Thanks For The Memories

It all began back in December of 2001 and a group of Little League ball players had a chance to go to play in a week long baseball tournament over the Christmas Holidays.  They went on the air  to have a fund raiser and it didn't take long before that night was over several players  who couldn't afford the expense of a week long trip has and experience of a lifetime.  Once back they came  on the air to thank everyone and to tell of their experiences during the trip.  Those two shows were so successful that everyone asked for a weekly show and from it was born the "Stretchlon Sports Show".

It was spearhead by Richard Sarmiento who used his company Stretchlon to be the main sponsor of the show.  He also was the announcer and when you have a child to watch play ball and a company to run  it is not easy to get to all the games that now are being shown on the show.  Little by little more helpers arrived to take the load off Rich.  The first game that I did was the Babe Ruth World Series game from Wilson which I think was 2002 .

There have been more than 500 shows and I think one of them was probably the most watch show ever on WHIG.  If I remember it was a Wednesday night and the 13 Year Old Babe Ruth All Stars were playing in Arkansas and the game started at 7.00pm.  Rich was joined by his wife Patricia and they sat on camera while "Baseball" Britt Johnson would call in  to give them live updates of the game  and while waiting for a call Trish and Rich took calls from fans calling in to support the team.  People at home started calling their neighbors that you need to turn on channel 17 as they have the Babe Ruth game on.

The show ran over the 9.00pm show time and when a preachers time slot came on the game was in extra innings and all of Rocky Mount was glued to sit at home at Watch them waiting for the next update.  A donation was made to the preacher to let the game stay  on.  I think by the end of the game they were holding Rich's cell phone up to the telephone mic in the studio  so everyone could hear every pitch from "Baseball" Britt and a soon to be a thrilling Nash County win.  I have seen many games in my life both in person or on TV but that night was about as good as it gets watching what turned out to be a cell phone broadcast and watching Rich and Trish listen to the action.

There is no doubt in my mind that over the past 20 years Richard Sarmiento has been the driving force why the quality of our high school baseball has sky rocketed in this area.  He has help sponsor kids to go play baseball in places from Cooperstown, Orlando and Hawaii and many more.  Time passes and we all have other priorities.  His son Marc has long since graduated from Northern and the desire to be behind the mic Rich turned over to others.

Sunday night airs the last "Stretchlon Sports Show".  What WHIG does with the time slot is up in the air at this moment. I want to thank Richard for  everything he has done over these years to make all of our lives better  just a little by letting kids get on TV.  This show has lasted because there is a spot in Rich's  heart that beams every time a grand mother or proud papa says  " Thanks for having the game on without you I would not have been able to see my child play".

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES RICHARD!!!!!!