October 9, 2025 • 6 mins
The legend himself, Rick Berky joins us as this week he will be inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is West Michigan's morning news. It is Schmitty in
with Brett Bakita and can I say sports royalty at
this point?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Absolutely? I think I can oh start.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Because live in studio the legendary Rick Burkie soon to
be Grand Rapid Sports Hall of Famer. Good morning and congratulations.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Thank you Lauren Brett, thanks for having me on. It's
a great honor and I'm I'm humbled by it.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Actually, Rick has been a longtime mentor of mine. He
was a hero of mine growing up because I watched
TV broadcast in the old Fox seventeen back in the
day where they would replay it at night, so he'd
rush home to watch it. And Rick was on the
call let alone all of his radio broadcast and everything
you did, I mean anything involved with local sports. Rick
Burkey has probably called it in forty four years in
(00:50):
counting and sir, you know my admiration for you, But
I have this question for you. I know you were
a Godwin Heights grad back in the day. What got
you into sports broadcast? And you were a sports director?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Here?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
What radio one time?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I sure was back in the early to mid eighties,
right here at this very station when it was just
thirteen hundred AM only right at that time.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
And Bruce Grant was the lead host.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
He was he was, he was the main man, the
legendary Bruce Grant worked with him there. It's a few
stories I could share with that. Well, no, I can't
share him really in a new case.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
But no, I had.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I had always been fascinated by the concept of broadcasting
as a child growing up, and we'll go all the
way through elementary, middle, high school. I even told people
that I see people now that said you always going
to be a sports announcer. I was going to be that.
I thought about that when I remember as a kid
going to Tiger Stadium in the very early ages, seeing
(01:43):
I looking at the press box instead of the stands.
I'm thinking, Wow, some people actually get to do that
for a job, right, he go to there that this
is their job. I think it wouldn't that be cool
to do that someday.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
And you were the original voice of White casts baseball.
Thus you loved really for baseball. Yeah, he was the
original guy and for so many years. And you would
drive on some of those road trips yourself, right.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I did almost all of them. Yeah, So the fantastic
going out to You have not seen life until you've
seen a Thursday night in Clinton, Iowa.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
What was you know? I mentioned all this stuff, I
mean GVSU athletics, he'd cover that. Now you're with Davenport,
I mean you've worked with us on the Amway riverbank
run coverage. Is there anything in Grand Rapids? I think
you did some hoop stuff too. Is there anything that
you didn't get a chance to do that you wish
you would have?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Well, for years people have asked me that question through
the year. Spread Actually my standard reply through the years
and the decades always was well I always wanted to
call Calvin football.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, well, I can't use that line anymore.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I really got to do just about everything I wanted
to do, tried to do, and a lot of it
fell in my laps here, you know, So starting up
doing high school sports, you know, I go back. I'm
one of the fellow inductees, Jim Boyle, and you know
the NBA coach, former head coach A. Shacko will now
assistant with the Indiana Pacers. I called his game in
high school. So that's neat to see it come full circle.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Now, was there one athlete that stood out to you.
I mean, people talk about Melvin Sugar McLoughlin. On the
basketball side, there's been just a numerous NFL players that
have come out of here. Was there one that just
stood out to you and said, Wow, that athlete is
someone special?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
More of the coaches, I think that stood out that
I covered through the years, you know, getting to be
friends with you know, Cazzie Russell, yep, you know, with
a legend. You know, I got con know him as
a friend when he was the coach of the hoops.
Of course, becoming friends with Ernie Harwell, that was a
big part of my life and he helped me eventually
get into baseball and get the white Caps job. So
(03:37):
that really stands out more the people that helped me
along the way.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
How about the people that are going to this class now,
I want to throw this out here. Tuesday Night is
the ceremony. Tickets you can buy them right up until
the day of the event. I'm going to be going
looking forward to it. It's heavy appetizers and everything, and
they have an open bar up on the concourse level
of vanagl Arena. Tuesday Night opens at six From six
to seven, you can meet and greet everyone. They've got
the tables up there and the class that Rick is
(04:03):
going in with. I'll tell you a little bit about it,
and it kind of ties in perfect with Rick's career.
And then at seven o'clock they go down and they
have the ceremony where you get to hear from the
different inductees or their families if they're not with us.
And Jim Boylan you mentioned Ben hand logan standout player
at South Christian High School, went on to play at
Western great career there all mac performer went to the
NBA for a cup of coffee. Sherry Ritz, who I
(04:25):
know you know very well, Whalen softball coach, I mean,
just a legend coach, played at MSU Datha Ritzenheim. You
know Smitty from helping us with our Anway roverbate. He's
going in the late Doug Wabbick, who multi sports standout
but really known for baseball GPS.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
My all time favorite Sullivan player.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yeah, and GRCC coach there and you're getting also I
wanted to mention this, the Warren Reynolds Lifetime Achievement Award
is what you're going in for. What does that mean
to you? Because one of your good friends I know,
and everyone admires Warren Reynolds.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Yeah, if there ever is a mount rushmore of grand
rapid sports, Warren's going to be on it. Yeah, you know.
I mean he just was, and he was there for
he was such a presence and you're six o'clock eleven
o'clock news when it it was so important, such a
part of people's daily lives, and he was always there
and he was unflappable. I could tell you some stories
that we don't have time for about how people tried
(05:16):
to make him laugh or get him upset.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
It didn't work.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
He did he was a crazy guy and he did
things himself, but you could not get him to break
into a smile. He would always be professional when that
when that camera went on, that microphone went on, he
was right there.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Before we quick rap up and I'll hand it back
to me. I want to ask you this, and I
kind of know the answer because I talked to you
about it. Were you shocked? What was your reaction when
you got the call?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
I was humble. I reflected back on my you know,
my forty four years. It took me instantly back. I
remembered my original job at w C u Z now.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
W TKG, Dan Dickerson worked Dan.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Dan's second job was my first job at w c
UZ AM, and then my time here at Wood Radio
when I did morning Sports, afternoon a nightly talk show
high school football on Friday night. I mean I was
there at five am, and I was there at eight
thirty pm, and then went out and did high school
sports and then did some college stuff on the weekends.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Ce Smitty. That's why as his boss, or he's my boss,
I can't cry to him on Friday. He's worked much
tougher shift than I am.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Well, it's a big congratulations again. My friend Rick Burkey
about to be inducted into the Grand Rapid Sports Hall
of Fame. We'll have the details at Woodradio dot com.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
It's just so good to know you, sir.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Thanks Lauren, Thanks Brett,
This is West Michigan's morning news. It is Schmitty in
with Brett Bakita and can I say sports royalty at
this point?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Absolutely? I think I can oh start.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Because live in studio the legendary Rick Burkie soon to
be Grand Rapid Sports Hall of Famer. Good morning and congratulations.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Thank you Lauren Brett, thanks for having me on. It's
a great honor and I'm I'm humbled by it.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Actually, Rick has been a longtime mentor of mine. He
was a hero of mine growing up because I watched
TV broadcast in the old Fox seventeen back in the
day where they would replay it at night, so he'd
rush home to watch it. And Rick was on the
call let alone all of his radio broadcast and everything
you did, I mean anything involved with local sports. Rick
Burkey has probably called it in forty four years in
(00:50):
counting and sir, you know my admiration for you, But
I have this question for you. I know you were
a Godwin Heights grad back in the day. What got
you into sports broadcast? And you were a sports director?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Here?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
What radio one time?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I sure was back in the early to mid eighties,
right here at this very station when it was just
thirteen hundred AM only right at that time.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
And Bruce Grant was the lead host.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
He was he was, he was the main man, the
legendary Bruce Grant worked with him there. It's a few
stories I could share with that. Well, no, I can't
share him really in a new case.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
But no, I had.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I had always been fascinated by the concept of broadcasting
as a child growing up, and we'll go all the
way through elementary, middle, high school. I even told people
that I see people now that said you always going
to be a sports announcer. I was going to be that.
I thought about that when I remember as a kid
going to Tiger Stadium in the very early ages, seeing
(01:43):
I looking at the press box instead of the stands.
I'm thinking, Wow, some people actually get to do that
for a job, right, he go to there that this
is their job. I think it wouldn't that be cool
to do that someday.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
And you were the original voice of White casts baseball.
Thus you loved really for baseball. Yeah, he was the
original guy and for so many years. And you would
drive on some of those road trips yourself, right.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I did almost all of them. Yeah, So the fantastic
going out to You have not seen life until you've
seen a Thursday night in Clinton, Iowa.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
What was you know? I mentioned all this stuff, I
mean GVSU athletics, he'd cover that. Now you're with Davenport,
I mean you've worked with us on the Amway riverbank
run coverage. Is there anything in Grand Rapids? I think
you did some hoop stuff too. Is there anything that
you didn't get a chance to do that you wish
you would have?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Well, for years people have asked me that question through
the year. Spread Actually my standard reply through the years
and the decades always was well I always wanted to
call Calvin football.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, well, I can't use that line anymore.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I really got to do just about everything I wanted
to do, tried to do, and a lot of it
fell in my laps here, you know, So starting up
doing high school sports, you know, I go back. I'm
one of the fellow inductees, Jim Boyle, and you know
the NBA coach, former head coach A. Shacko will now
assistant with the Indiana Pacers. I called his game in
high school. So that's neat to see it come full circle.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Now, was there one athlete that stood out to you.
I mean, people talk about Melvin Sugar McLoughlin. On the
basketball side, there's been just a numerous NFL players that
have come out of here. Was there one that just
stood out to you and said, Wow, that athlete is
someone special?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
More of the coaches, I think that stood out that
I covered through the years, you know, getting to be
friends with you know, Cazzie Russell, yep, you know, with
a legend. You know, I got con know him as
a friend when he was the coach of the hoops.
Of course, becoming friends with Ernie Harwell, that was a
big part of my life and he helped me eventually
get into baseball and get the white Caps job. So
(03:37):
that really stands out more the people that helped me
along the way.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
How about the people that are going to this class now,
I want to throw this out here. Tuesday Night is
the ceremony. Tickets you can buy them right up until
the day of the event. I'm going to be going
looking forward to it. It's heavy appetizers and everything, and
they have an open bar up on the concourse level
of vanagl Arena. Tuesday Night opens at six From six
to seven, you can meet and greet everyone. They've got
the tables up there and the class that Rick is
(04:03):
going in with. I'll tell you a little bit about it,
and it kind of ties in perfect with Rick's career.
And then at seven o'clock they go down and they
have the ceremony where you get to hear from the
different inductees or their families if they're not with us.
And Jim Boylan you mentioned Ben hand logan standout player
at South Christian High School, went on to play at
Western great career there all mac performer went to the
NBA for a cup of coffee. Sherry Ritz, who I
(04:25):
know you know very well, Whalen softball coach, I mean,
just a legend coach, played at MSU Datha Ritzenheim. You
know Smitty from helping us with our Anway roverbate. He's
going in the late Doug Wabbick, who multi sports standout
but really known for baseball GPS.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
My all time favorite Sullivan player.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yeah, and GRCC coach there and you're getting also I
wanted to mention this, the Warren Reynolds Lifetime Achievement Award
is what you're going in for. What does that mean
to you? Because one of your good friends I know,
and everyone admires Warren Reynolds.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Yeah, if there ever is a mount rushmore of grand
rapid sports, Warren's going to be on it. Yeah, you know.
I mean he just was, and he was there for
he was such a presence and you're six o'clock eleven
o'clock news when it it was so important, such a
part of people's daily lives, and he was always there
and he was unflappable. I could tell you some stories
that we don't have time for about how people tried
(05:16):
to make him laugh or get him upset.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
It didn't work.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
He did he was a crazy guy and he did
things himself, but you could not get him to break
into a smile. He would always be professional when that
when that camera went on, that microphone went on, he
was right there.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Before we quick rap up and I'll hand it back
to me. I want to ask you this, and I
kind of know the answer because I talked to you
about it. Were you shocked? What was your reaction when
you got the call?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
I was humble. I reflected back on my you know,
my forty four years. It took me instantly back. I
remembered my original job at w C u Z now.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
W TKG, Dan Dickerson worked Dan.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Dan's second job was my first job at w c
UZ AM, and then my time here at Wood Radio
when I did morning Sports, afternoon a nightly talk show
high school football on Friday night. I mean I was
there at five am, and I was there at eight
thirty pm, and then went out and did high school
sports and then did some college stuff on the weekends.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Ce Smitty. That's why as his boss, or he's my boss,
I can't cry to him on Friday. He's worked much
tougher shift than I am.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Well, it's a big congratulations again. My friend Rick Burkey
about to be inducted into the Grand Rapid Sports Hall
of Fame. We'll have the details at Woodradio dot com.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
It's just so good to know you, sir.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Thanks Lauren, Thanks Brett,
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