Jim Devitt's Blog, page 6

Behind-The-Scenes at Giants Stadium and Governor's Island for Liberty Weekend

Opening Ceremonies Dress Rehearsal
In 1986, as the renovation completed on the Statue of Liberty for her 100th birthday, a group known as the College All-American Marching Band or Liberty Band for short, spent twelve plus hours a day rehearsing and practicing. 

76 Trombones at Giants Stadium

We spent the first six days with the full band, indoors and outdoors, working on our routines and music. The practices were grueling and in intense heat. Ambulances lined the field and were called to action six times to transport band members to the hospital. By the time we reached the last few days of practice, my lips were cracked and bleeding. I laid off on the playing toward the end to save up for the actual performances. Fortunately, I healed in time!   


As we neared the performance weekend, we rehearsed in the two venues, Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands and Governor's Island off Manhattan. Most nights, we would return to the dorms at three in the morning and be back at it 7:00 am. 

Break Time during Closing Ceremonies rehearsalWe traveled by police escort all throughout the region. I'm sure there were plenty of New Yorkers that weren't too happy about that! Governor's Island hosted the Opening Ceremonies. Security was tight each time we traveled to the Island. President Ronald Reagan and President Mitterand from France would attend the ceremony and relight the Statue of Liberty. 

The main stage with waterfalls in Giants Stadium
As we moved to the venues for rehearsal, you could feel the Hollywood production come to life. DavidWolper, famous for such works as Roots, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original)and producer of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games, was the Executive Producer for Liberty Weekend. Every part the Liberty Band participated in was scripted down to the minute. As we neared the Liberty weekend, the excitement grew. The band came together, the music got tight and we realized we were part of something big. 

We rehearsed with the Manhattan Transfer, Shirley MacClaine, Elizabeth Taylor, Gerry Mulligan, The Tempations, Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Gene Kelly, Liza Minelli, The Pointer Sisters, and more.   My friend Deb Silver with a moment of reflection the night before the Opening Ceremony










By July 3rd, we were riding on fumes. But it didn't matter, because this was going to be the show of the century. 
Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

Arriving in New York to Rehearse For the Liberty Weekend Celebration

After my selection to the Liberty Band, I arrived in New York with eyes as big as saucers. I couldn't believe that I was about to take part in such a huge event. 
Our home away from home for the next two weeks was William Patterson College in New Jersey. We stayed in the dorms and used their facilities for rehearsals.

The first time our group of squad leaders played together, I was in awe. What a talented group of musicians—I certainly didn't feel worthy. However, our group of about twelve leaders knew we were a part of something special. We bonded instantly. Those few days before the band arrived, was like something out of a movie. 
The view on the way to Governor's Island

Music legends like Wynton Marsalis and Quincy Jones stopped by to work with us. This was just the beginning of an unbelievable "Hollywood" experience. The night before the rest of the band arrived, we took off to Manhattan for the first time and played tourist. We hit some of the major sites in what would become our last free time on the trip. Hanging with fellow squad leaders


The next day, our grueling schedule kicked in—twelve-hour days of playing and learning the routines. The mercury hit as high as 105 degrees. During our first trombone sectional, the 76 trombones began with scales to warm up. I dropped my instrument down as I listened to the most remarkable sound ever. I got chills. It was the sweetest sound I've ever heard. The power and quality of this group blew me away—and that was just the trombones!

After a week of practicing at William Patterson College, we finally were ready to go onsite for rehearsals. The Meadowlands, the site of the Closing Ceremonies and Governor's Island, the site of the Opening Ceremonies were the two main venues where we would perform in front of a national television audience. In my next post I'll share some behind-the-scenes pictures as we prepped to perform in front of an international audience.

Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

Liberty Weekend and The College All-American Marching Band

This is a fun time of the year. Summer is officially digging in and Fourth of July is just around the corner. Years ago, back in 1986 to be exact, the Statue of Liberty enjoyed a special Fourth of July weekend. After 100 years of salt water and weather wearing away at her exterior, Lady Liberty underwent an extensive facelift. 

The re-dedication party lasted from July 3rd through the 6th, with a series of concerts, performances, fireworks and celebrities. The television network, ABC, bid on exclusive rights to the production and they did not disappoint. 

So what does all this have to do with me? 
In the Spring of 1986, I was selected as a member of the College All-American Marching Band that performed at the Centennial Celebration of the Statue of Liberty. 

This 500 member marching band was complete with 76 trombones! It would be my first trip to New York City that I would remember (I was there when I was four, that doesn't count.) Kim Stevens joined me in representing Washington State University. If that wasn't good enough, I found out I was also selected as a squad leader for the Liberty Band. 
As squad leader, I flew out to New York a week prior to the arrival of the band to learn the routines and music so that I could help teach the rest of the band upon their arrival.

This was another whirlwind of an opportunity in my young life. I put baseball on hold for about three weeks as I jetted to the Big Apple for another experience of a lifetime. 
Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

Old School Wazzu

I ran across this program that I had from Homecoming 1949, back in the Washington State College Days ... and no, I wasn't going to Wazzu then.

After reading through the magazine, I realized that the focus on drinking and women were not a modern day invention.


 I got a kick out of the New Holland Library "Under Construction." The future site of the Holland Beach snow picture.





Pretty good photo shop job for 1949! Hey, did he just turn a page?










 Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

School Newspaper Picks Up Story

Here's another bit of media that was a result of my selection as Batboy for the Seattle Mariners. This was published in the Auburn High School Troy Invoice school newspaper. Enjoy! 



Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

New Reviews for The Card!

There's been a bunch of new reviews of THE CARD (A Van Stone Novel) in the past couple of weeks!

Here's a few excerpts from readers of The Card:

"Baseball fans will love the details of the major league locker room while teens and adults might enjoy the mystery elements." Joel S. Frady

"This is a great story for baseball fans of any age and excellent as a YA novel with great characters." Billie Zahurak

"... the suspense that built up as the plot unfolded was quite captivating. A very good read!!"   Reading Ron

"This was a very good book that I didn't want to put down ... " Susan Fay

"I'll be looking for more Van Stone Novels!" Sherri Johnson

"... the writing was good, and the conclusion was surprising. Good choice if you want a quick read and like mysteries." Sharon Storm "sports fan"

Life Will Be Better if You Look to The Stars

Star Trail Facing Polaris (North Star) Photo Credit: Jim Devitt at 12 yrs oldSometimes we need a break. We need to stop watching TV, stop surfing the internet, stop writing, and stop shopping online. Tonight, do that. Go outside and look up at the universe. 
When was the last time you looked up at the night sky?
I've always been fascinated with space exploration and the universe. I grew up surrounded by the space program and have always had my eyes toward the stars. Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space and did so before I entered the world. I also missed the first US Astronaut, Alan Shepard, and his fifteen-minute flight into space.
Photo Credit: Jim Devitt
Thirteen days before I was born, President John F. Kennedy challenged American's to send a man to the moon and back safely. Even though these events occurred before I was born, I have always had a passion about space. The early days of the Mercury-Redstone and Gemini programs are all just memories passed on by history lessons or from my Dad working with those programs.
It wasn't until the Apollo program that I can recall personal memories. We had long afternoons with family and friends, playing with Horseshoe Crabs on the shore of the Indian River waiting for the launch of the Saturn V. I remember watching in awe on television as Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon. Back in those days, going to school in the shadow of Kennedy Space Center, the classroom lessons stopped as they rolled out TV's to watch an Apollo launch. I remember shouting with my classmates as we watched Apollo XII get Apollo 17 Emblem on a Postmarked Cardstruck by lightning. I can remember like yesterday, the final launch of the moon missions, Apollo XVII, a severely delayed launch that turned night to day.
I've had a telescope since I can remember, and believe it or not, I still have the same one today. I've seen planets, nebulae, comets and more through those lenses, and now I get to share that with my own five-year old son, using the same telescope that I used as a child. Truth be told, I would love a new and better telescope, but, there's something to be said for my old one. I have the original paperwork and Moon maps. Those things existed before humans ever touched the moon.
Nearly every night, I step out and look up at the universe. There's something healing and energizing about looking up to the heavens. Today, my family and I live back in the birthplace of space exploration, the Space Coast of Florida. The stars are magnificent at night. Take time, wherever you are, and look up at the night sky. 
No matter what you do in life, life will be better if you take a few moments and look to the stars. 

Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. Tonight, you might find him gazing at the stars. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

How Baseball Began (in my Eyes)

Many people ask if I was a baseball fan before becoming a batboy. In fact, my earliest memory of sports was attending a New York Mets baseball game in Shea stadium. I was somewhere between three and four years old, about the same age of the Mets when I saw them. Way before the Miracle Met's of 1969. It didn't matter to me who won or lost.
Inaugral Season Schedule and Win/Loss outcome
I can still remember walking into the stadium, through the concourse and out into the stands. My eyes grew wide taking in the sheer size of the stadium and the beautiful green grass contrasting sharply with the orange clay of the infield. From that moment on, I was in awe of stadiums. You can read a bit more about that here where I talk about my experiences in theKingdome. I remember sitting at the game with a big orange, metal bar in my face. You wouldn't find that in stadiums of today! Yep, way back in 1964 during a sunny afternoon in Queens, NY, this three-year old fell in love with baseball.
Ticket stub from the inaugural season - only $1.50 for a seat!The funny thing is, I grew up in an area without baseball. Naturally, since the first game I had seen was the New York Mets, they were my favorite team. By the time we moved to Seattle, the American League awarded the city a franchise. I followed the expansion draft and every move the club made. Once the inaugural season began, I listened to most games on the radio and caught a few on TV or in person.  Source Wikimedia Commons:
One of the owners of the Seattle ball club was Danny Kaye of White Christmas and Hans Christian Andersenfame. He brought an ever present awareness to youth in his brief tenure with the Mariners. “Children are the world’s most valuable natural resource,” Kaye said. “All you have to do is hold out a hand and embrace a child and you will have a lifelong ally.”
It's not often that the owner of a Major League franchise would have an impact on any high school kid, but for some reason, I was attracted to what he stood for. I had no idea at the time, but he would become one of the most memorable people that I would ever meet while working in baseball, and maybe in life.
I was a baseball geek to the end. I devoured the box score ever day, knew all the stats and even recorded every win and loss on the schedule/calendar seen above. Matter of fact, the main reason I entered the essay contest to become batboy two years later, was because I would get four box seats, just for entering.
Little did I know how my life would change.  


  Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

This was a Long Time Ago

Here's living proof that my Batboy days were a long time ago. 

Besides the fact the smoking was allowed in the dugout, players chewed tobacco endlessly and the snack rack in the clubhouse resembled a

Last week, I reported that I was paid $6 per game. I was wrong. As I dug through a box of memorabilia, I found some old pay stubs from the Mariners. I was actually paid $8 per game. That's 25% more than I remembered!

If you break that down into an hourly wage, it was just over a dollar and hour. As I've said before, I didn't do this for the money.


Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

Local Boy Hits it Big!

The Paparazzi was on hand during my rookie night in the Big Leagues. 

This feature came out in my local hometown newspaper. I had no idea that it was going to be such a big spread.   Even at a young age, comments can be taken out of context. "Jim admitted to some second thoughts about the bat boy job." WHAT!!  
Enjoy some memories of my first night on the job! Try not to laugh too hard :)



 Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!