The honor of being my first interview, but not first posted, is my good friend Joe Miglioretto or “Mig” as we affectionately call him. Mig is the Video Coordinator for the San Francisco Giants in Salem/Keizer.
Norm: Mig, first of all thanks for allowing me to ask you a few questions. Please tell us a little more about yourself:
Mig: Well Norm, I teach Health at McMinnville High School during the school year. I have been teaching their for 26 years. My wife, Karen and I will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary this year in June. We have four children, Mike who is 27, Melissa who is 24, Matt who is 22, and Megan who is 20. We also have been blessed with our first grandchild by Melissa and her husband, Cole. We call him CJ which is short for Coleman Junior. He is now seven months old.
In addition to teaching, I coached baseball, football, and basketball at MHS. Of course, since baseball has been my passion, I was pursuing becoming the Head Baseball coaching job at the high school but that never materialized. I was also involved in the in the baseball/softball program at McMinnville Parks and Rec. In fact, that is where we first met. You could probably tell the story about that. Anyway, as things turned out, I have had the privilege of working as the Video Coordinator with the Volcanoes and that has been a blast. I have been able to meet and work with a bunch of quality people.
Three years ago, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes was revived at McMinnville High School and I have the privilege of supervising the fine group of students that are a part of that club. It has been a blast to see what God has been doing in the lives of students at our school. That reminds me of one other piece of involvement with the Volcanoes. The team’s Chaplain, Chad Watson, has allowed me to attend Chapel’s with the team before Sunday games and has even asked me to lead a couple Chapel’s when he has been unable to do so. That has been a neat experience because it has allowed me to get to know some of the players on a completely different level.
Norm: How did you become the Video Coordinator for the Giants in Salem/Keizer?
Mig: It was one of those “in the right place at the right time stories”. About 2001, I started going to some games with my brother Vic, who was a season-ticket holder. Over the years I went to more and more games and I think it was during the 2005 season when I saw this guy with a video camera and a clipboard. Being the curious sort, I sat by him and asked him what he was doing. He told me that he was the video coordinator for the team and we talked about what his job was about. As our conversation came to a close, I told him that if he ever needed help shooting video to let me know. He then explained that he might not be able to continue next season because he was probably going full-time with another job. I gave him my name and number and he told me he would give me call if he wasn’t going to be able to continue as the video coordinator. Well, the next spring I got a call from him and he told me that I should get my resume into Rick Nelson. I did. Rick sent it to San Francisco and I later got a call from Yeshayeh Goldfarb, the supervisor for the minor league video guys. It was a Friday and he interviewed me over the phone, told me he had one other person to call and that he would call me later and let me know. The next Monday, Yeshayeh called back and offered me the job. Of course, there was no hesitation on my part.
Norm: What is your favorite part of your job?
Mig: I love it all. The bottom line is that I get to go to baseball games all summer and get paid to watch them. In might be in front of a computer but it is still a cool thing. Being a part of the Giants organization is a tremendous privilege and the relationships that have been developed with the Volcanoes’ staff, coaches, players, and the fans has been a tremendous blessing.
Norm: I’m going to name off a few players who have came through the NWL. Please give me one word to describe them.
1) Mike Zunino – WOW!
2) Buster Posey – Classy
3) Connor Jackson – 2B hit
4) Pablo Sandoval – Clutch (I still remember his 16 pitch at-bat in one of the championship games)
5) Sergio Romo – Crazy
I will add a couple others to your list. How about “Jonny Doubles Down the Line Williams” (Jon Williams)? Manny Burris (fast). Casey Myers (Professional hitter, even though I hate that phrase)
Norm: What former Volcano has the prettiest swing you’ve seen?
Mig: Will Thompson. He had one of those natural swings and was a great hitter for the Volcanoes. I wish he could have made it to the big leagues.
Norm: What former Volcano has the best arm you’ve seen?
Mig: Mike McBryde. He had a hose. Joey Dyche was another one that had an impressive arm in the outfield.
Norm: Okay Mig, once again thanks for sitting down with me. I have one final question for you. Please tell us your passion for the game comes from?
Mig: I grew up in a baseball family. It was never a choice. My dad loved the game. My mom loved the game. And my siblings. It was just a natural thing for me. It’s also something that I have been able to pass on to my children. There is just something special about going to a well-groomed field where the grass is green and freshly cut, the brown dirt has been watered down, and baselines have been chalked. You also have to love when the umpire yells, “Play Ball!”, the pop of the ball in the glove, and the crack of the bat when it is hit. No wonder John Kansella asked if this was heaven in the Field of Dreams.