Perhaps no one in Baltimore’s sports media circle is more liked or respected than Scott Garceau.
With the death of the legendary Vince Bagli in October, the unofficial title of “Dean of Baltimore Sports” arguably has shifted to Garceau, who has spent nearly 50 years in broadcasting and the past 40 in Baltimore.
Advertisement
A five-time Maryland Sportscaster of the Year, Garceau came to Charm City in 1980 as a sports anchor for WMAR-TV, a post he held for 28 years. In 2008, he made the seamless switch to sports talk radio, serving as an original co-host of the afternoon drive show on 105.7 The Fan when it became an FM station. Garceau did that for roughly a dozen years.
While working those full-time gigs, he also served as the original radio voice of the Baltimore Ravens for the team’s first decade of existence and filled in on Orioles’ TV broadcasts. His resume is about as varied and impressive as any sportscaster in the area.
But a funny thing has happened to Garceau, who turns 70 in August, and his legacy in the past year-plus.
He switched jobs in 2020, leaving behind talk radio to become the primary play-by-play announcer for MASN’s Orioles telecasts, a spot that fully opened because of a contract dispute between the network and Gary Thorne, a nationally recognized announcer who had spent the previous 13 seasons as MASN’s main Orioles’ voice.
Not only was Garceau replacing the popular Thorne, but he also had to adjust to pandemic protocols, including broadcasting all road games remotely from Camden Yards — watching on monitors instead of having the game unfold in front of him.
Garceau is no stranger to play-by-play or filling big shoes in Baltimore. His first Orioles telecast was in 1981, when Hall of Famer Chuck Thompson had to miss a night. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Garceau announced roughly 20 games per season while future Hall of Famer Jon Miller fulfilled national obligations.
But this time, it’s different. He’s the main guy, and he hasn’t been warmly welcomed by a vocal contingent of Orioles’ viewership — some of whom pine for Thorne, some of whom clamor for backup and rising star Kevin Brown and some who simply want Garceau gone, no matter the substitute.
Advertisement
With his friendly, Midwestern demeanor — he grew up in the small mining town of Ishpeming in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, about three hours north of Green Bay, Wis. — Garceau has taken the criticism in stride. He says he continues to work at getting better, even this far along in his career. He understands that not everyone’s going to like his straight-ahead, no-frills approach. And, frankly, he knows he’s not and never will be the quirky and incomparable Thorne.
Garceau sat down with The Athletic for a Q&A to discuss his career, current challenges and how he handles — and ignores — harsh criticism on social media. Questions and answers are edited only for brevity and clarity.
How did this job opportunity arise and why take it after years on talk radio?
When they approached me, it came out of nowhere. They asked me if I’d be interested and I was like, “Yeah. That’s probably a good thing. Let’s talk about it.” Originally, I thought maybe they wanted me to do 20 games or something, and I thought, at that time, maybe I’d still do the talk show and sprinkle in baseball. And they came back with a number that was like 90 to 100 games. At the initial stage, it was also some pre- and post-(game), but primarily a lot of play-by-play. And I was like, “If I’m biting off that much, obviously I can’t do the radio, too.”
It was good timing. It was something new, refreshing. The Orioles were going through a lot of changes. I joked with them, “I can handle a little losing until this thing gets turned around. Remember, I did the Oriole games in ’88 when they were 0-21.” I was there that night in Chicago when they broke through and got that first win after losing the first 21.
How has this job changed from when you did play-by-play in the 1980s and ’90s?
Well, obviously, I came in at a crazy time. The pandemic hit and, the first year I come back, there were no fans in the stands. You had empty stadiums. You hear the piped-in crowd noise that we heard last year. And the other thing was, I was doing remote broadcasts for the first time. Road games, we were doing from Camden Yards on a TV monitor. So, it was the strangest of seasons for those two reasons.
Advertisement
And we’re still doing road games that way, but at least now you’ve got eight, 10, 11,000 fans in there and you do feel some of that energy that the fans give you, whether you’re a player or a broadcaster. Last year, without fans, I think you adapted and kind of got used to it. But it is so strange without people in there. Piped-in crowd noise just didn’t do it for me. You needed the real thing. And it is so good to have some of that back.
How have your roles — and the public perception of you — changed during your career?
When I started at The Fan, we did a four-hour show. Well, my sportscast (on WMAR) in the end were two-and-a-half minutes. Somebody would say, “I hear you on the radio show, and you’re a funny guy. I never realized that.” And I’d say, “It’s hard to be funny when you’ve got two minutes and four tapes and three sound bites.” You’re rattling through your stuff just trying to get some information out to the people. Whereas the talk format, you had a chance to be yourself and (radio partner Jeremy Conn) is a funny guy. And we had fun with some things.
People would stop me at the grocery store or whatever and say, “Hey, I heard you did this.” Or, “Where’s Jeremy? Is he wearing a dress this week?” All kinds of things that we had in the show and I was like, “Man, where was I for 28 years?” We used to joke in the TV business how the phone didn’t ring like it used to. Because now with social media, people can express opinions. Back then, if they had something to say or a question, they called after the show and the sports line would ring and they would say, “Hey, you guys didn’t have the score of the Dunbar game. Who won the Dunbar game?” Or “You got this wrong.” Or “Good job on that story.” Toward the end, the phones didn’t ring after the show and you kind of knew things were changing.
I think it’s the same thing with doing Orioles baseball. A lot of people care about it. I got stopped today and a guy was asking me about calling a no-hitter. I think there is more of a connection. I mean, guys like Vince (Bagli) and Chuck (Thompson), they felt like family to a lot of people in these communities. They were in your car radio. They were in your living room. Wherever you went, they were with you. So, there’s a real connection to that.
When you were criticized with the radio show, it was because of your opinions. It wasn’t usually personal. Now when you’re criticized, it’s about how you do your job, your ability as a play-by-play announcer. How do you deal with that?
I don’t hear a lot of it. I’ve been in this business for 50 years now. And I know (those opinions) are subjective. And I also know I came in and followed Gary, who is a consummate pro who was there for 13 years and a lot of people love Gary Thorne. I’m a fan of Gary Thorne. I have nothing but respect for Gary. I listened to him for 13 years, I watched him. So, if you’re comparing me to the other guy, I get it. You might like him better. In 13 years, you might like me a little better than you liked me in Year 1 or Year 2. So, I get that, and I’ve never let it bother me.
It’s kind of like ice cream. I like vanilla ice cream. You hate vanilla ice cream. I don’t know why. I love it. And I think there’s a lot of that in broadcasting. When I was younger, it would bother me a little more, and I’d wonder why. Now, if it’s something I did, something I can get better at, well, you always try to get better. Nobody’s perfect and you work hard to do a good job and you prepare and you put all you can into it.
I’m kind of my own worst critic. I work hard, try to do a good job and then you let the chips fall where they may. You understand there’s gonna be people that pat you on the back and tell you you’re great and other people saying, “I hate you. Get rid of him. Get the other guy back in there. I loved him.”
Advertisement
Do you pay much attention to comments on social media about your work?
Not really. I follow some things on Twitter (like reporters) for information. But I don’t post a ton on Twitter. I see the nasty side of Twitter and I hate it. Because I came up in a different era, kind of that, “If you can’t say something nice about somebody, don’t (say it).” That’s kind of gone out the window with a lot of people. For a lot of people, (Twitter) is a place to rant and rip, and that’s the part I don’t like. I love the information, and there is a lot of it there. And I don’t spend a lot of time on Facebook. People say, “I sent you something on Facebook,” and I say, “I didn’t see it, because I haven’t been there for a month or something.” So, I’m not a big social media guy.
You’ve obviously had a great career here. Do you feel like people are now judging you only on a small part of that?
I don’t really look at it as a career (thing). It’s the thing I’m doing now. If people have a negative connotation with that, I understand. Not everybody’s gonna say, “That’s the best I’ve ever heard.” I’ve heard Chuck Thompson, who I think is one of the greatest ever, whether it’s a football game or an Orioles game. I grew up thinking Chuck was a football guy because, in northern Michigan, I didn’t hear him do Orioles games. But every time the Packers played the Colts, I heard Chuck Thompson, with his hat on, calling the game. I thought he was terrific.
Then I got here in ’80, and I knew more about him by then, but then I got a chance to listen to him on a nightly basis and get to know him as a friend. Same with Vince (Bagli). The more you got to know the people — besides just the broadcaster — you understood why people loved these guys so much. Sure, they were great broadcasters, but they were really, really good people. And I try to work on that part of my game, too.
In 1981, you filled in for Thompson. Then you filled in for Miller. Now, you’ve replaced Thorne. Did those previous experiences help prepare you for this one?
I never looked at it that I was replacing Chuck, who was irreplaceable, or for Jon Miller, who is a Hall of Fame broadcaster. I never looked at it like that. I looked at it as I had a job to do. If it wasn’t me, it was somebody else. Kevin Brown has 70 games (for MASN this year) and I’m doing 90 or whatever. And, so, on the days that I have to work, I’ve got a job to do. But I never thought about Gary, Chuck, Vince or anybody else on those days. It’s a job that I have to do to the best of my ability.
You mentioned earlier about getting better. When you review your games, which areas do you feel like you need to improve?
Oh, boy. I think it is just a daily challenge to try and gather as much information going into the game. Have your notes. Be prepared. And then call the game. And sometimes you’ll see something (on the tape) and say, “That could have been better. I’ve got to work on that or there’s a different way to say that or call that.” One of the things on remote broadcasts is you are at the mercy of the cameraman. For home games, you’ve got your eyes and they can help you out.
We had a play the other day where the camera stayed on the pitcher. It looked like a groundball hit to the right side. But I had no idea where it was. It was a road game and all we have is the camera. I looked to Ben (McDonald) and we both laughed about it and said, “Hey, we’re at the mercy here of our camera. So, I think it turned out to be a groundball to second base and they got the out at first” and eventually you saw that and then we had a replay. But for a moment, it’s like, “Where is it?” I don’t have eyes. I only have the camera. So, I think in whatever you do … we all try to get better at our craft. And it is the same in broadcasting.
What’s been the biggest challenge with remote broadcasts? I know you and some others have had difficulty at times judging fly balls remotely.
I’m pretty much taking the lead off the outfielder, right? If (the shot) is wide enough and you can watch the outfielder go back to the (warning) track and to the wall, you know it’s got a chance to go out. So, the outfielder is usually my first cue.
Advertisement
We had the fair-foul the other night where I thought it was a foul ball. And the umpire ruled it a fair ball home run, that was (Kevin) Pillar, and then the umpires huddled, and they didn’t even have to review it. And the replays showed it was definitely a foul ball. Some of those are tough. … There are some times where, if you had your own eyes, you might have more information, but you are stuck on that monitor and you’ve got to make the call.
The on-air chemistry between Thorne and Jim Palmer was unmistakable. But you’ve known Palmer and McDonald for a long time. Has that been an easy transition?
I got here in ’80 and Jim was pitching, so I have known him 40 years. It’s not like we are hanging out together every night, but we know each other. We’ve worked together in the booth before. I mean, Gary and Jim had 13 years together for I don’t know how many games a year, but a lot. I’ve had Jim for the first year this time. Last year, I worked with Ben and Mike Bordick (while Palmer did occasional Zoom interviews).
Ben is really easy to work with. We talk baseball before the game and after the game. I drive him back to the hotel after the game every night and we’re talking baseball and Orioles. And, God, (with) Jim’s recall and knowledge of the game, you just always defer to those guys. They’re the pros that played the game and know the game. I’m more of the traffic cop to get them to give everybody their thoughts of what just happened or why it happened.
This year, you called your first no-hitter, even though you did it remotely. What was it like to call John Means’ gem in Seattle from Baltimore?
Yeah, how about that? I got a bunch of texts saying, “Hey, did you do the one in Oakland (in 1991)?” And I said, “No, I was doing games that year, but I wasn’t on that trip.” I wish I would have been there (in Seattle) or I wish (Means) would have been here in Baltimore. We did it on remote, but around the sixth inning, we went to break, and Ben turned to me and said, “My hands are getting sweaty. I’m kind of feeling it.” And I was like, “Eh, give it another inning.” Around the seventh inning I was pulling up stats, like the four-man no-hitter that (Bob) Milacki started and the date and what was Palmer’s date and month (in 1969)?
I was making notes by the beginning or the middle of the seventh inning and then just to see him dominate the way he did for nine innings. I hear some talk, “Is that the greatest game ever pitched by an Oriole?” I think it would have to be, right? (Mike) Mussina took a perfect game into the ninth inning and that was pretty good. But 26 out of 27 first-pitch strikes and 12 strikeouts and no walks? If there was a better one, I didn’t have a chance to see it.
You are optimistic by nature, but has this opportunity energized you even more?
I think it has. It kind of makes you young. If I had retired and just played golf three, four, five times a week, I mean, I like golf, but maybe two times a week. Three is enough. I don’t think I could play every day. And this has been fun. I’m buying into what the Orioles are doing. I like (general manager) Mike Elias’ plan. We all wish it could get speeded up a little bit. But what they are doing internationally, it’s not gonna pay off for probably another three or four years. But the pipeline is a lot better. I don’t think we’ve set the bar real high with the major-league team. I don’t think they have, either. But every night you go out and play, there’s a chance to win.
That’s what I’ve loved about baseball my whole life, that it’s there for you every day, whether you’re a fan or you’re a player. You’re not talking about yesterday too long, because you’ve got today to play.
Advertisement
Anything else about this experience and how, in a sense, your career has come full circle by doing Orioles’ play-by-play again?
Yeah, with the Oriole thing there in the beginning (in 1981) and now back to it. I’m just happy that there are people that still think that I can do a job for them and a lot of fans that listen and say, “Hey, I enjoy it.” I just ran into a guy I’ve known for a long time, and he said, “I really enjoy listening to you guys do the Oriole games.” I know not everybody’s on the bandwagon. I understand that, too.
(Photo courtesy of Scott Garceau)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57kW5wbmppZnxzfJFqZmltX2aFcL3AZq6irJhiuqK%2FzaxkrJufqcFus8Crmp6ZpWK7sMCMnq2eqqmku6a%2FjKilZqWpYq%2BiusOwmKCnnmK2bsHNnZyrq6SWu6V506GYrWc%3D