Making his pitch to become the new Red Sox PA announcer

BOSTON - Five people have claimed the title of Fenway Park public address announcer over the ballyard's 100-year history. For roughly 126 seconds last Wednesday night, I took a shot at hitting sixth in that lineup.

How a reporter, whose only experience announcing lineups comes on a volunteer basis during Litchfield Baseball Association games in the spring, found himself sitting in that seat high above home plate is a tale as long and winding as the trip down I-93 to get there. But those two-plus minutes behind the mike are ones I will never forget.

That chair, left empty by the death of public address man Carl Beane in a traffic accident last May, was never filled last season. The Red Sox rotated in a series of guest announcers for each home game, many longtime friends of Beane, who had held the job since 2003. A hiring to fill the job has yet to take place.

The job was conducted by several different people each home game early on, usually Boston radio personalities. Jay McMaster became Fenway's first public address announcer in 1958, staying on through 1966.   read full story here