Campbell serves up baseball stories
Jamie Campbell, centre, is flanked by, from left: Susan Turner (co-owner, Romby’s), Bruce Prentice (founder, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame), Amy Wilson (co-owner, Romby’s) and moderator Rod Mawhood. Photo by: BILL POTRECZ.
There’s nothing like a little baseball talk on a dreary March afternoon to get the juices flowing for the upcoming Major League Baseball season.
Sportsnet announcer Jamie Campbell Tuesday kicked off what is scheduled to be a monthly baseball chat at Romby’s Tavern and Smokehouse, telling tales of his love for the game and experiences while broadcasting Toronto Blue Jays games.
Campbell, a 52-year-old Oakville native, told stories of growing up and falling in love with the game to the point where he knew we wanted to work in baseball.
“When I fell in love with baseball, it was an impassioned love,” he said. “I had collected every card known to mankind and knew every single player.”
Campbell said a meeting with former Minnesota Twins outfielder Lyman Bostock before a game at Exhibition Stadium put him on the path to broadcasting.
“He turned to me and asked my name. He was so gracious to me. I’ll never forget this five or 10-minute meeting. I had this on-going conversation with a major league superstar when I was 10 years old. It had this profound effect on me,” he said. “I found a connection with that man.
“The whole inspiration for me to become a baseball broadcaster was basically seeded at that moment and I followed this obsessive path from that day forward.”
He said growing up he loved the late Blue Jays shortstop Tony Fernandez and would often try and mimic his unique throwing motion.
Campbell talked about how difficult it can be to work and travel with a team all season long.
“There is a fine line we tend to walk as to whether you should befriend the players you are assessing and analyzing, and in some cases, critiquing,” he said. “There are a lot of ups and downs with players.”
Campbell said his partner on Blue Jays Central, Joe Siddall, regularly criticizes Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoya and usually hears about it around the batting cage the next day.
“He is extremely critical. Joe and Charlie are former teammates with the Expos and Charlie does a thing where he pulls a supposed knife from his back,” Campbell said.
Campbell also said he had a cool relationship with former Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman.
“Marcus Stroman never liked me for some reason. He’s blocked me on every avenue of social media. I think it’s because I sat with Gregg (former announcer Gregg Zaun) and he used to rip him to pieces every chance he got,” Campbell said.
Campbell’s relationship with former Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett was “weird.”
The temperamental right-hander berated Campbell on a flight to Baltimore after Campbell noted on a broadcast that a certain Jays pitcher had never given up a grand slam. The pitcher permitted a double on the next pitch, and Burnett was still furious.
“He tore me a new rear end,” Campbell said. “I don’t know what his problem was. I told him I have no impact on the outcome of the game, but he sat down next to me and proceeded to get rip-roaring drunk and just pestered me the whole time.”
Campbell said he later had a conversation with legendary Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully, who told him it was his job to inform the audience of everything, good and bad, even a no-hitter.
Campbell, a noted baseball memorabilia collector, once caught a home hit by former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz at the 2004 All-Star game but gave the ball to Ortiz, who later repaid the favour with one of his Red Sox’ jerseys.
The idea of the chats came from Niagara’s Bruce Prentice, the founder Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Ontario Sports Hall of Fame and executive director of Ontario Lacrosse.
“I’m a baseball guy,” said Prentice, who also scouted for the Blue Jays for four years. “In Toronto, they have a monthly Maple Leaf Alumni luncheon that I go to every once in a while. I thought, ‘Why not do it for baseball here?’ ”
Prentice plans to have former St. Catharines Blue Jay and major league outfielder Rob Butler at one of the chats as well as announcers Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler. He is also hopeful of being able to bring in Hall-of-Famer Roberto Alomar.
The chats will be held the first Tuesday of every month.
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