Better Know A Broadcaster: Tim Hagerty

With baseball paused for the foreseeable future, Baseball America has decided to introduce you to some of the men and women who work as broadcasters for each club.

What Is Your Name?

Tim Hagerty

Which Team Do You Work For?

El Paso Chihuahuas, the Padres’ Triple-A team.

Which Other Baseball Teams Have You Broadcasted For?

Rookie-level Idaho Falls, Double-A Mobile and the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in Portland, Tucson and El Paso.

What Other Sports Have You Broadcasted?

Basketball, football, hockey, soccer and an ice fishing contest on a lake in Vermont.

Who Is Your Favorite MLB Broadcaster Of All Time?

I grew up in Massachusetts in the 1990s when Sean McDonough was the Red Sox TV announcer, so I’d have to pick him. He’s excellent.

I also grew up a half-hour from Pawtucket and sometimes listened to Don Orsillo calling PawSox games! Don laughed when I told him that at Padres spring training a few years ago.

Where Is Your Favorite Road City?

Salt Lake City

What Is Your Career Highlight?

Being hired to play an announcer in an underwear commercial.

Just kidding.

Calling the 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game was a highlight because it went smoothly after a lot of people worked to coordinate and produce that broadcast and distribute it to a network of stations around the country. It was also fulfilling to see dozens of baseball executives and a national TV audience realize how great El Paso is. It’s a big city with an incredible ballpark.

What Unseen Parts Of The Job Do You Feel People Should Know About?

Some people are surprised when they learn most minor league broadcasters report for home games in the morning and have office responsibilities throughout the day. Home games and road games are like two different jobs, with a lot fewer in-ballpark tasks on the road.

Also, I think the casual fan doesn’t always grasp how high a level of play Triple-A baseball is. It’s not the big leagues, but very few professional baseball participants make it this far.

What’s Your Best Story From The Road?

I’m trying to think of the best one. I’ve witnessed some bizarre delays during road games. Like the 2007 game in Montgomery that stopped in the ninth inning because Mobile’s pitcher got locked in the bathroom. He was frustrated after giving up the tying run in the eighth and he slammed the bathroom door between innings, locking himself in there until Montgomery’s fire department rescued him after the game. Mobile had to bring in a new pitcher for the ninth inning.

It was fun describing a delay in Oklahoma City when a cat was running all over the field. Same thing for the on-field snake delay in Casper, Wyo. There was a fire alarm delay one day in Fresno, and a pregame delay one night in Reno when a humidor malfunctioned and soaked the game balls.

In one of my first broadcasts, I had to fill about 15 minutes when a local bank manager in Provo, Utah fell down throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and couldn’t get up. The poor guy broke his leg and they had to bring out a stretcher. Those are the times when broadcasters show their skills, filling time unexpectedly.

There have also been a few very random celebrity sightings on the road, like the time I nodded at a few members of ZZ Top at the Tacoma hotel or said hello to the Gin Blossoms in the Las Vegas hotel.