Some might say I'm a jack of all trades.
Usher supervisor, ticket taker, pass gate attendant, relief hand, security guy, scoreboard operator, and Public Address Announcer—I have worn many hats for the College World Series.
I often wonder what would have happened if I never took the leap and accepted a part-time job for the Omaha Royals Triple-A baseball team at Rosenblatt Stadium.
The sacrosanct building that played host to the CWS for 60 years spurred a chain of events that would ultimately end with me landing a dream job.
Happiness, heartbreak, sportsmanship, and respect have stared back at me from the baseball diamond.
These kids aren't playing for money. They're playing for the pride of their school. For the overwhelming majority of them, it's the pinnacle of their baseball career—a fleeting moment they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
That's the sort of history I'm blessed to watch unfold every year.
Trial by fire
After working just about every job at Rosenblatt, an opportunity came up to audition as a replacement for Jack Payne as the new PA announcer in 2001. I tried out and won the job.
Fast forward to the present day, and I'm entering my 20th year at the position.
I have been flying by the seat of my pants ever since.
Take my first day on the job, for example. Most would fret a visit from a company owner or maybe some representative from human resources.
Leave it to me to get a visit from the President of the United States.
Yes, George W. Bush, visited the CWS to throw out the first pitch. To say I was a bit nervous would be an understatement. Wouldn't you be with two White House staff members standing over your shoulders?
I couldn't even leave the box for about two hours before President Bush came out.
These two staff members even had to approve my handwritten introduction for him.
Security was super tight while he was there. I guess you could call my first day a trial by fire.
A unique character
I've always been a baseball fan. Even as a kid, I can vividly remember taking the bus down to Rosenblatt to watch the CWS. Those were the days when they had three games a day, and the general admission was around $1.25.
We'd always take our gloves with the sole intention of catching some foul balls. It never happened in the three years of making the trip.
But the CWS is more than just about catching foul balls and watching baseball.
It's about making the sort of memories that can last a lifetime. One such memory that immediately stands out to me included an exchange between former Seattle Mariner Harold Reynolds and a pair of young fans.
Reynolds worked at ESPN at the time as a commentator, and he spotted a couple of kids playing catch outside the plaza area. He made it a point to stop and play catch with the kids for a good five minutes or so.
I remember standing there and thinking, "Man, that's the atmosphere here."
It's a very special moment for the entire city of Omaha, which has hosted the CWS since 1950.
An NCAA championship owning that sort of distinction to one location is unique.
The city has done so much to make sure that not only the fans, but the players as well, have an experience they will always remember.
You have eight service clubs that dedicate themselves to eight teams to make sure the players are taken care of. And those folks don't get paid for these jobs.
There are countless individuals that simply volunteer their time.
That's the kind of city we live in.
More than a game
Most importantly, though, as I had briefly touched on before, baseball is more than just a sport. And as we all know, some of the most iconic moments often have absolutely nothing to do with baseball.
One of those particular moments had me feeling pretty emotional. We always have a day when we commemorate and recognize the military veterans of our country.
There was a particular gentleman by the name of Eddie Sobyzk, who worked part-time in the ticket office at Rosenblatt during the CWS. He was honored one night, and I had to read this script about him.
While serving in World War II, he was knocked unconscious by a bomb blast and initially believed to be dead. After his near brush-up with the grim reaper, he then went on to fight in one of the biggest battles of the war.
If you looked at the guy, he wasn't an intimidating man in physical stature—maybe 5-foot-5-inches and 130 pounds.
But there was no measuring the size of his heart and sacrifice. It almost choked me up when I was reading, and I really had to bear down and concentrate so I could get through the script.
A never-ending nostalgia
Although many of my fondest memories occurred at Rosenblatt, the spirit of the CWS has remained unchanged at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.
If you talk to any of the players that have competed at the event, they'll be the first ones to tell you about how well they were treated here in Omaha.
A building is nothing more than a manufactured structure to house the thousands in attendance. The beating hearts inside are what truly make up the CWS.
It's amazing how the city and NCAA have been able to maintain such a great working relationship for so many years.
Those years stem back to my dusty memories of watching from the stands and attempting to catch foul balls with my buddy.
Looking back, we never needed a foul ball to leave richer than when we entered.
