Friends, family gather at Tropicana Field to celebrate Dave Wills, Rays’ ‘best ambassador’

ST. PETERSBURG — For Andy Freed, the greatest radio call that his colleague, friend and frequent confidante ever made occurred in 2008, three years after they were hired as the Rays’ radio play-by-play tandem.

In a late-September game against the Twins, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria snagged a high pop-up behind the third-base line to end a 7-2 victory that clinched the franchise’s first postseason berth. The anticipation in Dave Wills’ voice rose as the ball made its descent.

Swing and a pop-up, down the leftfield line. Longoria on the run, he gets there! The Rays are going to the postseason in 2008! Nine does equal eight! Rays win! Rays win! Rays win!

“It’s not my favorite because it was a great call — which it was,” Freed recalled Thursday evening. “It was because right after he made (the call), he put his microphone down and he pulled across the booth and gave me the biggest bearhug I’ve ever had.

“He couldn’t help himself, he was just so damn happy.”

Freed shared that moment while standing a few feet from the spot of Longoria’s landmark catch. On a stage erected along the third-base line of Tropicana Field’s lower level, Freed joined a succession of peers, longtime friends and loved ones in celebrating the voice and vitality of a Chicago native who wore his baseball passion on the sleeve of his trademark Hawaiian shirts.

In fact, many in Thursday’s audience of roughly 300 wore similarly casual floral attire in honor of Wills, who passed away suddenly the morning of March 5 at age 58. The private celebration, a poignant blend of tales and tears, attracted a smorgasbord of current and former Rays players and coaches, and even a few big-league executives.

Rays manager Kevin Cash was there, as was Pirates manager (and former Rays hitting coach) Derek Shelton, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom (a former Rays executive) and former Astros general manager Jim Click (also a former Rays executive).

So were a few of the baseball fans Wills befriended during his 18-year career in Tampa Bay.

Among them: Steve Adamcik, and brothers Jeff and Andrew Golden, all of whom flew in Wednesday from Montreal. A decade ago, they met Wills in a Hooters in Port Charlotte, forging a friendship that was rekindled each spring, as well as during Rays trips to Canada.

That was quintessential Wills, suggested longtime friend John Winters, a Chicago trial attorney.

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“Dave has already been described as having a larger-than-life personality, we all know that,” Winters said. “But he had no ego, none. Zero. That allowed him to take that step back, that allowed him to be confident to have a new relationship flourish.”

Helping peel back other layers of the Wills persona were Dan Ganzer, Wills’ childhood buddy from Chicago; Bill Wills, one of Dave’s four younger siblings; longtime Tampa Bay Times beat writer Marc Topkin; and Wills’ children, Michelle Wills and Alex Griff.

Flanked by two carnation arrangements in the shape of baseballs (with red carnations serving as the seams), the speakers recalled a gregarious everyman who loved the cinematic Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and listened routinely to replays of Casey Kasem’s weekly countdowns of America’s top 40 pop hits from the the 1970s and 1980s.

They recalled a needler and night owl, colleague and karaoke enthusiast, foodie and father. Especially father.

“Dave came into my life when I was at a very young age. And it must be extremely difficult to come into a home and take over the role as dad,” recalled Griff, now a firefighter.

“Knowing how I was at that age and hearing stories, I didn’t make the transition very easy for him. But that never deterred him. I’m sure he was frustrated, but he never showed it. He treated me like his own son, and he called me as such. I was his son, and a long time ago we dropped the words ‘stepdad’ and ‘stepson.’”

Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg opted for another title for his longtime employee: the best ambassador the franchise has ever had.

“In baseball, the five-tool player is exceptional,” Sternberg said. “In life, the five-tool player is rare. Dave Wills had five tools and then some.”

Among those gifts was an ability to endear himself to listeners, to deftly balance zeal and critique for the Rays when warranted, and to joke — and joust — like few in the organization.

Freed recalled a game when hockey legend Phil Esposito was scheduled to visit the radio booth, an encounter that Wills — a lifelong hockey fan — eagerly anticipated.

“Dave leaned over to me across the booth and said, ‘Watch this, lad,’” Freed recalled.

“Right as Phil came into the booth, Dave reached down and grabbed his Tony Esposito jersey, turned around with perfect timing and shouted, ‘Tony Esposito, my favorite. ... oh, it’s Phil.’ The way Dave could do that was disarming. I don’t know how he did it, but he could do it, and Phil thought it was hilarious.”

In the immediate wake of her dad’s passing, such memories buoy Michelle Wills, who tearfully acknowledged to the audience she’s struggling to cope with the reality her father won’t be there to walk her down the aisle or hold his grandchildren.

“I think everyone can agree that when my dad walked into a room — or a bar — he was the life of the party,” Michelle Wills said. “His infectious personality, smile and laugh made everyone feel like he was their best friend. But for me, he really was mine. I was his ‘Peanut.’”

As the evening ended, just before a slide-show presentation concluded the event, Michelle Wills gazed up — as if peering toward a celestial radio booth — and did a variation of her dad’s “Rays win!” victory calls.

“Heaven wins! Heaven wins! Heaven wins!”

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow

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