An Indians fixture as Howard Kellman's sidekick from 1993-03, Giffin was hired last month as the senior executive producer for the Braves' broadcasts, which are sent out to about 150 stations. He had a similar job with the Minnesota Twinsentering the 2007 season but gave it up because his wife, Cara, was fighting breast cancer. She died in 2008.

"You work all these years to get to the big leagues, you get the (radio network) built, then you have to come home," said Giffin, 49, who took a job as bartender. "But I did the right thing."

As emotional as the experience was, Giffin has moved on with his life. He and his new January bride, Cris, reside in Sandy Springs, Ga., just north of Atlanta. And it's about time for him to start spring training with the Braves in Orlando, Fla.

"I'll be directing life behind the scenes in the booth for Jim Powell and Don Sutton," said Giffin, who still has ties to Indianapolis as a play-by-play radio voice for Butler football. The Braves gig means he will need a play-by-play replacement for a few Bulldogs games, which he has been a part of since 2002. He still longs for a chance to call games in the majors, but is grateful for his current opportunity.

"I still aspire to be a broadcaster, but I enjoy the technical and operational side," he said. "If I never get there, I'll be content to do this the rest of my career. I still get paid to go to the ballpark. It's great to not have to make cocktails to make money."