WBRS honors Nelson Figueroa

The Sports Department at WBRS 100.1 FM -- the official radio station of Brandeis University -- recently conducted an exclusive interview of former Judges pitcher Nelson Figueroa after Brandeis retired his No. 2 jersey, as we previously covered here.

This occasion is exciting for so many reasons. Obviously, the ceremony itself was important because it recognized the most successful baseball player in Brandeis history. Figueroa was, after all, the school's first major leaguer. His recent success on the New York Mets, in particular, has helped put Brandeis Athletics on the map. I imagine I was not the only person who was bombarded by text messages after the Mets' SNY broadcast team of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling talked about Figueroa's college years at Brandeis!

Also, and perhaps most importantly, this ceremony underscored how unique Figueroa is among major leaguers. We hear too much about the Milton Bradleys and Gary Sheffields of the game - men who are talented but selfish and can't seem to shake the chip on their shoulder. They take a lot from the game - fame and fortune, most often - but give little back to the people who got them to that level. But here we have Nelson Figueroa. He may not be as rich or talented or successful as A-Rod or Barry Bonds, but would those guys return to their Division III alma mater to take photos wearing a not-for-profit radio station's giveaway t-shirt?



No, they would not. Figueroa did. Whether he's at Citi Field or the Shapiro Campus Center, he is willing and happy to give (a considerable amount) of his time to aspiring collegiate journalists. That generosity and warmth cannot be overstated. He's a unique professional athlete in this era, so let's not applaud him just because he went to Brandeis. Let's also recognize him for the positive example he sets for his peers.

Finally, I think Figueroa's celebration -- or should I say the celebration of Figueroa -- is important because it shows how "minor league" sports journalism can achieve big things if the people working in those trenches are persistent. I see Nelson standing in front of those stacks of CDs and LPs -- the same stacks that surrounded Andrew, Ben, and I when we used to broadcast our sports talk show as Brandeis undergrads in the wee hours of the morning -- and I am excited to see how much the WBRS Sports Department has accomplished.

As a member of that department, I once attended a Celtics practice at their facility in Waltham. I leafed through a press packet next to Jackie MacMullan and I got to interview Delonte West. We got Jayson Stark to record a "You're listening to WBRS 100.1 FM, Waltham" promo. But we never got a pro athlete to come to our studios. Nelson Figueroa came to our studios. That day was a great day for WBRS, and for all college radio stations, newspapers, and blogs. Despite the endless and often overwhelming presence of ESPN, Fox Sports, and RSNs such as YES and NESN, here's to the little guys. Here is to WBRS and No, You're a Towel.