Coming full circle: Joe McDonald returns to The Journal with a weekly column

I’m back and I’m pumped.

For those who don’t know me, let me introduce myself before we get to the good stuff.

My journalism career began in 1992 at The Providence Journal. I spent the next 18 years honing my skills and learning everything about the newspaper business. I enjoyed every second of my time at The Journal. I met amazing people along the way, many of whom I still consider great friends and mentors.

I had every intention of spending my entire career at the paper I grew up reading as a kid from Cranston. I was living my dream, covering the Bruins and Red Sox during a Golden Era for both organizations. I never imagined one day ESPN would come calling. I was offered a position, and after months of negotiations, I thought about turning it down.

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The late, great Bill Reynolds pulled me aside one night in the sports department on 75 Fountain St. and convinced me to accept the position to cover the Bruins and Red Sox for ESPN. Eventually, I became a national hockey writer, but my tenure ended after eight years at ESPN. Since then, I’ve made stops at Boston Sports Journal, The Athletic and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Currently, I’m the director of communications for the Rhode Island Golf Association and loving every minute of it. In fact, my first byline at The Journal was on the RIGA and Foster Country Club, so I’ve come full circle, in a way.

So, why am I back at The Journal?

Former colleague and current sports editor Bill Corey reached out to see if I would be interested in writing a weekly column on the pro sports scene in Boston, including the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Celtics. That quickly piqued my interest and it didn’t take long for me to accept. The Journal changed my life and now I’m back to where it all started.

The timing of this first column is perfect — the home opener for the Red Sox is Tuesday at Fenway Park. The Sox are surprisingly off to a solid start, thanks in part to an impressive starting rotation. When I covered the WooSox for the T&G, I witnessed Brayan Bello’s transformation into a big-league pitcher. He’s the real deal. He’s legit and this could be a phenomenal season for the young right-hander. We’ll keep close tabs on his career in Boston.

Before we look ahead, it’s also fitting that the Red Sox are celebrating the 20-year anniversary of their incredible 2004 World Series championship. Along with then-sports editor Art Martone, Sean McAdam, Steve Krasner, Reynolds, Jim Donaldson, Paul Kenyon and Kevin McNamara, I covered that season and the improbable accomplishment to erase 86 years of frustration.

My role was to cover each postseason opponent, so I got to know the Anaheim Angels, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals. That comeback win against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series was obviously one of the greatest. I’ve never said this publicly, but after the Red Sox posted a 5-4 win in 14 innings in Game 5 to cut New York’s series lead to 3-2, I remember thinking: “I can’t believe I have to go back to New York for only one game before the Sox finally lose.”

It turned out to be some of the most exciting days of my career. When the Red Sox closed out the Yankees in Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, I was making my way to the Yankees clubhouse when I heard all the commotion and celebrating from the visitor’s clubhouse. Even though I was a professional, I did grow up a Red Sox fan, so I wanted, needed to experience what was occurring in their clubhouse.

I briefly witnessed the celebration, somehow stayed out of the way of the flying alcohol, and then walked down the dungy hall in the old Yankee Stadium to the loser’s clubhouse. Since I was a little late, I missed Alex Rodriguez’s media scrum. He was sitting at his locker, still in full uniform, with his head down in disbelief. I apologized for missing the scrum and asked him if he could answer one more question. He nodded his head.

I asked: “Alex, if the trade from the Rangers went through and you ended up playing for the Red Sox, you would be down the hall celebrating an upcoming trip to the World Series. At this point, how does that make you feel?”

He answered: “I thought the Yankees were going to be better than what they were.” Yes, he said they.

Since I'd already filed my story on deadline, I needed to call Martone to add a few Yankee quotes. When I dictated Rodriguez’s comment, Martone couldn’t believe it. “Did he actually say that?” he asked. “Was there anyone else around?” I told Art it was only said to me. The bigger story, however, was the Red Sox completing the comeback and heading to the World Series. A-Rod’s quote was lost.

After we were done writing, a few of the Red Sox beat writers enjoyed the rest of the early-morning hours at a mid-town Irish establishment that thankfully remained open for us. I never slept and went right to the train station. When I arrived in Providence, my brother and a few of his friends were still celebrating the Red Sox victory. They wanted me to join them, but I was exhausted and needed to sleep. It didn’t take much, however, to convince me to join the party.

A few hours later, Martone called and asked if I was back home. When I told him I was in Providence, he asked me to stop into the sports department to discuss the upcoming World Series. “I don’t think I should come in, Art,” I told him. “Actually, I can’t come in.”

He knew exactly what I meant. He laughed and scheduled our meeting for early the next morning. It was great to share that World Series run with everyone at The Journal, including our readers. The Red Sox did it again in 2007, and many of The Journal's stories hang on the hallway wall outside the press box at Fenway Park.

Unfortunately, Art died unexpectedly in 2022, and Billy Ren passed last summer. I hope both are looking down and smiling that I’m back at The Journal. I was fortunate to learn from some of the best in the business. Many of those lifetime memories will appear in this column as I try to mesh the old with the new.

I hope you enjoy reading as much as I’m going to enjoy writing.

On X: @JoeyMacHockey

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Joe McDonald returns to The Journal in time for the Red Sox home opener