From World-Herald
After 25 years of seeing College World Series games from the press boxes (old and new) at Rosenblatt Stadium, Jim Wright will be watching tonight at home in Indianapolis in his lounger.
Still the NCAA's director of statistics, Wright is stepping down after 25 years of volunteer service as the media coordinator at the CWS.
"I do believe this is much more of a young man's job," said Wright, 57. "This is a long event and you need to be on your toes for a couple of weeks. I was out here 20 days last year, and that's a long time to be away from your real job for a volunteer job - even if it is with the same company."
Wright said he and the volunteer staff of nine have always tried to be on the cutting edge of technology while doing everything possible to help media cover the event.
"A lot of people have been given credit for the success of the College World Series, and rightfully so," said Dennis Poppe, the NCAA's director of championships. "But the one who has gotten the least amount of credit who has done as much as anyone else to get this event to the level it's at
is Jim Wright."
Wright was honored on the field in a pre-game ceremony before Sunday night's game between Texas and Georgia.
Wright was an integral part in working with the city of Omaha in designing the new press box that was completed in 1996.
"He was involved with the planning, from the sight lines to whether or not the electrical outlets would be vertical or horizontal," Poppe said. "It was that kind of detail."
Wright was in Omaha for the first few days of this year's CWS to help smooth the transition for his successor, Dave Worlock, a member of his staff at the NCAA.
"I had been thinking about this the last couple of years," Wright said. "I had been noticing, getting back from Omaha, I was kind of exhausted. It was still fun, but getting back, your real-job duties are piling up."
Most of the headaches come early in the series. Wright said he and Worlock were up until 4 a.m. Thursday morning devising the press box seating chart for the record of more than 800 requesting credentials. He then began providing assistance as media arrived later that day. Once the games start, the difficulties usually surface in the first couple of days.
Wright first asked if he could help at the CWS when he joined the NCAA in 1975, and he has been coming to Omaha every year since 1979.
When the NCAA relocated from Kansas City, Mo., to Indianapolis in 1999, Wright was able to get closer to his hometown of Connersville, Ind. But it also meant he didn't drive up to the series with Poppe any longer.
"Those were good times," Poppe said. "Those were the days where there weren't any cell phones, and we did a lot of day dreaming on those trips. We planned autograph sessions, things with the press box, things in the opening ceremonies, possible formats . . . I think we'd be surprised if we sat down and thought about all the things we came up with on those drives."
Those innovations will continue at Rosenblatt, even though Wright won't be there.
"I'll only be a cell phone call away," Wright said. "But Dave has a good crew and they know how to do this job."