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BRETT DOLAN ADDRESSES MIDWEST PARTNERSHIP
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His first boss was Scott Gonzales at the Guthrie Center Times. His present employer is the Houston Astros major league baseball team.
Casey native Brett Dolan traced how he went from writing stories about Adair-Casey athletic games for the Times to being the play-by-play radio announcer for the Astros last Thursday at the Lake Panorama Resort: Conference Center. His audience were attendees at the annual banquet of the three-county Midwest Partnership economic development group.
And he offered the same advice for success in business as he used in reaching the pinnacle of his profession. "Dream big. You'll never be what you want to be by staying who you are," he related. His dream of being a big league announcer be-an as a young man growing up on a farm and listening to major league games on his transistor radio. "I dreamed big. I refused to give up," noting sometimes 200-300 persons may seek the same job.
"It's overwhelming now to be with a lot of the same people I listened to on the transistor."
"I've always believed in myself and didn't give up ... If I didnt believe in myself, why bother." Summing up his advice to the business people present, Dolan said, "Set goals, take dead aim, work hard, believe in yourself, never give up -- then sometimes good things happen."
Dolan has been in professional baseball 16 years after graduating from Adair-Casey in 1988 and receiving a degree from the University of Iowa. Now entering his fourth year as the Astros announcer, his career began with a four-year stay in lowly minor league Class A Beloit, WI followed by two years in Des Moines with the Iowa Cubs and then to Tucson, AZ until starting his fulltime big league career in 2006. His -game accounts go out over a 40-station network.
He confessed to originally being naive to all the tasks he would perform on the way up. "I didn't realize you have to do advertising, sales, media relations, write for the program and media guide, do speeches and, yes, even help pull the tarp over the field on rainy days." Further, "All this for a tiny sum of money that looked like a misprint on my taxes."
He recalled giving plasma twice a week in Beloit and sleeping in the umpire's dressing room during the offseason, when he also broadcast high school basketball games or covered them for a local newspaper. Some days he did both.
He admitted there were frustrations and doubts on becoming a big league broadcaster. "Could I get a break, or make a break? I had a family to support. Some colleagues were giving up as there are only 30 major league teams and announcers tend to stay for years."
Dolan had to be willing to go anywhere at anytime in case a job opened. Also, during the off-season he would travel to big league cities at considerable time and expense to meet people of influence who could boost his career or give advice. He tried to get as many tapes as possible into the hands of those who would critique them. "Those that told me what they didn't like probably helped me the most.
The Sugar Land, TX resident does up to 220 games a year plus basketball and baseball in the offseason. He notes his family doesn't see him much from February through October. "From what I hear, they're wonderful people" he cracked.
His job takes him across the U. S. to watch the best baseball players in the world, meet celebrities and have experiences he wouldn't otherwise have. Perks include flying in a Black Hawk helicopter and touring the West Wing of the White House, Oval Office, Pentagon and Air Force One. He's met Dick Vitale, Pamela Anderson and Gen. Tommy Franks among many and befriended astronauts.
Robin Yount, Nolan Ryan, personal hero George Brett, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Roger Clemens are just a few of the greats he rubbed elbows with.
Several standout events were shared about a career that has been an opportunity to "live out the dream I wanted so badly growing up in Casey some 20 years ago."
Dolan called a no-hitter thrown by the Chicago Cubs' Carlos Zambrano against the "home team" Astros in Milwaukee after it was driven out of Houston by Hurricane Ike. He broadcast Biggio getting his 3,000th hit.
As a rookie announcer in Beloit, he called a situation where the pitcher struck out five men in one inning, thanks to two batters reaching base on the third strike. Dolan was able to -get a plaque placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame commemorating the event. For this he received a lifetime pass to the Cooperstown, NY shrine.
Brett Dolan describes his life: "I knew exactly what I wanted to do from a young age. I guess I haven't grown up yet," he said. "Sports are a hobby and passion for many, for me they became a career and life."
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©Guthrie Center Times 2010
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