A school’s baseball royalty usually refers to legendary players who went on to have succesful major league careers. But Emerson College’s baseball royalty, Tim Neverett ‘88, found legacy not in the batter’s box, but in the press box. 

Neverett, who visited Boston’s campus for a series of events with the communications department earlier this month, was a pioneer in sports broadcasting during his time at Emerson. While donning purple and white as a member of Emerson’s baseball team, Neverett started the first broadcast of an Emerson sports game for WECB, a radio station on campus. Since then, Neverett has had quite the career, dabbling in a little bit of everything both on and off the screen.

Neverett is currently the Los Angeles Dodgers’ play-by-play announcer for radio and television, first assuming the role in 2019. The rest of his Major League Baseball experience includes time with the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates. Neverett has also broadcasted Olympic and college hockey, all levels of football, basketball, volleyball, outdoor and indoor track, lacrosse, and swimming and diving.

For people interested in getting their foot in the door for broadcasting, Neverett said they “just gotta find a way.”

“Sometimes you have to create your own situation,” he said in an interview with The Beacon. “If there’s a local station doing high school games, if they ask you to do popscotch, you do it.”- 

Neverett detailed an odd experience broadcasting a peculiar sport in one of his first assignments out of college, if one can refer to it as such: a scan and bagging competition hosted by Toys “R” Us. 

“You gotta get out of your comfort zone sometimes. Whatever is available to do, you do it,” Neverett said. “I think it’s important to understand that [when] people ask you to do stuff, always say yes, because when you start saying no, they stop asking.” 

Neverett highlighted student organizations such as Emerson Channel Sports as ways to get involved on campus, whether that involves calling a game, running a camera, or working on replay.

He also emphasized the amount of preparation that broadcasters do before the radio or cameras go live.

“Be curious. Ask questions, develop relationships, so the questions come easier,” Neverett said. “If you’re going somewhere for the first time and meeting a coach, try to establish a relationship. Just ask, ‘Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?’”

Even professionals like Neverett are still finding ways to improve their craft and be inventive with new information or deliveries.

“Every day, try to find stuff that no one else knows. I’m trying to bring something to the broadcast different every day,” Neverett said. “You get to a point where you’re doing games for a long time. You can’t mail it in.”

Baseball ultimately became Neverett’s main calling, being his first sport to call and the reason he came to Emerson. With multiple Division I offers on the table to play either baseball or track, a young and hungry Neverett wanted to do both. But collegiate coaches refused. While deciding which college to attend, the smaller Division III Emerson kept coming back to Neverett because of the opportunities.

“I kept coming back to Emerson because of being in the city of Boston, having the city as your campus, and being able to come in and get hands-on right away on the radio and TV side,” he said. 

The left fielder turned second baseman proved his worth on the diamond, playing in every game throughout his four years. He eventually served as a team captain for two seasons and was named team MVP his senior year. Neverett’s availability and adaptability made him valuable for his team, a skill that helped him get his foot in the door.

He said that his first stepping stone was an opportunity he received while working as an intern for the Nashua Pirates, a minor league team of the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he was able to call his first inning of baseball. From there, the opportunities kept coming.

Eventually, Neverett had his homecoming while working with WEEI for Red Sox Radio, a time that was abruptly cut short.

“You had to work for the radio station, and [at] the flagship radio station, people were not baseball people,” Neverett said. “They didn’t necessarily have a clue [about] how the baseball broadcasters should be managed and how the broadcast should be operated.”

Despite this, Neverett looks back fondly at his time in Boston, especially for the 2018 World Series champion team. He called every single game, and he has the same Boston World Series ring as L.A. Dodgers Mookie Betts, who also now chases his dreams in LA.

“I think statistically … the 2018 Red Sox team was the greatest team in franchise history. And I don’t say that lightly,” Neverett said. “I had an executive from the organization call me one day and congratulate me and say, ‘Congratulations on being part of the greatest team in Red Sox history.’”

When it finally comes down to students shooting for a broadcasting career, Neverett spoke about the importance of understanding the deeper aspects of a team and what it means to be a member of said team.

“The fact that you understand the business and how to promote the team, how to sell the team, you have to have a solid understanding of the broadcast industry,” Neverett said. “They’re looking for you as a fit, and that comes with having great people skills and being committed to your craft.”