Mark Viviano and his brothers raced home when the final school bell rang, their shoes bouncing off the St. Louis streets as quickly as the boys could run to catch that afternoon’s baseball games on television. When it reached autumn, Viviano’s Cardinals of the 1970s were rarely still playing.
Instead, he and his brothers often turned on their TVs to see a different team play: the Baltimore Orioles. “The Orioles were like royalty,” Viviano said. “Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer and Boog Powell, they were like gods to me as a little kid.
” Viviano, 60, ultimately settled in Baltimore and covered the team he grew up watching for more than two decades. He never thought of the city as a possible home until he arrived, but it became where he started a family, covered winning and losing teams and spent countless hours volunteering. The WJZ-TV sports director of 22 years will retire later this month .
His impact on Baltimore will be felt for much longer. “This job has been my passion for a long time,” Viviano said. “But it’s time for me to really address what’s most important.
” Viviano’s last broadcast will be July 18. He retired to spend more time with his two sons, Michael, 8, and Christian, 6. He watched Michael’s first hit in Little League from the Camden Yards press box on a video his wife, Megan, sent him, one of many milestones he said he missed with his unique work schedule.
“It’s a decision to be with my family,” Viviano said. “I miss out on.
