Joe Castiglione Addresses the Class of 2025 at Commencement

Fr. Denning, Stonehill faculty, administrators, staff, family, friends and the Class of 2025, thank you for the honor of addressing you on this monumental day in your lives.

I was first introduced to Stonehill College by the late James "Lou" Gorman, a graduate of Stonehill's second class and former General Manager of the Boston Red Sox. After working as an executive with the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets, the Providence, Rhode Island native came to the Red Sox and was the architect of the 1986 pennant-winning Red Sox team that came within one strike of winning the World Series.

Mr. Gorman also served as an officer in the U.S. Navy reserves for over 30 years and he always remembered his Stonehill roots.

No college has ever had a prouder alumnus or a more zealous fundraiser and recruiter.
And Major League Baseball has never had a kinder, gentler or more personable leader. Lou had a habit of repeating his nouns in conversation, constantly preaching the virtues of "Stonehill, Stonehill, Stonehill."

I would take my three children to Lou's office at Fenway Park to record his radio pregame show and after giving them souvenirs, candy, cookies and other treats, they would get the Stonehill sales pitch from the man they called "Uncle Lou."

My son, Duke, now the tv sports anchor at Channel 5 in Boston after 20 years on New York television, was indoctrinated. Duke actually began his college studies in upstate New York but was not happy there. During his first semester he had a dream in which Uncle Lou was urging him to transfer to "Stonehill, Stonehill, Stonehill." With Mr. Gorman's recommendation, he transferred here to Stonehill, where he played varsity baseball on the appropriately named Lou Gorman Field and began his broadcast career on the student radio station.

Stonehill became a family tradition. My niece, Faith Castiglione Keough graduated from Stonehill a decade ago and has gone onto a career in Human Resources in Boston.

Yes, Faith, something so important for you graduates to have and sustain. Faith in God, Faith in your abilities, Faith to follow your dreams while always maintaining a sense of gratitude for those who have shown Faith in you. Take a look at those who love you and surround you here today, parents, family, mentors and friends and be grateful for their guidance and love. And strive for "Compassionate Wisdom," which will serve as a basic foundation for success and happiness.

I would urge you to follow your dreams with a sobering element of realism. You will likely have 40 or more years to dedicate to one career or more than one career. Look for something you enjoy and that rewards you, something more than just a job that pays well, even if it seems to be a "reach." Something you can reflect on in later years and say, "I did pretty much what I said I wanted to do." And be confident! Don't underestimate yourselves. But also, be realistic in assessing your abilities and talents. Remember, it is not always a linear path to success, something I learned in my broadcasting and baseball career. But staying the course and persevering often produces desired results, at least it did in my case.

My first dream was to be Mickey Mantle. Yes, I was a Yankee fan as a kid, sorry to admit. However, we all learn from our mistakes and move on. This is where the element of realism comes into play: I had no ability to play baseball.

As Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell used to say, "I wanted to be a ballplayer in the WORST way...and that's exactly how I played." However, with guidance from above, I decided to pursue the next best thing― broadcasting Major Lague baseball, which became my goal at the age of 12. It was definitely a reach. I had no connection to anyone in professional baseball or broadcasting but did have real passion for the game and a desire to accumulate knowledge of its history, rules and strategy. I really have felt blessed to have had a true vocation. I realize not everyone has a real vocation, but you can still pursue something you do enjoy.

Of course, there are certain prerequisites for whatever you seek like communicative skills, the ability to ad lib and to think and talk on your feet, self-initiative, self-confidence, preparation and networking skills are critical. And your Stonehill education has provided you with a good foundation to develop those attributes. There is also the need to fight back and preserver despite rejection and setbacks that are out of one's control.  

As I said, there is not often a linear path to one's goals. In my case I was almost completely self-taught and took advantage of college radio to broadcast Division I football and basketball at Colgate University and played the hits of the 60's as a DJ. There were no broadcasting courses offered but in looking back, the liberal arts education I received, like what many of you got at Stonehill, provided the background to communicate, to process and to write. I also learned to network with professional broadcasters who would later serve as mentors and references.

Unless you are a former Major League player, there is no clear-cut path to a big league broadcasting booth. So, I worked high school games, reported news and spun records, long before the advent of CDs, mostly for minimum wage. That meant working nights and weekends and holidays and even the graveyard shift, working when friends and family were partying. And it meant moving from Connecticut to Syracuse, Youngstown, Ohio and Cleveland before settling in Boston.

There were many forks in the road along the way, and I heeded the words of that wise old sage, Yogi Berra, who said, "When you get to the fork in the road, TAKE IT."  One fork in the road for me was choosing between a full-time job as a Cleveland sports reporter and anchor or living my dream as baseball announcer.  I was offered a job as a Cleveland Indians TV baseball broadcaster. Those were the days before cable TV allowed for every game to be televised. So, I was offered a 40-game schedule paying $12,000 for the season. Despite having two little kids and one on the way, I gambled and took my first baseball job and a big pay cut with the blessing of my wife, Jan.

I was thrilled and felt I had a good season, but, alas, after that first season, my TV station lost the rights to carry the games, which went to another station, who wanted their own announcers, meaning I was out. Of course, I had no control.  Next, I went to work Milwaukee Brewers pay TV games, but a baseball players strike reduced my schedule and the paycheck. Again, no control.

So, I returned to Cleveland to call Indians' cable TV games and Cleveland Cavaliers NBA games on a new regional cable tv network. But after eight months the network was bankrupt and went dark. Again, no control.

But this is where networking paid off.  I was blessed to have worked in Cleveland with the late Casey Coleman who recommended me to his dad, Ken Coleman, long-time voice of the Red Sox. With Ken's help, I was hired by the Red Sox and Ken became my mentor and friend and helped me get established in Boston.

That was in 1983. Forty-two years and 6,500 games later, and with four World Series rings and a pennant ring, I retired. How blessed I have been to have broadcast the greatest era in Red Sox history.

How does one last 42 years in such a desirable job? Well in my case, by cooperating with the salespeople and advertisers who pay the freight, by being consistent in preparing for every game, by being honest in reporting while still promoting the Red Sox and by remembering the game is about the players on the field and not about the broadcaster.  And most importantly: by keeping my price tag responsible and the ego in check. Things for you to remember whatever you pursue. And I was blessed to have the loyalty and kindness of my employers, especially Red Sox ownership, and the trust and loyalty of the fans of Red Sox nation.  All blessings from above.

I was blessed to call World Championships, to call Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz and so many others friends, to have met presidents and superstars in other walks of life and to have called Fenway Park my office and watch baseball from the best seats in the house, and have my family enjoy the perks. But with those treats come responsibility and the need to pay it forward. Please save time when you can for charity working and helping others.

For 30 years I had the privilege of serving the Jimmy Fund of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in fundraising. I experienced many heartbreaking but also heartwarming stories. I learned that volunteerism can be so rewarding emotionally and spiritually. I hope you can experience that feeling through volunteer service.

I also tried to pay it forward and help young people by teaching a self-designed sports broadcasting course at Northeastern University for 29 years and at Franklin Pierce University for 12 years. I had some outstanding students like former Red Sox TV voice Don Orsillo, now with San Diego Padres TV; three-time Olympic Hockey star Kendall Coyne; and the Reverand Leslie Sterling, the first female public address announcer in the American League and the first African American to hold that position. After three years in the Red Sox announce booth Reverend Sterling left for divinity school and was ordained as an Episcopal priest. Reverend Sterling continues to preach the virtues of seeking "compassionate wisdom" as we move into postgraduate years.

I've had a fun career, getting paid to watch baseball and travel the country, but to whom much is given much is expected. I learned a valuable lesson in responsibility from a Jesuit priest at Boston College, the late Monsignor John Dillon Day, who told me something I never realized. Msg. Day said, "What you have is an apostolate," which is defined as a religious or evangelistic work. He said that's because you bring joy, light and entertainment to the elderly and the shut-ins who plan their whole day around listening to the ballgame, the forgotten demographic. His words brought a whole new meaning and importance to what I did. Hopefully you can discover some kind of apostolate in whatever you do to have a positive impact on others.

My story has so many blessings culminating with my election to the Red Sox Hall of Fame and winning the Ford C. Frick Award for Broadcasting from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. As I said in my speech at Cooperstown, quoting St. Luke, Chapter 1, Verse 37, "For with God, nothing is impossible." Something to remember as you strive for success and happiness.

At my 50th college reunion, a classmate said to me, "You are the one guy who did exactly what he said he wanted to do.” May you be so blessed as to have the same thing said about you someday.

Continue to give thought to what decisions and choices you have to make and what steps you have to take to live the kind of life that will have your family and friends saying many years from now that you followed your dreams, enjoyed your career, touched others, paid it forward, and did what your heart called you to do.  

That is a powerful definition of success, and your Stonehill education will help you follow that path.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025. As I said when the Red Sox won the World Series, "Can You Believe It?" You are now proud alumni of Stonehill College. Thank you!