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The Voice From Above

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By JOEY JOHNSTON

jjohnston@tampatrib.com

Published: October 23, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - It was like meeting the great and powerful Oz.

The Voice.

Akkk-ahhh-nor-eeee Eeeee-wah-mur-ahhhh!

It's a real person behind that curtain.

Evan! Lonnnn-gorrrr-eeee-ahhhh!

His name is David Pygman. You probably don't know the face. But you definitely know The Voice. For two seasons, Pygman has been public-address announcer for the Rays.

Wednesday night represented the greatest thrill of his P.A. career. He called Game 1 of the World Series and his player introductions were heard from coast-to-coast.

"It's still like a dream," said Pygman, 39. "I still can't believe it."

For a franchise filled with unlikely stories, Pygman might represent the most improbable of all.

One month before spring training 2007, Pygman was the P.A. announcer for high school and youth league sports in his hometown of Mooresville, Ind., southwest of Indianapolis. It was a way to give back and to stay involved with his children - Zachary (13) plays youth football and Jasmine (12) is a cheerleader. He had no aspirations of going any higher.

In an effort to get better, he joined an online P.A. announcer message board (yes, they exist) and noticed that the Rays were seeking a new P.A. person.

"What the heck, I sent them something," Pygman said. "Maybe I could get some good feedback to do a better job for the kids."

Then he got a call from the Rays. He was one of 20 finalists. He came to the Trop for a three-hour audition. A few days later, he got another call.

He was the guy.

Pygman's dream job has come with a heavy price. He was able to transfer his full-time job - he's a customer-service representative for Verizon Wireless - but his family has remained in Indiana. His wife, Sherri, works for the school system and they didn't want to uproot the kids.

Since leaving home, Pygman has only been back for brief visits, including last Christmas. The kids made it down for Father's Day. One bonus: Their school is on fall break, so the family was at the Trop for Game 1.

"It means a lot having them here," Pygman said. "I miss those kids like crazy. They're excited for me and know how much I love this job, but it's tough. When they are here, they love seeing me do this."

So do the Rays players.

"He does a great job," said Rays right fielder Gabe Gross, who did a double-take when formally meeting The Voice while shopping for a new cell phone at Pygman's store. "Most of the time in big moments, you're not aware of the P.A. announcer or any noise. You're so locked in. But a good P.A. announcer can really energize the crowd and that helps the home team. That's what he Pygman does. He has a great sound."

Pygman works at it, tightening and brightening every syllable. He seeks a quality sound for the Phillies, too, but it's devoid of emotion.

"The Rays get the love here," Pygman said. "The Phillies can get the love at their park.

"I'm not a cheerleader, but I do ramp it up at key moments. I'm doing everything short of tearing my throat up if we're behind and we've got a big ninth inning going. I like to add energy. I feel like I feed off the game."

And now he's at the World Series - less than two years after calling high school and youth league games.

"Unbelievable," Pygman said. "I'm still pinching myself."

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