Castiglione honored for 40 years as voice of Red Sox

BOSTON -- What were you doing during the 1983 baseball season?

Odds are, something different than you are currently.

Then there is Joe Castiglione, the indefatigable broadcaster who is still calling Red Sox games on the radio -- just as he was as a Boston rookie in Carl Yastrzemski’s final Major League season.

Castiglione was honored for his impressive longevity in a ceremony at Fenway Park before Thursday night's game against the Guardians. This is Castiglione’s 40th season broadcasting Red Sox games for his attentive audience throughout New England and beyond.

Before coming to Boston, Castiglione -- a native of Hamden, Conn. -- started his career in the Midwest, calling baseball (Cleveland, Milwaukee) and basketball (Cavaliers).

When Jon Miller left the Red Sox to call Orioles games, it created the opportunity for Castiglione to come home to New England.

While the broadcasting booth can lead to a transient existence, Castiglione has managed to stay in the same job for parts of five decades.

“When you’re broadcasting, you never expect to be anywhere more than three years, let alone 40,” Castiglione said during a pregame interview with NESN on Thursday.

Backed by an amazing memory -- ask Castiglione about any Red Sox player or game or season and he’ll have something for you -- and a smooth style, Castiglione has served as the soundtrack of New England summers.

And in those really special years, that has continued deep into October.

His catchphrase of “Can you believe it?” is known to any Red Sox follower.

Think of any momentous Red Sox game since 1983 and Castiglione was there.

This includes Yaz’s final game that season. It includes the first and second 20-strikeout performances of Roger Clemens. All those gems by Pedro Martinez were accompanied by Castiglione’s call of the action. When David Ortiz turned into a Hall of Fame slugger, Castiglione called his greatest hits.

Of course, Castiglione’s most authentic call was when he fell out of his chair with excitement when Andrew Benintendi made a diving catch to close out Game 4 of the 2018 American League Championship Series in Houston.

Many of those calls were played during Thursday’s ceremony, for which Castiglione was accompanied by his wife, children and grandchildren.

Clemens also made an unexpected appearance. He handed the announcer a plaque that will be placed on the door of the radio booth at Fenway Park, which will be named the Joe Castiglione Booth.

Of course, when you’re an announcer, you don’t just call the highlights.

Castiglione was there for the heartbreaking endings at Shea Stadium in Games 6 and 7 of the 1986 World Series. He was at Yankee Stadium for Game 7 of the ALCS in 2003.

But that only made the World Series championships of 2004, ‘07, ‘13 and ‘18 more special for Castiglione, who has essentially been the voice of the renaissance of the Red Sox.

To put it into perspective, the Red Sox have had 13 managers during Castiglione’s time in the booth.

“Amazing, right? Forty years,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We always talk about the players grinding over 162-plus and everything that it takes, but Joe doing it for 40 years, I can't even imagine. Obviously he’s a very respected man and a great person. He brings joy to a lot of people here when he shows up.

“I always love talking to him in pregames. He’s always very positive about the organization, very real. And to do it for 40 years, it's a testament to who he is. I know everybody here is very proud of him. It's a great day for him, but it's a great day for us, too.”