Metuchen native Tom Cheche is the author of 'Exit 10, A Sporting Life Just Off the Jersey Turnpike.' It's a baseball book that 'chronicles his improbable and hilarious journey from teenage sports geek to professional sports reporter, navigating through adolescence in suburban New Jersey in the 1960s with his three accomplices--the instigator, the athlete and the saxophone player--a lunatic Gang of Four sports crazies.'
Tom will be at The Raconteur on Saturday evening August 15th - 8pm to talk about and his book and how his experiences here cultivated his love for the game (and his smarts) into a successful career as a sports reporter and writer. We asked him a few questions about the Metuchen-details of his life:
What year did you graduate from Metuchen high? And on what street did you grow-up?
I graduated with the class of '65 and grew up on
Did any particular teacher or coach or class start you on your journey?
I had great affection for many of the teachers - Mr. Cossell, gym teacher and track coach; Mr. Ziznewski, a very humorous man who made history a class to look forward to; and the beloved Mr. Jerome Hurley, the heart and sol of Footlighters.
Still friends with any of your hometown buddies?
I have remained friends to one degree or another with many of my closest high school friends. Alas, all of them live far from the east coast.
Metuchen has a great baseball history and it's still a big sport among the kids and adults - what is it about baseball in Metuchen???
I hope that is the case! One of the things I mourn in the book is the apparent disappearance of the after school pick-up game, all across
And, of course, we had a terrific Little League program. My Dad built the original clubhouse on
What has it meant to have a career in sports?
In the early days of my career I had the great fortune to meet, cover, and get to know many great (and not so great) athletes and sports "heroes". Over time, I was fortunate to be present and up, very close, to some very memorable events. It has made for some wonderful memories.
Any advice to kids looking for a future in sports?
The world of media has changed dramatically since I entered the business. The options are much fewer for people trying to get into the business, at least through the route that I took. There are fewer newspapers, with fewer employees, and fewer radio stations have real news-gathering newsrooms. All of this means there are fewer avenues for a novice to get a foot in the door.
The biggest piece of advice I could give is to make friends along the way - network, network, network. Getting that first job...anywhere...is the challenge. After that, network. After talking my way into my first, part time radio job, every other job I ever had in the business was the result of networking, not through the traditional process of applying for an advertised opening.
From Tom's bio:
'Tom's broadcast career began in the 1970's at WJLK in Asbury Park, NJ then at WBRW in Somerville and UPI Radio, earning awards for sports reporting, including his coverage of the 1973 Indianapolis 500. He worked for Associated Press Radio, Mutual Sports, and Motor Racing Network, winning multiple awards from the Eastern Motorsports Press Association,
While News Director at WPOC radio in Baltimore he was president of the Chesapeake AP Broadcasters Association, and motor sports columnist for the Baltimore Sun from 1976-1986, where his broadcast and print reporting won numerous awards.'
This book was GREAT! Looking forward to meeting Tom. Even if you can't make it for his whole talk, stop by the store and pick up a copy.