Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
No baseball makes for strange time for Palmer
4/24/2020 5:00:00 PM | General
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Usually at this time of year, Middle Tennessee's baseball team is gearing up for its final stretch run towards the Conference USA tournament.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of all spring sports, the Blue Raiders had to put down their gloves and bats, but that's not the only equipment that's been put on the shelf right now.
Longtime radio voice Dick Palmer has also had to put down his headphones for the first time in decades.
"It's been a little boring, to tell you the truth," Palmer said. "It's kind of exasperating. I've been watching reruns, particularly of the Braves … but it's not the same.
"Young people who are working from home still have something to do. Us retired folks, we don't have a lot to do all day."
Palmer, 81, is a legend in the Tennessee sports radio circle, as evidenced by the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame giving him a lifetime achievement award in 2018.
A Murfreesboro native since he was in the second grade and MTSU Class of 1960 graduate, Palmer has called football, basketball and baseball at his alma mater since 1981, including games for the baseball team since 2005.
Some of his other jobs in radio include being the voice of the Memphis Blues Class AA baseball team, the Memphis Pros (later the Tams) in the American Basketball Association and the Memphis Grizzlies in the World Football League. He also co-hosted the first sports call-in show in Nashville during the mid-70s, was the studio host for Vol Network Football broadcasts for five years and has called the TSSAA basketball state tournament on the Tennessee Sports Radio Network every year since 1982 (except for this year, since, like almost everything, the tournament was cancelled).
Maybe more importantly, Palmer has been a mentor for some of the area's most notable sports radio voices, including current MTSU broadcaster Chip Walters.
"I got to know Dick during my first semester in college in 1981 … and over time we have become very good friends," Walters said. "He's done it at every level, from high school to college to professionally, and he's been good at every level for an awfully long time.
"To be a colleague and to work around him as he's continued to do it for almost 40 years at Middle, I hope when I reach that level of seniority I'm able to do it as good and as strong as he's done it."
Palmer's first foray into radio was as a fresh college graduate in the early 1960s. He spent a few years working in Jackson, Tennessee, and Memphis, calling everything from little league baseball to high school and junior high sports and even basketball games for Union University.
In more than 50 years of sports broadcasting, Palmer maybe hasn't had a more difficult few weeks than a few recently.
Coupled with the lack of sports to watch — mainly, in Palmer's case, his beloved Atlanta Braves — was the death of longtime Middle Tennessee baseball coach and a dear friend of Palmer's, Steve Peterson, on March 11.
"Coach Pete worked a game with me about a week before he passed away," Palmer said. "I think we had a walk off win, and he was at his best and was so happy about the win. In fact, after the game, he paid me a compliment that I will always cherish.
"He was just a great person and a great friend. He and I fished together at times, and not only was he a great coach and a great person, but he was a great fisherman."
Without having Middle Tennessee sports and the Braves to keep him occupied, Palmer, like many other sports fans, has reverted to watching and listening to reruns. That includes some games he's called.
"I've enjoyed some of the replays of Blue Raiders games WGNS has aired," he said. "I like to listen to critique the broadcasts. I'll listen and think, 'Well, that was a dumb thing to say.' … Being in the business for so long, it just comes natural when you're listening to yourself and other broadcasters."
Even with decades of experience, Palmer still shows why he's a legend in sports radio and why his peers look up to him so much.
Even in his 80s, he's still putting in the work to get better, and his love for Middle Tennessee has never wavered.
"I thought at one time I wanted to do professional sports, and I did for a few years when I was in Memphis, but this is a little closer to home," Palmer said. "When I go to the hall of fame induction every year and see those former athletes, it probably means a little more to me than for someone who wasn't brought up here.
"Getting to work with some of the coaches and players I've gotten to work with … that's been the best part of the business, for me."
Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of all spring sports, the Blue Raiders had to put down their gloves and bats, but that's not the only equipment that's been put on the shelf right now.
Longtime radio voice Dick Palmer has also had to put down his headphones for the first time in decades.
"It's been a little boring, to tell you the truth," Palmer said. "It's kind of exasperating. I've been watching reruns, particularly of the Braves … but it's not the same.
"Young people who are working from home still have something to do. Us retired folks, we don't have a lot to do all day."
Palmer, 81, is a legend in the Tennessee sports radio circle, as evidenced by the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame giving him a lifetime achievement award in 2018.
A Murfreesboro native since he was in the second grade and MTSU Class of 1960 graduate, Palmer has called football, basketball and baseball at his alma mater since 1981, including games for the baseball team since 2005.
Some of his other jobs in radio include being the voice of the Memphis Blues Class AA baseball team, the Memphis Pros (later the Tams) in the American Basketball Association and the Memphis Grizzlies in the World Football League. He also co-hosted the first sports call-in show in Nashville during the mid-70s, was the studio host for Vol Network Football broadcasts for five years and has called the TSSAA basketball state tournament on the Tennessee Sports Radio Network every year since 1982 (except for this year, since, like almost everything, the tournament was cancelled).
Maybe more importantly, Palmer has been a mentor for some of the area's most notable sports radio voices, including current MTSU broadcaster Chip Walters.
"I got to know Dick during my first semester in college in 1981 … and over time we have become very good friends," Walters said. "He's done it at every level, from high school to college to professionally, and he's been good at every level for an awfully long time.
"To be a colleague and to work around him as he's continued to do it for almost 40 years at Middle, I hope when I reach that level of seniority I'm able to do it as good and as strong as he's done it."
Palmer's first foray into radio was as a fresh college graduate in the early 1960s. He spent a few years working in Jackson, Tennessee, and Memphis, calling everything from little league baseball to high school and junior high sports and even basketball games for Union University.
In more than 50 years of sports broadcasting, Palmer maybe hasn't had a more difficult few weeks than a few recently.
Coupled with the lack of sports to watch — mainly, in Palmer's case, his beloved Atlanta Braves — was the death of longtime Middle Tennessee baseball coach and a dear friend of Palmer's, Steve Peterson, on March 11.
"Coach Pete worked a game with me about a week before he passed away," Palmer said. "I think we had a walk off win, and he was at his best and was so happy about the win. In fact, after the game, he paid me a compliment that I will always cherish.
"He was just a great person and a great friend. He and I fished together at times, and not only was he a great coach and a great person, but he was a great fisherman."
Without having Middle Tennessee sports and the Braves to keep him occupied, Palmer, like many other sports fans, has reverted to watching and listening to reruns. That includes some games he's called.
"I've enjoyed some of the replays of Blue Raiders games WGNS has aired," he said. "I like to listen to critique the broadcasts. I'll listen and think, 'Well, that was a dumb thing to say.' … Being in the business for so long, it just comes natural when you're listening to yourself and other broadcasters."
Even with decades of experience, Palmer still shows why he's a legend in sports radio and why his peers look up to him so much.
Even in his 80s, he's still putting in the work to get better, and his love for Middle Tennessee has never wavered.
"I thought at one time I wanted to do professional sports, and I did for a few years when I was in Memphis, but this is a little closer to home," Palmer said. "When I go to the hall of fame induction every year and see those former athletes, it probably means a little more to me than for someone who wasn't brought up here.
"Getting to work with some of the coaches and players I've gotten to work with … that's been the best part of the business, for me."
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