Mike Antonellis was 31 years old when he landed the coveted gig of play-by-play voice of the Portland Sea Dogs in 2005, the same season that Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, and Jon Lester were starring for the Red Sox’ Double A affiliate.
Pedroia, Ramirez, and Lester have long since ascended to major league stardom, of course, making 12 All-Star teams and winning six World Series among them. Meanwhile, Antonellis remained in Portland for 15 seasons, happy in his career — “I always felt like I was fortunate to have one of the best jobs in minor league baseball,‘’ he says — and content living near the water in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.