'Voice of the JetHawks' Schwartz living dream, calling titles
July 18, 2015
By ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — A thrilled 23-year-old in his first year as the voice of the JetHawks, Jason Schwartz invited family to his radio booth for a Fourth of July broadcast in 2012.
Chance paid the Schwartzes a bad trick on that fateful day, as a foul ball from Visalia's Jon Griffin traveled up and over the netting behind home plate and down and through the booth's window, hitting Jason's grandma.
"Literally it's the only foul ball that has ever come straight through the window since I've been here," said Schwartz, now in his fourth year with Lancaster. "It just happened that it hit my grandma."
A strong woman who'd turned 90 three days before, Jason's grandma survived the unlikely strike to her arm without major complications. Signed by Griffin after the game, the foul ball now sits on her bookshelf.
The episode is now all but a memory of an unlucky day in the midst of what's been a fortune-filled broadcasting career for Schwartz.
"I have been insanely lucky," said Schwartz, who calls JetHawks' games on News Talk 1380AM. "I've called two championships, two no-hitters, I called (Astros outfielder) George Springer hitting home runs on four consecutive at-bats, three cycles, (Dodgers ace Clayton) Kershaw starting against us. The list goes on."
But make no mistake. The voice of the JetHawks has made his own luck.
"Finding these opportunities is about getting your name out there," he said.
A former Campbell Hall High (North Hollywood) and travel baseball player, Schwartz put his playing dreams on permanent hold to chase microphone ones while at USC.
Following the advice of longtime television sportscaster Al Michaels, who was at one of Schwartz's classes as a speaker, Schwartz began to send out clips of his college radio work to numerous baseball teams all over the country. That 2009 summer, he landed a job as a play-by-play broadcaster with the Wenatchee AppleSox, a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the West Coast League.
"That's how I got started," said Schwartz, who's also broadcasted USC women's volleyball, women's basketball and football games.
The following summer, Schwartz called games for the Corvallis Knights before landing his first minor-league gig in 2011 with the Tri-City Dust Devils, then the short-season affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.
That year, Schwartz attended the baseball winter meetings in Dallas looking to network and found himself talking to Will Thornhill, then the JetHawks' director of sales and marketing.
"The first conversation we had, (Schwartz) was controlled and smooth and we knew right away he could be something special," said Thornhill, now the JetHawks' general manager.
A week later, Schwartz was making his first-ever drive to Lancaster for an interview for the director of broadcasting and media relations job. Not long after, he had his first full-season minor league gig.
"I was elated, I couldn't believe it," Schwartz said. "I would have gone anywhere in the country. But here I am close to home and they're offering me the job in the California League, which is where I'm from."
Schwartz's first season in Lancaster saw him call the JetHawks' first-ever California League championship. Two years later, Schwartz called another one.
Through his tenure, he's broadcasted the start of the careers of major leaguers that include Springer, Delino DeShields, Kike Hernandez, Preston Tucker, Vincent Velasquez, Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers.
"It's a really cool experience," said Schwartz, who's also met his share of well-established broadcasters. "It makes me a little jealous because I want to be there calling their games in the big leagues. I'm hopeful that one day I'll be in a position where that can happen, where I'll see someone at a big-league park and say, 'Hey, remember when we were in Lancaster?'"
That opportunity may still lay a few seasons away, but Schwartz has come a long way since he first became a student of the game as a child.
Growing up a Dodgers fan, Schwartz learned and drew inspiration from legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, who is in his 66th season as the play-by-play announcer for the Boys in Blue.
"It had a huge impact, massive," said Schwartz, who met Scully last year. "I don't know that I would have really wanted to broadcast if it weren't for Vin."
If you listen to Schwartz on game days, you can hear some Scully to his methods.
"Obviously I'm going to have to be myself. I can't be Vin Scully. No one can," Schwartz said. "So it's important for me to develop my own identity, voice and personality on the air, but there are certain basic principles of broadcasting that he brings to his work that I have definitely taken from him."
The approach has worked for him, Thornhill said.
"(Schwartz) is young, but he's driven and he's extremely knowledgeable about the game and has a great story-telling sensibility about him," he said.
Schwartz has been much more than just the voice of the JetHawks, as he is in charge of anything media-related, like writing press releases, game stories and monitoring www.JetHawks.com and all social media platforms.
This year Schwartz has some help, however, as Spenser Smith was hired as his assistant.
"I'm definitely thankful for Spenser," Schwartz said.
The feeling is mutual.
"It's a lot of fun," Smith said. "I'm just looking to be a sponge, absorb all the information I can, learn what I can about what goes into a quality broadcast.
"(Schwartz) has really taken me under his wing and I've learned a few things from just watching him."
It's not all fun and games, however. Just like for players, the grind of a non-stop baseball season has required Schwartz to sacrifice a lot of his time and work holidays.
It's how Schwartz's family found itself at his job on that notable July 4, 2012, a day that tested the USC graduate's mettle while on the air.
"I just kept going," Schwartz said of his reaction after the foul ball hit his grandma's arm. "There was definitely a moment where I was kind of silent trying to figure out what to do, but fortunately my parents were there and everybody kind of had it under control.
"My grandma wasn't freaking out or anything, so I was kind of stunned and then the next inning I finally was like, 'Hey, if you guys heard some silence before, here is what just happened.'"
Tremendous drive, superb advice, a handful of e-mails and plenty of sought-after fortune have made Schwartz the unwavering voice of the JetHawks. Only time will tell for how much longer.
"I had no idea it would turn into anything, that it would turn into a job, and it has and that's great," Schwartz said. "I'm thankful for that."
By ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — A thrilled 23-year-old in his first year as the voice of the JetHawks, Jason Schwartz invited family to his radio booth for a Fourth of July broadcast in 2012.
Chance paid the Schwartzes a bad trick on that fateful day, as a foul ball from Visalia's Jon Griffin traveled up and over the netting behind home plate and down and through the booth's window, hitting Jason's grandma.
"Literally it's the only foul ball that has ever come straight through the window since I've been here," said Schwartz, now in his fourth year with Lancaster. "It just happened that it hit my grandma."
A strong woman who'd turned 90 three days before, Jason's grandma survived the unlikely strike to her arm without major complications. Signed by Griffin after the game, the foul ball now sits on her bookshelf.
The episode is now all but a memory of an unlucky day in the midst of what's been a fortune-filled broadcasting career for Schwartz.
"I have been insanely lucky," said Schwartz, who calls JetHawks' games on News Talk 1380AM. "I've called two championships, two no-hitters, I called (Astros outfielder) George Springer hitting home runs on four consecutive at-bats, three cycles, (Dodgers ace Clayton) Kershaw starting against us. The list goes on."
But make no mistake. The voice of the JetHawks has made his own luck.
"Finding these opportunities is about getting your name out there," he said.
A former Campbell Hall High (North Hollywood) and travel baseball player, Schwartz put his playing dreams on permanent hold to chase microphone ones while at USC.
Following the advice of longtime television sportscaster Al Michaels, who was at one of Schwartz's classes as a speaker, Schwartz began to send out clips of his college radio work to numerous baseball teams all over the country. That 2009 summer, he landed a job as a play-by-play broadcaster with the Wenatchee AppleSox, a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the West Coast League.
"That's how I got started," said Schwartz, who's also broadcasted USC women's volleyball, women's basketball and football games.
The following summer, Schwartz called games for the Corvallis Knights before landing his first minor-league gig in 2011 with the Tri-City Dust Devils, then the short-season affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.
That year, Schwartz attended the baseball winter meetings in Dallas looking to network and found himself talking to Will Thornhill, then the JetHawks' director of sales and marketing.
"The first conversation we had, (Schwartz) was controlled and smooth and we knew right away he could be something special," said Thornhill, now the JetHawks' general manager.
A week later, Schwartz was making his first-ever drive to Lancaster for an interview for the director of broadcasting and media relations job. Not long after, he had his first full-season minor league gig.
"I was elated, I couldn't believe it," Schwartz said. "I would have gone anywhere in the country. But here I am close to home and they're offering me the job in the California League, which is where I'm from."
Schwartz's first season in Lancaster saw him call the JetHawks' first-ever California League championship. Two years later, Schwartz called another one.
Through his tenure, he's broadcasted the start of the careers of major leaguers that include Springer, Delino DeShields, Kike Hernandez, Preston Tucker, Vincent Velasquez, Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers.
"It's a really cool experience," said Schwartz, who's also met his share of well-established broadcasters. "It makes me a little jealous because I want to be there calling their games in the big leagues. I'm hopeful that one day I'll be in a position where that can happen, where I'll see someone at a big-league park and say, 'Hey, remember when we were in Lancaster?'"
That opportunity may still lay a few seasons away, but Schwartz has come a long way since he first became a student of the game as a child.
Growing up a Dodgers fan, Schwartz learned and drew inspiration from legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, who is in his 66th season as the play-by-play announcer for the Boys in Blue.
"It had a huge impact, massive," said Schwartz, who met Scully last year. "I don't know that I would have really wanted to broadcast if it weren't for Vin."
If you listen to Schwartz on game days, you can hear some Scully to his methods.
"Obviously I'm going to have to be myself. I can't be Vin Scully. No one can," Schwartz said. "So it's important for me to develop my own identity, voice and personality on the air, but there are certain basic principles of broadcasting that he brings to his work that I have definitely taken from him."
The approach has worked for him, Thornhill said.
"(Schwartz) is young, but he's driven and he's extremely knowledgeable about the game and has a great story-telling sensibility about him," he said.
Schwartz has been much more than just the voice of the JetHawks, as he is in charge of anything media-related, like writing press releases, game stories and monitoring www.JetHawks.com and all social media platforms.
This year Schwartz has some help, however, as Spenser Smith was hired as his assistant.
"I'm definitely thankful for Spenser," Schwartz said.
The feeling is mutual.
"It's a lot of fun," Smith said. "I'm just looking to be a sponge, absorb all the information I can, learn what I can about what goes into a quality broadcast.
"(Schwartz) has really taken me under his wing and I've learned a few things from just watching him."
It's not all fun and games, however. Just like for players, the grind of a non-stop baseball season has required Schwartz to sacrifice a lot of his time and work holidays.
It's how Schwartz's family found itself at his job on that notable July 4, 2012, a day that tested the USC graduate's mettle while on the air.
"I just kept going," Schwartz said of his reaction after the foul ball hit his grandma's arm. "There was definitely a moment where I was kind of silent trying to figure out what to do, but fortunately my parents were there and everybody kind of had it under control.
"My grandma wasn't freaking out or anything, so I was kind of stunned and then the next inning I finally was like, 'Hey, if you guys heard some silence before, here is what just happened.'"
Tremendous drive, superb advice, a handful of e-mails and plenty of sought-after fortune have made Schwartz the unwavering voice of the JetHawks. Only time will tell for how much longer.
"I had no idea it would turn into anything, that it would turn into a job, and it has and that's great," Schwartz said. "I'm thankful for that."