ESPN Senior Writer Ryan McGee Returns to Asheville for Opening Day
ASHEVILLE- ESPN Senior Writer Ryan McGee will toss the Ceremonial First Pitch on Opening Day (April 6) at McCormick Field and provide guest play-by-play commentary on the Asheville Tourists Radio Network.
ASHEVILLE- ESPN Senior Writer Ryan McGee will toss the Ceremonial First Pitch on Opening Day (April 6) at McCormick Field and provide guest play-by-play commentary on the Asheville Tourists Radio Network.
The former Asheville Tourists intern will return to McCormick Field to promote his brand-new book, "Welcome to the Circus of Baseball". McGee will be signing copies of the book throughout the game.
"Welcome to the Circus of Baseball" can be purchased by fans in the Tourists Trap on Opening Day.
About the Book
A gloriously funny, nostalgic memoir of a popular ESPN reporter who, in the summer of 1994, was a fresh-out-of-college intern for a minor league baseball team. Madness and charm ensue as Ryan McGee spends the season steeped in sweat, fertilizer, nacho cheese sauce, and pure, unadulterated joy in North Carolina with the Asheville Tourists.
About Ryan McGee
Ryan McGee is a senior writer for ESPN and cohost of Marty & McGee on ESPN radio and the SEC network. He has won five Sports Emmys, including two for his scriptwriting and feature work on College GameDay. McGee has authored several books, including cowriting the New York Times bestseller, Racing to the Finish, with NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. He also works as a field reporter for ESPN’s SportsCenter, and as a feature reporter for E:60. McGee lives in North Carolina with his family.
“I can't wait to get back to McCormick Field,” said McGee. “My first visit was back in the 1980's at the old ballpark, a kid riding up with my family from Travelers Rest, SC. I loved it so much. When I was commuting to college in Knoxville I would stop by for a few innings and even snagged a ticket from the last game in the old park. All I could think was, 'Man, how great would it be to work here?' So, when the legend Ron McKee offered me a $100 a week internship in 1994, I jumped at the chance. The experience was even better than I could have hoped. Now I've taken my daughter to McCormick a few times over the years, driving up from Charlotte. That's called raising them right!”
The Tourists open the 2023 season on Thursday, April 6 at 6:35pm ET against the back-to-back defending league champion Bowling Green Hot Rods. Tickets for Opening Day are currently available online at TheAshevilleTourists.com or by calling (828) 258-0428.