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| (Photo: Dave Schofield/Lakewood Blueclaws) |
Mark Nasser, the Storm Chasers director of broadcasting, also announced recently that Brett Pollock will join him in the radio broadcast booth for all 72 home games this season. Pollock has broadcast games in the past for the El Paso Diablos (1998-2003), Lakewood BlueClaws (2004) and Huntsville Stars (2005-09). He took last year off.
Before last season started, Nasser and his former broadcast partner Kevin McNabb, graciously agreed to a Q & A interview as part of a “getting to know you” series for OmahaBaseball360. Yesterday Pollock was just as gracious with his time. Hope you enjoy the interview.
Brett, you join the broadcast team after taking a year hiatus from professional baseball. What drew you back to the microphone to broadcast Omaha Storm Chaser games?
Hi, Lee. First, let me thank you for the opportunity to do this with you, I appreciate it.
The year away from the game got me refreshed and rejuvenated and I definitely missed it, so my goal all along was to find my way back to baseball in 2011.
After 11 years in Double-A, I was anxious to take the next step and get to Triple-A. All of the ingredients in this job added up perfectly. The chance to work alongside Mark, to be part of the opening of a new stadium with a highly respected organization within the industry, to be a part of a Major League organization on the rise with a tremendous amount of home-grown talent and to be able to do it in Triple-A in a league where I know a majority of the broadcasters and quite a few of the managers and coaches made it an easy decision once I got the offer.
Baseball America recently named Kansas City’s farm system as the best in the game. Which players will you be watching as spring training progresses?
I will keep my eyes on Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, who played in Huntsville while I was there, as well as pitchers Chris Dwyer, Danny Duffy, John Lamb and Mike Montgomery.
You’ve called games for the El Paso Diablos, Lakewood BlueClaws and Huntsville Stars. What is your favorite moment in the broadcast booth (can be funny, serious, dramatic, anything that comes to mind)?
Another tough question to narrow down to one or two.
A couple that come to mind would be calling the first no-hitter in El Paso history in Little Rock, Arkansas; the first home no-hitter in Huntsville history in the 2007 playoffs; the second-half division title-clinching game for Huntsville in 2006.
Ironically, my two most favorite and best games that I have been a part of have both been losses. The fifth and deciding game of the 2000 divisional playoffs in the Texas League that El Paso lost in extra innings to Round Rock and the fifth and deciding game of the 2007 Southern League championship series that ended in a stunning ninth inning defeat as Montgomery clinched back-to-back titles over the Huntsville Stars.
When I was in Lakewood, I had the pleasure of having a guest on with me each night, usually but not limited to that night’s sponsor. During that summer, I had the pleasure to interview the likes of George Foster, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Tony Reali of ESPN as well as then reality tv star Heidi Strobel, who is now married to Cole Hamels, and Erica Vetrini, who was the co-host for Tony Danza on his talk show.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my on-air partner in El Paso, Matt Hicks, who I worked with for six years there. He taught me a lot about the game and how to call it and we had a lot of fun together and developed a great rapport on and off-air. I am looking forward to doing the same with Mark.
I understand you’ve interviewed the likes of Bob Costas, Dick Vitale, Jim Kelly, Billy Williams and Tommy Lasorda while hosting a radio call-in show in El Paso. Is there a baseball story that stands out in your mind that one of these gentlemen shared with you on the air (or off)?
Interestingly, the best baseball stories didn’t come from the biggest names. In the setting that I was talking to the guys you mentioned – a one-time shot over the phone and in most cases, in a limited amount of time – it doesn’t necessarily lend itself to some of the inside stories. I think you get them when you’re around a team every day and develop relationships.
For example, when I was in Huntsville, we got into Birmingham late on a Friday night and I got up the next morning to get some coffee in the hotel lobby and saw Don Money, our manager, and Richie Hebner, the Barons hitting coach, talking. I was invited into the conversation and just sat back and listened to them swap stories, including about how they had roomed together when they were coming up with the Pirates.
Roland Hemond, who was with the Diamondbacks when I was in El Paso, is a great story teller and Sandy Johnson, who was also with Arizona at the time, told some great stories on a plane ride from El Paso to Austin, but I am sworn to secrecy about them.
Do you have a “most embarrassing moment” in the booth?
Yes. The El Paso team was the Diamondbacks first Double-A affiliate and they came to town that first season in 1999 for an exhibition game. Before the game, we had a home run contest with a handful of players from both teams competing against each other, which I also happened to broadcast live on the radio and in the ballpark from down on the field.
I wear glasses during the game because I am near-sighted and could not find them anywhere and went out onto the field to do my job without them. I had a hard time seeing the white ball in a beautiful blue sky and my home run calls were a little delayed and not instantaneous like they should have been, so, the players picked up on it and I essentially had the entire Diamondbacks roster laughing at me after they realized I couldn’t see the balls that were being hit.
How much time do you spend preparing to call a game?
Quite a bit. During my time in Huntsville, I did the game notes and that usually took about an hour and a half. That was a good way for me to get a handle on who was hot, who was struggling and which guys were or were not performing well against a certain team.
I get background information on that day’s opposing starting pitcher, as well as position players. I also spend time on the field during batting practice talking to players, coaches and managers to find out some things you can’t find in a stats packet.
I think it is also important to have a good idea of what is going on in the big leagues and in particular with the team whose affiliate you are playing. Really, I don’t think the preparation ever stops, even in the off-season. When I would speak to kids in local schools, I would equate it to me doing my homework each day and that is how I try to approach it.
What do you enjoy most about calling a game?
The fact that every game is different and no matter how much you prepare, you just never know what is going to happen. I also really enjoy the fact that each day, each game is part of a thread of an entire season and I love being able to continually connect that thread.
What do you like to do when you aren’t calling games?
I like to golf, play tennis, go to movies, live sporting events and concerts. My family has a place in south Florida, so I enjoy being there and being on the beach. I do enjoy my Saturdays and Sundays in the fall watching football. E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!!!
What are you favorite movies? Books? Bands?
Wow, I think I could come up with a pretty comprehensive lists.
I’ll start with music and tell you that I am one of those Springsteen fanatics. I have seen him live 35 times and feel like it is not enough. I’m anxiously awaiting him hitting the road again so I can get my fix.
U2 is my second favorite band and I am also a fan of Pearl Jam, Audioslave, Foo Fighters. REM, Dave Mathews, Jack Johnson, John Legend, Goo Goo Dolls and The Fray. I also like a lot of newer somewhat alternative rock songs and groups.
As far as movies, a small sample would be Good Will Hunting, The American President, Heat, Open Range, Gran Torino, Unforgiven, The Town, Rounders, Oceans 11, Michael Clayton, Inglorious Bastards and anything with Neal McDonough, my college roommate, in it (Band of Brothers, The Guardian, Walking Tall, Flags of our Fathers, among others).
As far as books, in no particular order: When Pride Still Mattered, A Life of Vince Lombardi; Joe DiMaggio, The Hero’s Life; The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr; The Firm; anything by Nelson DeMille, Straight into Darkness by Faye Kellerman, pretty much any WWII spy novel and many, many more.
