I played sports growing up and went to Notre Dame on a tennis scholarship. While I was a resident physician in 1978, I began covering St. Petersburg Catholic High School football games where my siblings and I went to school. I also did free sports physicals for all their sport's teams until 2017 -35years! I was the team doctor for the Tampa Bay Windjammers semi-pro basketball team at the Bayfront Center for two years in the '80's.
Tampa Bay Lightning- I started in a four-man rotation when the new team moved from the Florida Fairgrounds to the ThunderDome in St. Pete in 1992. I then became the Head Medical Team Doctor through 2002. A lot of suturing for both home and visiting players including a skate blade to the face in practice at the ThunderDome where I put in 97 sutures.
Then came the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. I organized a group of St. Anthony's doctors to cover the potential team. I first talked to the San Francisco Giants ownership when they were considering relocating to St. Pete, then to Vince Naimoli when he was trying to bring a team here. Eventually, we had meetings and we were made the doctors for the minor league teams. Two years later, we were confirmed for the major league team. I was appointed the Head Medical Team Doctor and Doctors Jim Andrews, William Carson and Koco Eaton made up the Orthopedic Team Doctors. I covered 90% of the games, arriving a half hour before each game and staying an hour after. We held physicals in the spring and occasionally traveled with the team to Japan, Venezuela, playoffs and yes, a World Series in 2008. I was with the team a total of 23 years, until 2018.
I enjoy lasting relationships with players, administrators, coaches, trainers, clubhouse staff and Tropicana employees.
