General 8/30/2022 2:00:00 PM Omar Ricardo Aquije

Red Sox Radio Icon Began at Colgate

Now in his 40th season behind the Red Sox mic, Joe Castiglione ’68 called play-by-play for Colgate football and basketball as a history major

Joe Castiglione '68 was at a 50th anniversary reunion when a former classmate told him, "You're the guy who did exactly what he said he was going to do."

The former classmate was on the mark in describing Castiglione, who wanted to become a radio sports announcer from the moment he first set foot on the Colgate University campus.

Castiglione did more than that. A lot more.

Today, Castiglione is in his 40th season as the voice of Red Sox radio. He's a broadcasting icon, beloved by generations of Boston fans. His name has joined the likes of Wade Boggs and Pedro Martinez in the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

He wasn't equipped to play Division I or professional sports, so he pursued radio broadcasting. Growing up outside of New Haven, Conn., he discovered Colgate from following the Yale football team, which played the University each season.

When it was time for college, Colgate became his top choice after visiting the campus on a snowy January day.

Colgate did not have a radio or TV broadcast program. But it had a radio station and that was good enough for Castiglione.

"I thought it would be a good place to apply to," he said.

His major was history, a topic he had always enjoyed. At the time, first-year students rarely called games on the radio. Castiglione did the radio play-by-play for a few football games as a freshman. He had no experience but a hunger to learn.

Starting in his second year, he called every Colgate football game — home and away — until he graduated. He covered basketball, too. At the time, Colgate had a baseball team. Castiglione wanted to cover baseball, but the field lacked electricity, and radio gear could not run on batteries.

"I didn't have any coaching or mentoring because there were no courses or anyone who had done it before from a faculty standpoint, but I learned through trial and error and developed from there," Castiglione said.

"My main thrust was to do the games," he said. "I also did a DJ show at least once or twice a week. It was fun but it was also my vocation. I got a lot of experience doing these things. It was a big part of my preparation."

In addition to the radio station, Castiglione credited his liberal arts education for giving him the tools that helped him later on — like writing, research, and articulation. He recommends the same route for anyone interested in sports radio.

"The liberal arts background that I got was beneficial because it helped me articulate and be expressive and to describe what I see, which is what I do," he said. "It helped me with research and preparation. There's a lot of studying involved with what we do on radio because we're dealing with so many athletes.

"History helped me because I consider myself a baseball historian. All of that at Colgate was beneficial. I recommend the liberal arts background to students rather than majoring in TV. You could learn on the job how to edit video or shine a TV light."

As a Colgate student, he spent his summers working at radio stations in Connecticut and Massachusetts. He also worked at any local radio station that had an opening. After graduating from Colgate, he earned a master's at Syracuse University, where he continued working in radio.

His first taste of professional radio came when he joined WRUN in Utica. Lloyd Walsh, who did the play-by-play for Colgate football for 37 years, allowed Castiglione to work the third quarter.

Castiglione said some of his most memorable moments at Colgate happened behind the mic. For instance, Colgate was a major underdog in a football game against Army in 1965, and came away with a 29-28 victory at West Point.

Another highlight was the men's basketball team's triple overtime loss at home to Syracuse. He also fondly recalls playing rock and roll hits as a radio DJ, and his time as rush chairman of Alpha Delta Phi.

Colgate still has a special place in Castiglione's heart. In July, after visiting Cooperstown for David Ortiz's MLB Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Castiglione brought his granddaughters to Colgate to tour the campus.

While in Hamilton, Castiglione, who follows the Colgate basketball team, also had a visit with men's basketball Head Coach Matt Langel and Vice President and Director of Athletics Nicki Moore. He said the team has changed dramatically since his days as a student.

He also still talks about Colgate when he's on the air. His broadcast partner, Will Flemming, is a Stanford graduate. As the Colgate football team gears up for its season opener at Stanford, Castiglione and Flemming have traded jokes.

Castiglione said he never thought he'd last four decades behind the Red Sox mic. He's thankful for the support from the franchise, the owners, and his family.

It's a journey that began many years ago at Colgate.

"It was a springboard for me to get into radio," he said of his Colgate experience. "It's a blessing that I was able to do that."

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