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| (Photo: Omaha Royals) |
In addition to being a radio broadcaster with the Omaha Royals since 2001, Nasser is also the director of broadcasting for the team. Before he joined the Royals he called games for the Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks (Class A), the Portland (ME) Sea Dogs (Double-A) and the Burlington (NC) Indians (Rookie).
“Baseball America” has named you as one of the top ten broadcasters in Minor League baseball. That’s quite an honor. Talk about what went through your mind when you first heard the news.
I thought it was a joke! Who ranks minor league broadcasting prospects? Coupled with the date, April Fool’s Day 2000, it all sounded unbelievable to me. When I found out that the prospect list was legitimate, like anyone in any job, it was flattering to be recognized for what I do.
What is your favorite moment in the broadcast booth since you’ve been with Omaha (can be funny, serious, dramatic, anything that comes to mind)?
My favorite moment was the first time calling play-by-play of a major league game. The Kansas City Royals has been gracious enough to invite me down to call about ten games since I’ve been in Omaha. Knowing how difficult it is to get a big-league play-by-play job, being able to say that I’ve called big league games, with Hall-of-Famer Denny Matthews and Ryan Lefebvre, no less, is an especially gratifying accomplishment.
If it’s strictly related to when I’ve broadcast for the Omaha Royals … Favorites are always tough because you feel bad leaving things out. Kerry Robinson having to leave the game before it started for laughing too hard and Calvin Pickering hitting ten home runs in nineteen at-bats – those were pretty memorable. But from a personal standpoint, Bob Costas unexpectedly joining me in the booth last year while I was in Des Moines, Iowa was my favorite. Costas was in Omaha for the U.S. Olympic swim trials, and he drove over to Des Moines with his son to catch a game. He heard that I went to his alma mater, Syracuse University, and popped in my booth for an inning. Calling a game with him – a person whose work I admired growing up, was a thrill.
Do you have a “most embarrassing moment” in the booth?
My first road broadcast ever in Bluefield, WV in the Appalachian League, I was calling games for the Burlington (NC) Indians. And like many a minor league broadcasters, I described a fly ball to deep left field as a home run – only that it wasn’t. (In fact, the left-fielder played the ricochet off the wall and threw the guy out at second.) It’s happened to just about every broadcaster, so much so, it’s a cliché embarrassing moment. But in the tiny confines of Bluefield press box, the PA announcer, Bud Gallimore, decides that I’m not embarrassed enough with my butchered call. He gets on the public address and tells everyone at the stadium about my call! Thanks Bud.
How much time do you spend preparing to call a game?
It’s an all-day thing. I wake up and spend a couple of hours scouring all the baseball news from the previous night. Then when I go the ballpark in the afternoon, it’s another few hours preparing, talking to players/coaches, and after the game visiting with the coaching staff to review the game. The best part about it, however, is that it doesn’t feel like work because I enjoy it so much.
What do you enjoy most about calling a game?
I enjoy being the fan’s connection to the game.
Name something about your job that the average fan might not know about or expect.
The number one question I get about my job is, “What do I do during the offseason?” I still work for the Royals doing a little bit of everything – marketing, community relations, etc. That surprises most people.
What will you miss most about calling games at Rosenblatt after this season?
There’s no trademark feature that I think I will miss. I think it will be the intangibles of knowing that Rosenblatt has been the home to hall-of-fame players, like Bob Gibson and George Brett, and the site of so many incredible games and moments. That cannot be replaced.
What do you like to do when you aren’t calling games?
All the things I don’t get to do during the season – spend time with family & friends, home-cooked meals and cook outs, reading about other things besides baseball and going to sporting events as a fan.
What are you favorite movies? Books? Bands?
Some of my favorite movies are “The Godfather,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Silence of the Lambs.” For books, “The Catcher in the Rye,” “The Great Gatsby” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” For music, I’m all over the map – a little bit of Rock (U2, Tom Petty), a little bit of R & B (Michael Jackson, Prince) and a little bit of soul (Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder.)
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Many thanks to Mark Nasser for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you haven’t listened to a Royals’ broadcast for a while, games can be heard on KOIL-1180 AM and they are also streamed live at oroyals.com. Opening Day is April 8 at 7:05 pm.
