When longtime Grizzlies radio announcer Doug Greenwald had a sudden cancellation for a simulcast announcing partner earlier this week, a familiar face came to mind for a replacement.
"Someone who could draw from all sorts of decades - where I can't, he could. And he could share that with everybody," Doug Greenwald said.
"For some strange reason I was invited by my son, Doug, who in an act of great generosity asked me to join him," former SF Giants radio announcer Hank Greenwald said.
Of course the term "replacement" can only be used in the loosest sense of the word. Hank Greenwald is Doug's father and the former radio voice of the San Francisco Giants for 16 seasons before retiring in 1996.
"When the players start calling you 'sir' and when you look at the scoreboard and you think 'is that a three or an eight?' Those are the hints that maybe you've seen one game too many," Hank Greenwald said.
Father and son had worked together before on radio
"I've sat in with him on games before and apparently it has not adversely affected his reputation," Hank Greenwald said.
But Tuesday night's television appearance was a first, and Doug said it special meaning to his father.
"It is viewed not only in Fresno but viewed in San Francisco, viewed all over the Bay Area, all over Northern California, and area that obviously got to see him a lot with the Giants," Doug said.
The Greenwald duo worked together flawlessly during the game, and Doug says his dad even resisted the opportunity offer a critique on his announcing.
But never one to pull and punches, Hank Greenwald couldn't resist the ultimate compliment from any father to his son.
"Everyone says he sounds like me. So whoever has an opinion on how I sound will be able to figure out if he's any good or not. But as a son he's the best," Hank said.
