The interview has not been edited for content but formatted for the website.  Join us as we go ‘Round the Bases’ with Jeff Lasky

First Base

SnS: We would like to give our readers a sense of where you came from and how you got to where you are now.  Please describe for our readers your journey to land behind the mic in Lancaster.  Specifically other teams you have called for and any other work if applicable away from the mic that may have helped lead you to your current role.

JL: I was very fortunate that we had a little “radio station” at my high school in the suburbs of Los Angeles, so I decided when I was 14 or so that I wanted to be a sports broadcaster.  Many L.A. area sportscasters were gracious enough to let me shadow them, so got to learn from some of the best.  I got my journalism degree at the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State where I called games for the student station.  I was hired shortly after graduation to be the sports anchor for a NBC station in Bozeman, Montana, but always wanted to move to play-by-play.  I did fill-in work at the local radio stations as a sideline reporter for football and doing pxp for high school basketball and legion baseball.  That helped lead me back home to the California League where I spent a season as the #2 broadcaster for Inland Empire before moving here to Lancaster for the 2006 season.  Starting in 2007 I became the pxp voice of Montana State football and basketball for Learfield Sports.  I’m probably the only one dumb enough to live in the Mojave Desert in the summer and in the Rocky Mountains in the winter.

Touching Second

SnS: Following up on that what in your opinion are the best and worst parts of broadcasting minor league baseball games?

JL: I’m a very verbal person, so I really enjoy the challenge of delivering a clear and concise yet descriptive broadcast.  In radio much more than television you really get to weave a story through the course of the game and it get great pleasure from hopefully bringing people along the ride of each game, so to speak.  I also have access to some very knowledgeable and interesting people from each sport and it can be fun to tap into their experience.  I try to share with listeners what may be going on in the minds of those playing or coaching, as well as compare and contrast that with past players and coach’s when certain situations come up.

Rounding Third

SnS: . Can you describe some of your most memorable moments behind the mic in your career?  Also which ballplayers were your favorite to call and why?

JL: Sadly, I’ve done this long enough that individual moments and games are starting to meld together.  One memorable weekend came in 2007 during a three game series with Lake Elsinore.  We lost the first game 30-0, a record for the worst loss in league history.  The next night, Aaron Bates became the first player in Cal League history to hit four home runs in a game.  Then Yordany Ramirez (now with the Houston organization) hit for the cycle in the third game.  That same year we tied for the first half crown with Inland Empire and the tie-breaker happened to fall on July 4 at home with two future big leaguers dueling (Justin Masterson for us against James McDonald).  Having 6,200 fans there to watch us win the half was fun.  Just this year scoring seven runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie Rancho Cucamonga, then getting a homer from Koby Clemens in the 10^th was fun.  And just last night I called 17 innings in a win for us.  When a game goes that long, I like to play a game on the air called “Are You Still Listening?” where people write in to say why they’ve stayed tuned in so long and what else they’re doing.  It’s fun to read those e-mails on the air and makes our listenership into a community.

My favorite players tend to not always be the stars, but the guys I just happen to enjoy talking with.  As far as great players go, I loved watching Greg Smith and Michael Bowden pitch.  Emilio Bonifacio’s speed was very exciting and watching sluggers like Mark Reynolds, Lars Anderson, and Josh Reddick has been fun.  Amongst my favorite personalities are Greg Smith, Bubba Bell, and Lars Anderson.  This first group from Houston has a great personality.

Bringing it home

SnS: Finally, as The Bus Ride highlights Astros prospects we would like to know one pitcher and one position player who you have seen this year that stands out.  We’d like to know in your view those players’ strengths and areas for improvement.

JL: There’s no question that from a pitching side, Chia-Jen Lo stands out.  His fastball was dominant as it normally sat 91-94 (on stadium radar guns-take with a grain of salt) but with some movement.  He could also command it.  He’ll need to get more consistent with his secondary pitches at the higher levels.  In High-A ball, a guy who throws hard with that kind of command can still mostly get away with overpowering people with his fastball.  He won’t be able to do that at AA.  But he looks like a big leaguer to me.

Offensively, it’s a little tougher to say.  I suppose the one I’ve enjoyed watching the most is J.B. Shuck.  He’s a little unorthodox in how he handles the bat, but he really controls it well.  I’ve seen a lot of guys who like to slap it the other way, but he can also drive it the other way.  He runs very well and is aggressive.  I think if he continues to make general improvement and be able to pull the ball a little bit more when it’s appropriate, he should be a fun one to watch as he develops.

You can hear the JetHawks games online at www.jethawks.com .  Spikesnstars.com and The Bus Ride thank Jeff Lasky for the interview.