Don Wardlow: From Banjos to Baseball

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...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