You’ve probably heard Mike Monaco broadcast a game before, whether it be collegiate or professional. Since debuting with the Big Ten Network in 2017 and later joining ESPN and NESN in 2019, Monaco has called hundreds of games across various sports. His impressive résumé includes calling the College World Series, NCAA football, basketball, and hockey, NHL playoffs, and MLB games for the Boston Red Sox.

Monaco, now as decorated as anyone in the industry, got his first opportunity to call baseball games in 2013. “I had a college friend at Notre Dame who mentioned that his brother had been a broadcaster in the Cape League,” Monaco explained. “I looked into it, reached out to a bunch of teams, and the great Tom Gay of the [Wareham] Gatemen got back to me and gave me an opportunity.”

From there, Monaco took off as the Gatemen’s lead play-by-play broadcaster. He traveled around Cape Cod calling all of their games and really came into his own that summer. “You're on the air every day, so you keep getting a chance to improve and get better,” he said.

Monaco admits he “was a little shy as a broadcaster when [he] first got there and certainly didn’t leave as a finished product.” However, he added, “I think I learned more and more how to find my voice, to be confident on the air, and to be willing to tell stories.”

Broadcasting a game and understanding the intricacies of multimedia weren’t the only things Monaco learned in the Cape League. Like executives, interns, and fans alike, he witnessed firsthand the dynamics of teams, player-coach relationships, and what being around a team everyday entails.

“Another thing in terms of learning, I got an understanding of how a baseball team and a clubhouse, the interpersonal relationships within that, work.”

A challenge that Monaco has been vocal about, one he faced early on in his career, was being relatively quiet while doing play-by-play. He even called it being shy, since he wasn’t as comfortable bringing the energy he’s known for now.

His solution was simple: “Whatever sport it is, I just try to be in it as if I were playing, as if I were a die-hard fan of those teams.” He emphasized the importance of being emotionally invested in the game because you owe it to the athletes’ friends and family to give your best.

“It really matters to the players, the coaches, and their loved ones. It really matters to them.”

During his time with Wareham in 2013 and 2014, Monaco only had to focus on the Gatemen. A decade later, his scope has broadened significantly. Monaco now does play-by-play for the Boston Red Sox, various NHL games, and a plethora of college sports.

Monaco said Notre Dame was the first place where he truly branched out. “I was always taught to not say no to an opportunity,” he said. “I was afforded the chance to do sports I hadn't done before in some cases, and that’s right in line with how I grew up as a sports fan.”

From a young age, Monaco watched any sport that was on, whether he played it or not. This became a key factor in his versatility as a broadcaster because he’s always been knowledgeable in many areas of the sports world.

Monaco talks about how he’s learned so much about sports he wasn’t as invested in at first; “watching a lot of previous games or matches, listening to what announcers are talking about, reading a lot of articles about the sport, and listening to podcasts to hear how the sport and its stars are being discussed” are all ways he familiarizes himself with whatever sport he’s broadcasting.

Baseball, the sport Monaco has called the most, has taught him valuable lessons dating back to his time in Wareham. “There’s always something new you can learn about players, but even about the sport as a whole,” he said. This was true while he was doing play-by-play for the Gatemen, and it’s still true now that he’s doing play-by-play for the Red Sox.

“Whether you know the sport really well or it’s newer to you, you can always be continuously improving.”

He recalls one of his favorite memories from his first summer on the Cape, watching current Philadelphia Phillie Kyle Schwarber. The first game after Schwarber returned from Team USA, Monaco remembers “[they] were playing at Y-D. He had a multi-hit game and a big home run late.”

Eight years later, Schwarber was traded to the Boston Red Sox. Seeing a player he watched in Wareham get traded to the MLB team he worked for was a full-circle moment. Of all the players he’s called in the Cape League, that’s one of the reasons Schwarber stands out to him.

Despite his busy schedule and national recognition, Wareham still holds a special place in Monaco’s heart. “Everyone in Wareham was above and beyond,” he said. “I loved the people I worked with and have remained close with coaches and friends in the organization.”

The Cohasset, MA native has now become one of the most talented broadcasters in the country. His ability to reach an audience in virtually any realm of the sports world is no easy feat, but Monaco’s experience and work ethic have made it possible.

Like so many in the sports industry, his start came in the Cape League. “The Cape League was phenomenal for me and provided amazing opportunities to get my first real introduction to broadcasting,” Monaco said. His career is a reminder that many start with a single opportunity, one he received in Wareham 11 years ago, and he’s now at the top of the broadcasting world.

Photos courtesy of Mike Monaco