Charleston has PA man on the move

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- By his own admission, Charleston RiverDogs public address announcer Ken Carrington is an easily distracted man.

"My asset is my liability," he said, amidst making preparations for Wednesday's game between the RiverDogs and Lexington Legends. "I have the attention span of a gnat, but in the short period of time that I'm talking to you, I'm all yours."

And this is precisely what makes Carrington one of the unique -- and most accomplished -- announcers in all of Minor League baseball. He spends each and every evening roaming the stadium, rarely standing in the same spot for long, while handling both public address and on-field MC duties. Within the span of 10 minutes, one can witness him announcing batters as they come to the plate (multi-syllabic designated hitter Kyle Higashioka seems to be a particular favorite these days), shouting out a sponsor's name after every foul ball, enthusiastically recommending particular concession items (Pig On A Stick!) and refereeing an on-field contest from atop the home dugout.

A peripatetic Georgia native now in his ninth season with the team, Carrington came to the RiverDogs after a stint with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The team wasn't initially receptive to his pleas to do his job from the stands, but finally granted him a trial run during a 2003 homestand.

"Once I showed that I could do it, I never went back to the booth," he said. "At the very least, it seems to keep the sound guys around longer."

Carrington, who now works full-time for the RiverDogs as a video production coordinator, never seems to be at a loss when it comes to ways to occupy his time. He's a magician, stand-up comic and enthusiastic player and promoter of the bagpipe ("Highland Pipes," as he calls them, out of deference to the preferred Scottish terminology).

Carrington is also an accomplished sailor who has embarked on several trans-Atlantic voyages, and he finds similarities between this hobby and his role with the RiverDogs.

"Working a game is a microcosm of trans-Atlantic sailing," he said. "You set your sails, wait for the wind to change and then adjust."

For Carrington, the greatest compliment he can receive is when people watch him in action and remark, "You've got the greatest job on Earth."

There's still one significant drawback, though.

"Things are so busy during a game, there's never a chance to go to the bathroom."

Not your typical RiverDog: Frankfurter aficionados would do well to visit "The Joe" (as Joseph P. Riley Ballpark is affectionately known). The "Dog World" concession stand features seven signature hot dogs, from the ½ pound "Homewrecker" to the one-of-a-kind "Pickle Dog" (in which a hollowed-out sour pickle is used as a bun). And freer-thinking fans can choose from more than a dozen toppings and construct their own.

But for sheer novelty's sake, nothing can top the "Elvis" -- a banana on a hot dog roll, topped with peanut butter and honey.

Welcome to the South Atlantic League: RiverDogs closer Mark Montgomery made his debut with the team on July 1, and in the process put together one of the most uncommon innings in professional baseball history. After surrendering a triple and a single, the 21-year-old right-hander proceeded to strike out five straight batters (two of whom reached on a wild pitch).

"I didn't recognize what had happened until afterward," said Montgomery, who has struck out 17 batters over just eight innings of work. "Thankfully, we got out of there with a win, and afterwards it was funny. We all thought it was kind of unusual."