It’s now been 33 years since Kenny Albert came to Baltimore as the Skipjacks voice and invited Nestor to come on his radio show at WITH-AM 1230. Let the author of “A Mic For All Seasons” tell you about his career roots that brought him to the Charm City en route to being a voice of sports across America.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
years, work, game, rangers, sports, call, book, games, baltimore, kenny, write, remember, team, great, day, friends, stories, feel, week, put
SPEAKERS
Kenny Albert, Nestor J. Aparicio
Nestor J. Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home we are wn St. am 1570, Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive it is the sum sum summertime and you know some people you don’t get to catch up with as often as you’d like. This fella and I we used to get together three, four or five times a week, sitting around jibber jabbering about sports 32 years ago. Now we try to make it once or twice a year and when he writes a book and I released a documentary and all that stuff happens, I would love to get him down here for the Maryland crabcake tour. I have the Gold Rush sevens doublers we’re gonna be back out on the road on July 12 When the New York Yankees returned to Baltimore in the base brawl and whatever that was a couple weeks ago anyway. It’ll be a lot of fun. We’ll be down to fade Lee’s in Lexington market all the brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery in conjunction which if you move multi care as well as liberty, pure solutions, keeping the water crystal clear for me. We’re going to talk about frozen water and ice and all that stuff for our say that our friends at Royal farms and pouring the coffee into our coal roofing mug here and making things happen and percolating. This guy has made my entire career percolate from the time I was 23 years old. I met him. He doesn’t remember it. But I met him at an all star game in Pittsburgh and my sister’s father’s famous father. And I was with Jimmy Jackson. And all these years later, he finally as a book I mean, he’s called all sorts of things. He is famous for being a Mike for all seasons. Kenny I’m listen, I’m a little bit of a marketing dude. I want to go in with a for like the number four because you call for big sports. So I would say Mike for all seasons, his three decades and ask the NFL NHL, NBA MLB and not that the Olympics aren’t big, but he he did them. He is Kenny Albert forward by Wayne Gretzky and Walt Clyde Frazier. Goose is no longer available to do it for him. You didn’t call me. You didn’t call me for it while I’m in it. Thank you for that. You’re in the book. Look, dude, I gotta publish your copy. I didn’t even get an autograph one. I mean, I gotta come see you. We gotta get a crab cake, dude. Well,
Kenny Albert 02:10
I’ll have to send you one love to send you another copy. But first of all, great to be with you. As always. Now, I know we met at the All Star Game additionally, like you mentioned, but the first extended conversation was 34 years ago this week. It was June 22 or 23rd.
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:27
So the press conference underneath the arena was that it? It was
Kenny Albert 02:31
down the street at the dais and down the street from the arena. That was the press conference to introduce the head coach of the skip chats Rob Laird. I was up there as well on the Dyess and I remember having our first extended conversation that day. 34 years ago this week. Time flies. Yeah,
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:51
I don’t. How did that go? Do you remember our first because I often say to my wife a great story for a book would be when two people meet and stay connected their whole lives. But I think it’s even more special when it’s Lennon and McCartney or when it’s Simon and Garfunkel or not maybe not Albert, and Aparicio. But But certainly, you changed my life. And I just want to say that and I, I’m very appreciative that you, I was significant enough to make one of the pages in your book, to be a part of your life. And I put my documentary out and had a piece in the middle when you entered my life, but you entered my life and it was all very brief, right? I mean, your your Skipjacks thing, now that you look back and your kids are college stop, and life is where we are. When you when you chronicle your life, and you try to put it into a book. The skipjack thing was an interesting part of your journey to I mean, it kind of set you on your way. And I remember Tommy bright saying to me, we’re bringing in Marv Albert son, he won’t be here long. But like literally he said that one of the first things he said to me won’t be your long.
Kenny Albert 03:56
Well, you know, it’s funny, you mentioned it in that respect, as far as you know, the the fact that it was only two years, because there is an entire chapter in the book. On those two years in Baltimore with the Skipjacks. Advertising,
Nestor J. Aparicio 04:11
I got to say that so you got to read the book. I didn’t know you sold advertising. I
Kenny Albert 04:16
wasn’t very good at it. I made three sales. a batting cage driving range up in north of the city, I think in Cockeysville. And then we had a we had a hotel gym, a gym at the Hyatt downtown bought some advertising from us at a sports bar in Fells Point. Those are my three sales throughout the summer of 1990. And We gave them everything we gave them season tickets, for about $500. They got season tickets they got they had commercials on the radio. They had player appearances, so we threw it all in to seal the deal so that advertising sales was not my forte but we do did meet that first day. And you mentioned that you were one of the beat writers covering the team with the evening sun. And you were also on the music being at the time. And then once the season rolled around, you’re obviously at the Games covering for the for the evening sign at the time, and I would have you honest of guests between periods to recap what we just watched, and
Nestor J. Aparicio 05:18
I don’t really I was a pretty reluctant dude to come on. Because I was a little nervous. I mean, I was nervous coming on with, you gotta
Kenny Albert 05:24
climb down that ladder, remember the ladder into the broadcast, and I knew I
Nestor J. Aparicio 05:29
knew my ish, but I’ll be really honest with you, man, like you were pretty polished early on. And you never alone. And this is a complimentary of you, you never overwhelm me. And you always encouraged me that I could do it, that even when I was nervous, you would calm me a little bit. And during the conversation, just the eye contact you made with me stuff early on, let me know that I was doing a good job. And then you invited me back and then you’re like, I gotta show Jerry, do you want to do it? And, and I’m like, I don’t you know, I know a lot about sports. I guess I knew more. That’s the thing. I realized when I started doing, I knew so much more about sports. And the thing that I didn’t know in reading the early part of your book. You know, I don’t want to say I thought you were The Waterboy for the team, because dad was the broadcaster. But I didn’t know you had such a working role. So early on, I thought you you kind of hung out and dad was there, whatever. I didn’t really realize the to the extent of your preparation to do what you did when I found you when I saw you at the dais in it was just because you remarks kid, you clearly could do it. You clearly had aptitude for doing it. But I didn’t realize what went into your trips to Shea Stadium that your mother didn’t know about that you wrote about in your book that taking the train late at night when you’re like a 1516 year old kid, just stuff that happened that I don’t want to say I thought you were a golden child because you work too hard for that. You’ve always worked too hard for that. But I did. I didn’t realize that you were a grunt like me, like when I worked at the Dundalk eagle and stuff that didn’t even make my documentary, but would make my book at some point because I did bang for $5 a story in the Essex times and little places like that. That led me to you, you know, and
Kenny Albert 07:19
that was my first salary. $5 a week for Washington news on Long Island covering high school sports. Oh, were you 13 years old or something? Yeah, 1314 15. I tried to do everything I could, you know, I did have the opportunity to go to a lot of games and sit in the broadcast booth and I would learn by osmosis. But really, at a young age, I would bring that tape recorder around to various games. And I was so excited when I when I wrote a letter to the Port Washington news, our local town paper and a woman named Amy Pat hired me to cover the high school sports for $5 a week and I wasn’t driving yet. So my mother would have to bring me every Monday morning
Nestor J. Aparicio 07:57
to switch with the $5. Can I ask you what what was important to you then? Did you remember what you do?
Kenny Albert 08:03
I had an account at the time savings bank. And they had those little passports back. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Little plastic sleeve for it. Yeah. And I would accumulate, you know, a couple of 100 bucks over the course. Well, you put money
Nestor J. Aparicio 08:12
in, they put it in little thing and you would see the type. And it would come out you would see that I have $291 now. Yeah, exactly.
Kenny Albert 08:20
But she would drive me every Monday morning, we’d have to slip the envelope with my article under the door. And then when I was in high school, I started writing for the high school.
Nestor J. Aparicio 08:29
Were you I mean, typing was a hard thing to do. If you didn’t have a computer like we were both on the fringe of being able to write really have a keyboard instead of
Kenny Albert 08:39
like when I was in high school 8384 8586. I remember there was a computer room in the English department. They had word processors, and I would type a lot of the articles in there. And then I write about in the book, a small cable station Cox cable from a neighboring town showed up at my high school in January of 84. I was in 10th grade. And I was introduced to the producer I was there covering the game for the paper. And they had no announcers they had two cameras in a production van and that was it. And I raised my hand I volunteered they clipped a microphone on the shirt squirrel right literally and the rest is history. Right. Bringing friends along as color analysts I called about 100 games over the course of the next three years and I thought that I had such an advantage at that point with the experience you know, over kids who really wouldn’t have the opportunity until college and then you know fast forward in getting hired by the skip jacks. You mentioned the late great Tommy bright. I had the great pleasure of sending one of my books to his wife Joyce, and she sent me a really nice note back still lives in in the mount Gretna Pennsylvania area which is where I had my first interview with Tom and kind of
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:51
get me in touch with her I would love to have her. I would love to have her on just talking about the skip Jackson talking about what a great man Tom you And
Kenny Albert 10:00
I keep in touch with with a lot of the other folks who worked in the office. Alan rockfon Sherry, Patty Cliff Gault. We all work we all
Nestor J. Aparicio 10:08
get to get into, you know, when trots was coaching the caps, all those years, he coached the caps.
Kenny Albert 10:13
As you read about, he was my roommate on the road for two years, he
Nestor J. Aparicio 10:16
would make one day a year to come up. And it was always between games, we’d work it out, he would get in his car, no piano, he would just drive up and sit for several hours. But he always wanted to know if Sherry And if you know, the whole, Margaret Robin saga, Rob, of course, a big part of that. Mike Nosov, different people would all come together and hang out with Barry and Baltimore when he coached the Cavs. That’s, that doesn’t happen everywhere. And it doesn’t happen everywhere that Albert and Aparicio meet 32 years later, we both have done our things in the world, and you’ve done amazing things. But we both have worked with the same people in the same places. And we wind up in the same places, and whether it’s Goose on the sidelines with you or me on his lap over at the barn. And these people like berry trucks, they keep popping up in our world, and the Panthers just won the Stanley Cup the other day. So Jeff Remmers kid is all over my page, because he was a Panthers guy, and he’s my friend later in life, um, sports and hockey and broadcasting and all of that. But your dad, I want to ask you about this, because I want to hear more old stories. Because I mean, anybody talk about Gretzky, and you’ve told those stories before, but I don’t know, I didn’t know any of this about you, Kenny. And I’ve known you a lifetime. And I found the book to be compelling for me, because I found you at that point where Tommy Brock said, you’re going to be something four years later, you’re launching Fox and own team sports and all of that. But that point for you, your dad’s one of the most famous men in America through several sports, certainly in New York, most famous one of the most famous men in the most famous towns in the country, and you get this opportunity. And people give you a shot because your name and I got I got inside stuff because my name was Aparicio in some quarters in some places. But then you have to go prove yourself. You know, Stedman thought it was cool that my name is Aparicio and my uncle Omar served in wine. But then I had to write and then I had to go report and then I had to go do what I did. Same thing for you. What did your dad make of you when you were 1012 1416? When you went from being? Hey, getting the sit in the back of the press box. This is Mr. Clyde. And like all of that to do on your own thing, when you were like to get this cable gauge, your dad must have thought, Whoa, he’s gonna be like me. Or maybe he knew that all along. Or maybe you knew that all along.
Kenny Albert 12:37
You know, it’s funny when I think back, we never really sat down and had discussions about it. It’s not like he gave me lesson plans. But I would just soak it all in. And I write about a lot of this in the book. Whenever my uncle’s came to the house, and they were both longtime broadcasters as well, Alan, Steve worked, basketball, hockey, boxing, numerous other sports.
Nestor J. Aparicio 12:59
They both did my show. Yeah.
Kenny Albert 13:01
I’ve been on my show, I felt like I was listening to the first all sports radio station, they would be sitting around telling stories about various games and teams and players and I was just all ears, you know, I would soak it all in. And then when I was old enough to start tagging along, he would bring me to basketball, hockey, football, boxing, and I would do the stats for him and help with some of the research. And, you know, I think he knew that this is what I wanted to do, but because he would see me to get into the tape recorder and then when the opportunity came about with Cox cable and then moving on to college, but it wasn’t like he sat me down like in a classroom atmosphere, so to speak. It was just a lot of just nonverbal communication, I guess, be watching him and then he would listen to my tapes and watch my games. And I remember when he came into the studio with us in Baltimore, to do one of the talk shows, but I
Nestor J. Aparicio 13:54
changed my life. It was just it was just changed my life. He walked out on me and made me do it myself. And I swear on my life. I was okay.
Kenny Albert 14:06
He didn’t want anyone to miss the opening face off. I guess he put his Overwatch on
Nestor J. Aparicio 14:10
on a 27 degree night in February or January in downtown Baltimore. I had been playing with you for a month. And I tell you right now I know how frightened I was doing it with you. Even just doing sports radio, it wasn’t frightened. But I was never confident that I could do this or that it was an aptitude for me beyond writing because I did not have your background. I did not do radio into my hairbrush in the mirror. You know what I mean? Maybe I sang songs that way but I never thought of myself as being an interviewer or doing what I’ve done for a living. I was worried I was gonna be a sports writer. You knew that about me. I never talked about doing anything other than maybe writing a rolling stone that
Kenny Albert 14:54
you brought up a key point the interviewing skills that you had from writing. I did not nearly as As much writing as you back in the day, but I did write in high school for the town paper, the school paper wrote for the college paper five bucks, you must be pretty good. Exactly. But I feel like and even some of the writing classes, the journalism classes, I felt like a lot of that translates into broadcasting. So you might not have realized it. But a lot of those skills that you acquired, from your writing days did translate when you had to do an interview on the radio, for example,
Nestor J. Aparicio 15:25
you I never got the impression that your dad called Tommy bright and say, give my my son a chant, you know, like it never that, that I never smelled bad or that mark would ever want to do that, on your behalf or whatever, you earned your own way, all the way through all of this. And I think that that is, um, you’ve made your own mark. And why the book? Well, why now? I mean, I know, we talked last year about it coming out, and it was on its way out. It’s been out for a little while now. And dude, you’re so damn busy. I mean, you know, part of it having the book is like, you’re the busiest guy in the world doing this. And you always, we always find time or make time. And I always want it to be like, it’s never has to happen right away. I just want it to be great. But the book could have happened at any point. Why here Now, getting
Kenny Albert 16:08
back to your first question, and I’ll get to the book in a second. But I did feel like those five years in Maryland, two in Baltimore, and then three closer to Washington were so valuable. You know, similar to what you talked about when you made the transition from print to the radio side, but I felt like going to a different market, away from New York, sort of really helped me create my own identity and get the reps doing the two years of Skipjacks hockey 80 games a year. Some with Colorado is some without, that was such a huge part of my life, even though it was only the two years in Baltimore and then the three years of home team sports as far as the book goes
Nestor J. Aparicio 16:49
for team sports guys was it was Lachlan, your guy, Greg
Kenny Albert 16:54
Laughlin, the great locker we did. We did hockey together out koken was the sideline reporter. And then I filled in on some bullets at the time now wizards and Orioles games as well see if
Nestor J. Aparicio 17:04
you remember left and you know Fornes was there. You know, I just was trying to put into perspective because you didn’t do that very long, either. I was like, kind of a couple a 93 for like that fine. Yeah.
Kenny Albert 17:17
9293 through 9495. Jeff forever was still there. For a year they split the package. He was doing the away games. I was doing the whole games. Jeff’s a good friend. Retired,
Nestor J. Aparicio 17:29
just retired, they had a fanfare in Columbus, Ohio, before
Kenny Albert 17:33
a ceremony for him in Columbus. But as far as the book felt like I had a lot of stories to tell like you I’m sure whether it was with regard to the four sports that I’ve had the good fortune of working for all these years. The Olympics. story about my early life born three months premature, spent the first two and a half months in an incubator. I was one pound 15 ounces. You know, as you probably read in the book, my parents actually met at a sporting event at Shea Stadium. One of them was doing the Pre and Post game show for the match. The other was working as an usherette 19 years old at the time back in 1964. Stories about travel tales. And by the way, either that was only their third year they were not their travel tales store stories about my color analyst and I’ve worked with over 200 of them. Stories about favorite games, memorable games, a chapter paying it forward to young broadcasters, I speak at a lot of broadcasting camps. Every summer I have three coming up. And the kids are high school and college age and they always ask such great questions. And I find myself telling a lot of the same stories. So I decided why not try and put pen to paper during the pandemic. We all had a lot of time on our hands. So I put together an outline some sample chapters, a book agent by the name of Andrew bladder in New York had contacted me and said if you’re ever interested in doing this, I can try and connect you with the publisher and triumph bucks was outstanding during the entire process. And the one thing I take so much pride in Nestor, I wrote it myself. Now I did have help from my wife and kids but no ghostwriter. I wanted it to be my voice my words. surreal to see Wayne Gretzky and Walt Clyde Frazier on the cover two of the greatest, you know, the greatest hockey player of all time and one of the top 50 in the NBA in the history of the league, and I’ve worked about 15 games a year with Clyde now for the last decade plus, Wayne’s a colleague on the NHL on TNT. So to see their names on the cover, every time that I look at the book is is definitely surreal.
Nestor J. Aparicio 19:38
A couple of weeks ago, I was in New York. This is before my wife broke her ankle. By the way, I had no idea how easy it was to get from Center City to MetLife Stadium for Rolling Stones concert at a port authority for eight bucks on a bus like I you never could have told me I would have spent lots more time in Manhattan for those events. But so I’m up there and I ended virtually not inadvertently, but there’s a bar called stout, about a block from Madison Square Garden. And I’ve wound up there was a blogging event there like 15 years ago with Gary Vaynerchuk and Sarah Spain and a bunch of people. So I just wind up getting a beer there. From time to time. I’m always staying somewhere, you know, 28th Street, Chelsea areas and web Center City. I love Manhattan. I come up a lot for concerts. I love the garden. As you know, I don’t bother you for tickets. I don’t take any I’m in New York here in Detroit calling a game or something.
Kenny Albert 20:28
But as easy as they used to be, as you know, and yeah, well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 20:32
even but yeah, I just boom Sikhi comm good, or whatever I gotta do is just a bomb ticking man, whoever it is, whoever is going to give me the fees, bring it on. I’m going to the garden scene again. So but we went to New York and I came into stout and I walked in there at 430 On the day of game three for whatever it was the game was in Carolina, and or it was in Florida. It was Carolina either way a month ago. And it was like walking into the garden. And it was like all Rangers fans, all glued to every TV, hundreds Rangers fan Center City and being there. I got to think that I was at the garden courtesy of you sitting next to the great Linda cone. Um, the night that the Rangers could have won the call back in 94. We were friends back then. And you got me tickets and like all of that. I am for you with your career. You call it a lot of things. I mean, I saw you out in Vegas with Traci called Stanley Cup on like all of that, what’s left for you? Because when I’m in that room with all these rangers people, I’m thinking like, probably that’s all that’s left for came and maybe you’ll do a Super Bowl one day or do this or that or whatever the aspiration would be what do you got left to do, dude, by the
Kenny Albert 21:47
way that game five and 94 that you were at? That was the night I met my wife which I also write about in the book. Wow. Oh, you met after that game. Messi
Nestor J. Aparicio 21:56
scored a bunch of goals. In the second period. They gave up like three in the first write.
Kenny Albert 22:01
Down three. Nothing tied into three last six, three off the top
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:05
of my head but it was a valuable sporting event. Yep. And oh wait, Linda cone. I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I had more fun with you that night. I know she never remember me. But I remember her three periods at a night next to Linda calm when the rangers can when the cop anybody that’s listening. I don’t even know who I am and those who can’t. You know what I’m talking to that’s I had to I had that experience with Linda Cohen. You don’t forget that 30 years later.
Kenny Albert 22:30
Yeah, Lindsey has a huge range of fan. You know, I’ve been really lucky Nestor. As you know, I’ve called two Stanley Cup Finals on the TV side, one with NBC one with TNT. And we’ll have it again next year in the rotation. Eight Cup finals on the radio side Olympics. baseball playoffs NBA Playoffs NFL playoff games did have the opportunity to call the world fee the international field of Super Bowl 46 in Indianapolis it wasn’t on in the United States, but it was on everywhere else so you know I love what I’m doing love being involved in in all four sports coming up on your 31 with the NFL on Fox, the NHL on TNT unbelievable crew with with Eddie Olczyk and Brian blue Shea love working at MSG Rangers radio some next television is the schedule comes together like a jigsaw puzzle. But you know, obviously the big events are the ones you strive for. And we will have like I said, the Stanley Cup final again next year on TNT would certainly love to work a Super Bowl one day on network TV in the US I’ve done the world feed like I said, you know, that would obviously be the goal of any play by play broadcaster. But as I write in the book, there’s a lot of work involved a lot of prep a lot of travel, but I never really feel like I’m working. So that’s a tremendous feeling to have each and every day. Really enjoy the preparation, sometimes of the year are a lot crazier than others. Right now. I have a lot of downtime over the next two months, which is nice. But once September kicks in and the NFL gets underway, and then the NHL and NBA in October, you know, it’s like it’s like the hamster on the wheel. It goes around for about six or seven months and never stops between flights and hotels and preparation. But that’s also the most fun time of the year.
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:21
What’s your home are for the Rangers, right? I mean, in a general sense, right? Like the Rangers winning would be I mean, Celtics won again, right? I mean, some of the, if it happens, that would probably be the kind of call for the fan base there because you’re theirs and they’re yours. Right. I
Kenny Albert 24:40
mean, that’s the team I’ve been associated with for almost 30 years now and I was lucky enough to be on the call when they want to 94 But that was for the NHL radio network. They came close this year won the President’s Trophy best regular season record fell short to Florida. They had a two one lead in the conference final. They have a tremendous team coming back next year. So Oh, if they can do it next year, I would be lucky enough to have the call on the TV side on TNT. Kenny
Nestor J. Aparicio 25:06
Albert is my guest sometimes I’m his host. He has written a book a mic for all seasons, my three decades announcing the NFL, NHL, NBA MLB Anna Olympics, Gretzky and Frasier and all sorts of, you know, Joe bucks and Steve Levy’s and Mike Tirico and Ron De barbers on the backside of the book, just the state of sports in a general sense, and I guess in the state of the world, get around the airports after the pandemic, and all of that stuff. College Sports and the NIO man, if you and I just had a big fat meal somewhere in Manhattan just wrapped for a couple hours about the state of sports. What would you say about modern times me women’s sports out in front, Caitlin, there’s just and the shrinkage of horse racing and boxing and just different things during i Terry Eisenberg on this week, so you and I had the world’s greatest living sports writer still, you know, just wrote a book on Larry. So I feel like when I span these generations, and having people like you want, I like to put the dipstick in on where you are on sports in general, and what you like and don’t like about it these days. You
Kenny Albert 26:14
know, I think the biggest difference between when we were growing up, and we’re right around the same age, and even when we started the business, is technology. I was talking to somebody the other day, you know, in the 70s and 80s, when we were, you know, 567 years old, up until our teenage years, whether it was baseball, football, basketball, hockey, you could only see your local teams for the most part on television. And then you would have the game of the week, whether it was Monday Night Football, Saturday afternoon baseball on NBC Monday Night Baseball on ABC, the other leagues would have a game of the week, but you would hardly ever see the other teams unless they were playing your hometown team. Now with technology, you know, I’m not sure kids these days, really watch entire games, you know, they’re watching highlights on their phone, they’re clicking around, you can see any game you want. You’re rooting for your fantasy team, not necessarily a specific team. So that’s probably the biggest thing that has changed. And I remember how excited I was when we first got cable TV, I was about 17 years old. And that that opened up, you know, more games and all the sports. On the TV side, I was a big radio listener back then. So, you know, obviously, a lot has changed with with with with the salaries as well of the athletes and the price of tickets like you were talking about earlier. But you know, I still love all sports, I’ll watch everything on TV. I’m involved, to a different extent, extent with the four major sports in the United States. And you know, when I started working, a lot of the preparation was daily newspapers, weekly publications, then all of a sudden, all of a sudden, something came into existence called the Internet, where you can click and read any article you want.
Nestor J. Aparicio 28:02
Rich Johnson, I’m giving rich a shout out at sports pages for backward Vader’s dot
Kenny Albert 28:06
com rich Johnson. Now that was always a staple back in the day to click on various links. When I started with Fox, they would send us VHS tapes of the two teams that we had coming up. We get them on a Wednesday, they would record the games, they’d have to make copies, send them out on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I could start my preparation by watching the previous week’s games. Now I could watch them on the phone or the iPad, I can tape them at home on a DVR. So a lots change. Tech technologically over the last 30 years. That’s probably the biggest thing in my mind.
Nestor J. Aparicio 28:40
I’m looking behind you and I see like a big pile of paper, your office looks like an accountant from 1978. Somewhere it looks like it would have your cigarette, you know, on the ceiling and a little reading light. Everything I know about you and every time I see you working, and I you know, I mean I don’t know if you know or not. But you know, I’ve been excommunicated here by the locals that I won’t run into you in a press box because they’ve taken that, that that right away from me. But when I’ve seen you the last time I saw you was was Sutcliffe at Dodger Stadium. In 2015. My wife and I were you recalling a game you were calling a Dodgers Mets game. And I came up to the press box to see you. And I am blown away by that cockpit that you work in every day and every night now. But that paper behind you and your paper charts and the way you charted things? I don’t know. I saw you call Rangers games back in the 90s in St. Louis. I remember sitting in the press box at the keel with you back in the day. And like just seeing what you do and the photographic memory you have for players recall stories to tell dude, you’ve got such a gift about this and to do it through for sports. There’s nobody even does what you do in a sport or to read guy people I know that do this Benenati whatever, that don’t marvel at your ability to soak in knowledge that you can then make interesting in a three hour broadcast. I mean, that’s really your gift. But it is the prep time that nobody sees in the way Dr. J would say, Yeah, you see me do that. That’s all the practice, Allen Iverson that you give behind. You know, when you’re on planes, when you’re in cabs, Ubers, wherever you are hotel rooms. I just know, you’d be a very, very studious guy with all of this. And I think not a lot of people would do what you do. I mean, and they want to be you and beat these kids in Jeremy’s camps and stuff. But I can vouch for you. It’s not just hard work and like you don’t consider work. But it’s just, it’s a lot of time. And it’s a lot of care to know what the Winnipeg Jets are doing this week, because you have to go call them. Well,
Kenny Albert 30:52
people would be surprised and I appreciate the kind words but people would be surprised at the amount of time that goes into preparing for an NFL broadcast. Between all the reading the watching of prior games and game film, coaches film and preparing charts and poring through statistics and then meeting with players and coaches and having our own production meetings. I’ve never really tallied it up, but it’s probably about 2530 hours a week, just for that one broadcast. I have a file cabinet to my left. And I’m somewhat of a an organized hoarder. I keep all my game charts that you refer to, I even have the ones from from the two Skipjacks years. They’re all in a file cabinet next to me. I’ll go back the next time that I have a certain team and you might grab a couple of notes. You know, I might not be going back to 1992. But the funny thing is, nobody will care about this stuff except me. And, you know, hopefully it’s not for about 30 or 40 years from now. But my kids will have a lot to go through and throw out because I don’t think anybody else, it would really have the meaning that it does to me, but just the hard work. And that’s what I try to talk about with with the students, the high school and college students just the amount of time that goes into it. You don’t just show up in the booth at one o’clock on a Sunday, at seven o’clock on a weekday for a basketball or hockey game. There is a lot of work that goes into it. I can’t even imagine how many 1000s of hours I’ve spent reading about sports about the various teams and coaches and athletes, you know that I’ve covered but you know that I have a checklist that I go through before each and every game and it involves a lot of what I talked about the reading the watching other games, the going to practices and talking to players and coaches. But do you ever feel
Nestor J. Aparicio 32:43
underprepared? Do you ever walk into a booth and think I could have done more today? Just I’d like didn’t get enough sleep? Had one last night doing hockey last night basketball and whatever it is? Do you ever feel Smidge on? Do you get a little nervous? I hope my color guy can carry me a little dark. Yeah, not
Kenny Albert 33:00
really, I’ve never really felt like that. They’re the one thing before every season no matter the sport, you have to stay on top of the rules, the new rules, you know, with replay and video reviews, and that’s where you can really get embarrassed, it can get confusing. And luckily, a lot of the networks now have former officials working in roles on television where they can help you out. But you still have to have that. That basic knowledge of all of the updated rule changes and replace situations.
Nestor J. Aparicio 33:28
I’m still trying to figure out the guy on second base. And then Kenny Kenny Albert is here. The book is Mike for all seasons, Kenny has been my friend, a mentor, a guiding light in lots of cases for lots of young people in the industry. And you know, I thought you’d be much more Misty about the Rangers winning because I was a little misty for you because I thought I was in there with all these rangers people and all I thought about was you and I thought, you know, this would probably be something that could still Yeah, no, no, no, no even even even even just something to get Kenny IX grandchildren. Something to get you excited, Albert. Come on.
Kenny Albert 34:04
Well, I will say this. My wife and I took a last minute trip to Paris last week after the Rangers were eliminated because if they’d advanced, I would have been on the radio call for MSG this year since TNT didn’t have the final. We had a great trip but we joke that I would have much rather been in Edmonton calling some Rangers Oilers games that week but we had a great time in France. Know if they if they gotten back it would have been tremendous. Working the games with David Maloney my longtime partner and it had been 30 years there was so much talk in New York about 1994 The Rangers winning the cup and next getting to the NBA finals that year. Getting to a game seven against Houston and there are a lot of parallels this year. And the Rangers wind up getting to the conference finals the next go to a game seven in the second round. So it was a tremendous year for the teams at Madison Square Garden love calling the games there. But you know as you know, we can’t control what happens In the eyes on the field, the court so hopefully it’ll have a real long run next year. Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 35:05
I appreciate your role in my story and telling my story in the 25th anniversary documentary brought to you by our friends at curio wellness in the foreign daughter, who’ve allowed us a year to celebrate. We’re going to continue the celebration with the oyster tour in September getting around to doing some cool stuff. Once the Orioles get into the pennant race, Kenny, it’s crazy man all these years. 32 years ago, I began the show. This is really the first summer that I can feel that I feel baseball momentum in Baltimore. Like you see the stadium behind me and then obviously Lamar and hosting the championship game and kicking off against the chiefs. In the beginning of the year, like all this is the first summer that I feel like I’m drinking in the all the potentiality of what Baltimore sports clubs should be, which is two teams that can win a championship this year. I’ve been doing this 32 years. I haven’t had that before. Well,
Kenny Albert 36:00
the Orioles are obviously having a great year. And you know, I think back to when Camden Yards first open and we were doing shows together.
Nestor J. Aparicio 36:07
We went to the first game together there. I guess. If we were
Kenny Albert 36:11
up on the and I write about that in the book, we were up on the roof of the hotel across the street. We have a great picture at the first exhibition game on the field with Jerry Coleman as well, the three of us, but going to Orioles games working some of them. There was just such excitement. You couldn’t get a ticket at Camden Yards in the early to mid 90s. And there were some great Oriole teams. That’s
Nestor J. Aparicio 36:34
why our show worked, right. Like literally when you had a show and you know was sort of like, hey, Camden Yards is opening in April. You know, let’s start a sports radio show. I mean, that really was the genesis of what the whole thing was about back
Kenny Albert 36:48
there in three decades. I felt so lucky to be a small part of it back when when Camden Yards first did open the exhibition game against the mats. And then the opening game victory in what two hours one minute Sutcliffe pitch to jam and were several oriels broadcast during the 9495 seasons at home team sports so I was getting nostalgic when I go back and have a bookmaker salad at Saba Tinos and work at Orioles or ravens game here and they’re always one of my favorite places to visit loved living up in Owings Mills for the two years. When I worked with the skip Jacks back in 1991 and 9192 and the shows that we did on wi th such great memories and let me thanks for
Nestor J. Aparicio 37:34
sharing that night. i You put me up in silver spring when I did the Tony Robbins firewalk in 94. I’m appreciative there.
Kenny Albert 37:41
I was living in Rockville, rockville at the time. Yeah, yeah. You had a lot of hotels. So because I remember it. We didn’t charge rent either. Well, it was it was nice. It was the little bars.
Nestor J. Aparicio 37:50
I didn’t need anything more than that, you know, at the Albert inn, or, you know, I don’t know what the book is on my for all seasons, go buy it, Kenny, he’s been my friend forever. My minute. I’m in the box. How can I not pick up the book? I mean, so and have a great summer. And I’m glad you got to go to Paris. I’m sorry. You get the call arrangers cup thing, but I am. You know, now that the capitals thing has happened for me and Trotsky’s thing has happened for him and he got his money on Long Island. He’s having a good time in Nashville. And I want the predators to win too. I want you to win. You’re not just your mind. You’re the last man standing for me that I want the rangers to win for you. So I there’s a little piece of me. Don’t tell anybody. Especially not people. I know the route for the Rangers that I’m pulling for the Rangers because of you. Okay.
Kenny Albert 38:36
Well, I appreciate it. Nestor. Congratulations on your success. And yet another anniversary. Thanks for plugging the book. It’s available on Amazon, Barnes and noble.com, etc. And, you know, like you said, everything comes full circle and you and I first met in 8990. And so many stories in the book about our great mutual friends Barry trots in the late Tony Siragusa, they’re both a big part of it. So appreciate any of your listeners and viewers that that pick up a copy. And again, thanks for having me on as always. Absolutely,
Nestor J. Aparicio 39:09
man. So Kenny Albert joining us from his estate in New Jersey, not bubble hill at all the other place where he raised the family i i still think we’re 22 When I’m with Kenny Albert, I feel you make me feel young again. It’s like a it’s like a Sinatra song. We’re doing the Maryland crafty Dewey crabcakes Kenny crabcakes I’m on the other day, just making sure I you know, so if I do invite you to the crabcake tour when you come through you’re calling whatever it is that you call and I never know what it’s gonna be. We’ll get your proper crab cake no crab cake tours back out on the road on July 12. And then after that like we normally are and the oyster tour is going to begin in September all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery, the Gold Rush sevens doublers are the they’ve been lucky to summer at a $20 winner over Coco’s last week as well our friends at Liberty pure solutions keeping our water our well water safe and crystal clear as as well as Jiffy Lube MultiCare putting us out on the road on the Maryland crabcake tour, little downtime for the Fourth of July to honor America and eat some hotdogs and watch some baseball around here go to some good American concerts but what summer we’re having around here with a baseball team that’s in it looks at the ballpark. football teams on a little bit of a respite. They’ll be back after it soon enough to give him two three weeks they’ll be back. I am Nestor. We are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. Keep it real with old friends. Like Kenny our we’re Baltimore positive. Stay with us.
