybody had a good laugh!

I encourage anybody who is not busy, or has time on their lunch hour, to find their way down to Hadlock Field for this monthly program.  The next luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, August 11.  Hope to see you there!  (Unless I have a job by then, that is!)