Photo Credit: New York Yankees Partnership. All Rights Reserved.

Interview with Yankees radio voice on WFAN.

 

Jordan: How would you say growing up in Philadelphia and being a sports fan propelled you to becoming a sports commentator?

Dave Sims: First off, Philly’s a great sports town and my father took me to games. He was working at the main post office in Philly. He was playing in a softball league, used to take me to Phillies games. Then he was the commissioner of the basketball league. There was always that, so I’d go we used to go see the Warriors when Wilt (Chamberlain) was there and then the Eagles are the Eagles so I’ve always been around it. I played organized football starting when I was 10, I was scared to death playing, I might have been 95 pounds I was playing with guys who were like 120 pounds they looked like they were the frickin Green Bay Packers and from there I started pretty much at football and baseball every year from probably 1964 till freshman year in college and I could play, I didn’t start but I played a hell of a lot of college football and baseball so I was good I knew I wasn’t going to be good enough to be a pro but the coach was telling me he says your really good, probably not going to make the pros but you may want to think about if you love sports that much get into writing it, or broadcasting it and that’s how it started.

Jordan: Do you have a favorite one of some of your first jobs you did early in your career such as The Philadelphia Inquirer, the New York Daily News, Satellite News Channel, SportsNight on WNBC or other?

Sims: Oh, all of them! Are you kidding! Those gigs are awesome, fantastic, incredible opportunities and then when you figure about the dirth of guys that look like me, black Americans getting jobs like that.

Jordan: You were a radio host for the New York Knicks from 1986-1993. How did you enjoy that, being a radio host for the New York Knickerbockers?

Sims: Yeah, it was great. I sat next to the visiting team bench, so I would see all the strategies, I’d see it all I’d feel it, I’d feel the energy. And all the great personalities in the NBA. That was during the Doc (Julius Erving), Magic (Johnson), Larry (Bird), Michael (Jordan), era and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). I got to see all of those guys literally up close and personal and it was great and I think one of my favorite moments was when Wilt was promoting his book they booked him on our halftime of a game and he was so much fun, so engaging, charming the whole thing and that was such a cool moment it was way beyond now we’re talking about American icons. That was probably my favorite moment in doing that gig.

Jordan: Do you have a favorite moment in all the years you commentated NCAA games?

Sims: Probably George Mason upsetting Connecticut in ’06 is probably the biggest. There was a great game when Rick Pitino was in Louisville, they were getting milked by West Virginia we were in the pit in Albuquerque and they came back with a furious second half rally to win in 2005. Another one when Rick was still at Louisville and he beat Billy Donovan to get to the Final Four and Billy was at Florida.

Jordan: There have only been 24 perfect games in the history of Major League Baseball. You were fortunate enough to call two of them in one season in 2012; one pitched Philip Humber, and a second thrown by Félix Hernández. How neat was that?

Sims: It was great, no question about it as a baseball fan unbelievable luck. It was a great thrill, Fox was the network game because the Yankees-Red Sox was the main game then when it got down to the last 3 or 4 outs they finally came to us and that was the one in April with Philip Humber. Then Félix Hernández in August, that was more exciting because it was our guy, working for the Mariners, he was unique and if he had had some run support he probably would have won about 50 more games than he would have won that was a thrill for Seattle and still hungry for a World Series bid that hasn’t come and last year they were 8 outs away and it didn’t work. It’s a great baseball town and hopefully at some point it will happen for them.

Jordan: Your name is mentioned in the same sentence as Mel Allen, Red Barber, Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer, Bill White, John Sterling. How does that feel to be mentioned among those iconic greats?

Sims: It’s exciting, it’s pretty amazing! You come to work every day, you do your job and things have worked out to be in this position and I appreciate it. I’m very thankful for it. I’ve worked hard I wish my parents and grandparents were around to see it and I’m proud of it. I don’t go around shove it in people’s faces but when it comes up in conversation and when you sit down and you look at it it’s very cool and it’s very exciting.

Jordan: What would say you are most proud of in your career?

Sims: I set out a path and I was able to and get on that path and stay on it and get to this level. Dreams do come true but you got to put in the time, you got to have some breaks and when the situations happen when the door opens you got to go through and make the most of it.