10 Highlights of “Show-Me Sportscasters”

One of the publishers to whom I was submitting my book proposal required the 10 Most Interesting Highlights of "Show-Me Sportscasters."  I thought I'd go ahead and share those features.  

Hopefully they are sufficiently enticing for you to consider giving "Show-Me Sportscasters a read!

1. The pros included in the book bring a combined 400 years of broadcasting experience.
2. The list of sportscasters includes gentlemen who have called World Series; college football bowl games; MLB, NHL and NFL playoff games; NCAA national championship games; and state championships.  They are members of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and have won countless awards.
3. “Show-Me Sportscasters” shares the back stories detailing how the pros got their starts and provides background information on each of the broadcasters, including high school and college alma maters, first jobs, and favorite games ever called.
4. The final chapter provides tips and strategies about the classes and activities that are most useful, how to prepare for broadcasting a game, and what attributes to develop.
5. The majority of the photos included are from the professionals’ home collections, adding a nice personal touch.
6. Every professional sports team (Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Sporting KC, St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues) in the state is represented.
7. Broadcasters from all four corners of the state and down I-70 are included.
8. Pull quotes with added information and links to special video features are provided.
9. Several of the gentlemen interviewed shared about their faith, which helped motivate me to ...
10. ... donate 90 percent of my profits to Show-Me Christian Youth Homes.  Given the humility and grace the sportscasters displayed, it just seemed like the perfect fit.

Erik Sean - Diehard Harry Caray Fan

So, it's been a while since I wrote anything about my book, "Show-Me Sportscasters".  I'm in the final stages, though, so I thought it would be time to get something out there.

One of the questions I loved asking was, Who is your favorite sportscaster?  These gentlemen being from Missouri, I was not surprised to hear Jack Buck's name mentioned more than once.  Vin Scully, Al Michaels, Bob Costas, Kevin Harlan, and Mitch Holthus all were named multiple times as well.  But Erik Sean, play-by-play man for Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, went across the Mississippi River for his hero.  An Illinois native, Erik said there was and is nobody like the late Harry Caray.  He spoke with something akin to reverence of Caray, sharing how he listened to the legend call St. Louis Cardinals games, then as a boy growing up in Macomb, Ill. (which happens to be where I was born) listening to Caray call games for the Chicago White Sox.  Finally, in 1982, Harry Caray became the voice of Sean's beloved Chicago Cubs.

Here is an excerpt from my interview with Erik Sean:
https://youtu.be/iVeCeyiKYQ8

I would be remiss if I did not share Erik's moving tribute to Harry Caray.  With Erik's permission, you may listen to the whole package here.

An Interview with Greg Hassler

For the first snippet from my book, I thought it only fitting to share a bit from my interview with my good buddy Greg Hassler, co-owner of 1450 KOKO/98.5 KWKJ in Warrensburg.  Hass and I have known each other for 20 years, since my days as sports information director at Missouri Southern and later here at the University of Central Missouri.  We've shared a lot of laughs on road trips together and I have always found Greg to be an honest man who loves his job and loves his teams.
I asked him about a couple of his favorites from his time in the booth.  Here are his responses: