Jim Mitchell was a weekend news anchor at WBZ News Radio for the past ten years. Always the first to arrive and always the last to leave. Always a calming force in what is often a sea of commotion as newsrooms tend to become.
Jim was a resident of Warner, NH for the past twelve years. Along with his sister, Katharine, Jim owned and operated Main Street Bookends, a quaint, neighborhood bookstore that was a Yankee Magazine 'must see' in the Granite State. It was in the bookstore that Jim drew his final breath, succumbing to a heart attack at the age of 58.
There wasn't a topic or locale that was foreign to Jim. His time in the service allowed him to travel, especially when he had leave. He's hop a ride on a plane headed to somewhere and return to his base after a few days, wiser and richer in his knowledge of our world and its inhabitants. Many times a co-worker would say that they were going on a vacation to Europe and Jim would always inquire which country so that he might offer a tip on a hotel, restaurant, museum, etc.
I think back to when Jim and I were talking about my father's time in the Air Force. My father was stationed at Beale Air Force Base in Marysville, California. Brand spanking new at the time. So new, most of the enlisted men lived in tents before barracks had been constructed. I had heard once that Beale was where the Stealth Bomber was built and I mentioned that to Jim and he looked at me with a glint in his eye and said, "Well, it wasn't built there", and then he smiled. A smile that spoke volumes about the information he possessed by was not about to share.
Military secrets were about the only thing Jim Mitchell did not share. He referred to his bottom drawer of his desk as his larder, where he kept all kinds of goodies; bottled water, canned fruit, plastic utensils, hot cocoa powder.
It was always open. To anyone and everyone. Jim never asked for money when it came time to re-stock. He just did it.
An unpretentious individual who, as Rudyard Kipling once wrote, could walk with Kings and not lose the common touch; where all people counted but none too much.
Look up the phrase 'consummate professional' in the dictionary. I'm guessing there is a picture of Jim alongside the definition.
I, like everyone who worked with Jim, am incredibly saddened by his untimely death. He was a presence in the newsroom that will be impossible to replace.
Probably because his presence will always be with us and will always be felt inside 1170 Soldiers Field Road.
2009 05 31 Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 2: Dustin Pedroia
Red Sox 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia with WBZ's Jon Miller following the team's 8-2 win over the Blue Jays in Toronto. Pedroia hit his 2nd home run of the season, a 3-run line drive into the left field foul pole.
Papelbon on Ramirez Suspension
Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon with WBZ's Jon Miller on the announced 50-game suspension of current Dodger and former Red Sox teammate Manny Ramirez for using a performance-enhancing drug.
CineSport 5.16.08 - Flyers Beat Penguins to Avoid Sweep; sports news highlights; CineSport Takes a Look at the Top Plays From the Week.; CineSport 5.15.08 - Orioles Sweep Two Game Series and Red Wings Head Home Up 3-1; sports news highlights; Your Sports. Online. On demand.; sports news highlights; CineSport Boston Sports Video News and Highlights
Tim Wakefield's next trip to the mound may be in the All-Star game. Look out, any AL catcher trying to handle his knuckleball.
Wakefield enhanced his status as a first-time All-Star by earning his AL-leading 11th victory, and David Ortiz homered and drove in four runs to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Oakland Athletics 5-4 Wednesday night.
It was a game of firsts for big names John Smoltz and Nomar Garciaparra -- and Oakland rookie Brett Anderson.
On a night when the 21-year veteran Smoltz made his Red Sox debut at Fenway Park and Garciaparra played there for the first time as an opponent, the 21-year-old Athletics left-hander threw a two-hit shutout in a 6-0 win Monday.
David Ortiz seems fully recovered from his poor start to the season.
Ortiz, swinging on a 3-0 pitch, had a tying RBI single to trigger a five-run seventh inning, and the Red Sox avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Seattle Mariners 8-4 on Sunday.
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WBZ NewsRadio 1030 has been broadcasting to New Englanders for more than 80 years. WBZ is Boston’s and New England's most reliable source for the latest Boston news, Boston weather and Boston traffic. Listen on air, online and on demand to award-winning evening talk show hosts Dan Rea, Steve LeVeille and Jordan Rich. WBZ is the flagship radio station of the Boston Bruins Radio Network and a leader in community involvement, with Boston events including the WBZ Business Breakfast Series, WBZ Free Friday Flicks, WBZ Call for Action, WBZ StormCenter and Amber Alert. www.wbz.com
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