While other kids were batting, pitching and fielding their way toward careers on Major League Baseball’s fields of dreams, Wayne Randazzo’s sights were set a little higher.

Countless young boys grow up following Major League Baseball on TV or the radio and dream of one day being part of the game. Wayne Randazzo wished for a life in baseball, but not as a player — he wanted to get to call the action.

“Pretty much ever since I knew I needed a job when I got older, this has been the job I wanted,” says Randazzo, 40, who is in his third season as the lead play-by-play announcer for Los Angeles Angels TV broadcasts.

Randazzo was born in Chicago and grew up watching legendary broadcasters Harry Caray and Steve Stone call Chicago Cubs games on WGN. Shortly after graduating from North Central College in Naperville with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communication, Randazzo landed a four-month internship at WGN Radio in 2005. While there, he got to work with Chicago sports media figures like David Kaplan, Tom Waddle and Mike Ferrin. He also would go to Wrigley Field to help with Cubs game broadcasts, meeting legendary broadcasters Pat Hughes and Ron Santo.

“They were all really gracious with their time. It was perfect, it was just what I needed to get my path started,” Randazzo recalls. “I was so interested in it and so passionate about it. They recognized I had a knack for it and interest in it and they helped me along.”

He has worked in broadcasting ever since, including a yearlong return to WGN Radio in 2010 and a three-year job as an update anchor and host on 670 The Score, another legacy AM radio station in Chicago.

Randazzo’s first regular MLB broadcasting assignment came for the New York Mets in 2019. In 2022, he began serving as a play-by-play announcer for “Friday Night Baseball” on Apple TV+.

In addition to being live on the air during the long baseball season, Randazzo says broadcasters also put in hours of prep work.

“The preparation is pretty constant,” Randazzo says. “With all the info out there, there’s never enough — you can always do something more.”

In his first six years announcing MLB games, Randazzo has witnessed some amazing players in the process of making history. He covered Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom’s Cy Young Award-winning 2019 season and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s MVP Award-winning season for the Angels in 2023.

“Elite stars bring out the best in the broadcaster,” Randazzo says. “There’s always that extra pep in your step when you’re going to call those performers.”

He was on the mic for Apple TV+ when St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols became just the fourth player to enter the 700-home-run club on Sept. 23, 2022. Being able to call that historic moment is among Randazzo’s career highlights so far.

“Ultimately it’s important for people to pursue their dreams in life,” Randazzo says. “It might not necessarily be a career, but it’s important to pursue things that drive you personally and bring you joy.”

Another of Randazzo’s passions is the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Created in 1977 by George Randazzo, Wayne’s grandfather’s first cousin, NIASHF has honored generations of Italian-American athletes and sports figures. From 1977 until his death in 2019, George oversaw the induction of more than 270 standout athletes in every sport.

Wayne spent a lot of time at the museum during his youth. “I sat at the front desk there for years answering the phone,” he says.

He also edited the Hall of Fame’s print magazine “Red, White and Green,” after he graduated from college. In recent years, he has served as the emcee for the organization’s annual induction ceremony.

“I’m glad to make sure the people who deserve that time on the stage are introduced the right way,” he says, noting that he hopes to be involved in the hall for the rest of his life. “I want to make sure it continues and George’s legacy lives on.”

The article above appears in the May 2025 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture. To subscribe, click here.

Data analysis is important in helping players make the leap from the minors to the majors, L.A. Angels exec Mike LaCassa says, but you can’t lose sight of the human element.

As director of minor league operations for the Los Angeles Angels, Mike LaCassa says that yes, of course, developing players for Major League Baseball is the goal.

“Each time a player moves up a level and especially when they make their Major League debut, it really makes us feel proud of all the work they put in, because none of it comes easily,” the 32-year-old said.

But the job is more than that, he said. “Not all players in our system will achieve that, so it’s also important that we provide them with the experiences and personal growth opportunities to be successful beyond their playing careers.”

LaCassa is in his fourth year in his current role and in his eighth season with the Angels, for which he oversees all aspects of the player development system. “This includes both on-field, our baseball fundamentals and philosophies, and off-field, the cognitive and mental development as well as life skills, for over 200 players across six domestic affiliates and at our academy in the Dominican Republic,” he explained.

When it comes to developing players, there are no absolutes, he said. “Every player is an individual — their bodies and minds are capable of different actions and achievements. We provide the players with all the information and all the tools possible to help them maximize their potential.”

A native of Illinois, LaCassa graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008 and started his career the following year with the Milwaukee Brewers. He moved on to the Texas Rangers in 2010 and joined the Angels in 2012.

He goes by “House,” a nickname stemming from the similarity of his last name to the Italian “casa.”

“If somebody calls out ‘Mike’ in a work environment, I may not even notice,” he said. “During my first week as an intern with the Texas Rangers, I was introduced to Clint Hurdle, the hitting coach at the time. The first thing he said when he met me was, ‘LaCassa! Well I’m gonna call you House.’ I guess those on the staff with the Rangers who had gotten to know me thought it was fitting, so it’s stuck ever since.”

LaCassa was a die-hard baseball fan growing up and played baseball through high school. After graduating from college, he started working for the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago.

“I also attended the winter meetings, and I reached out to individuals from all 30 Major League organizations. I was fortunate to receive a handful of responses, which led to a couple interviews and ultimately I got my foot in the door with the Brewers,” he said. “I’ll be forever grateful to the many people who contributed to helping me get into the game and have and continue to provide mentorship.”

LaCassa said he learned a lot from professional coaches, many former big leaguers. Sports data analysis doesn’t replace the human element, but without data, you don’t know what’s possible, LaCassa said.

“We try to understand the full scope of what’s going on with a player — body, mind, approach, biomechanics,” he said. “However, the more information we have, the more noise there is, and we need to have a process to help our staff find the root of a problem. We want coaches with diverse skill sets to be able to navigate the information.”

LaCassa, who is married and has a daughter, said it’s difficult to be on the road often, away from family, but they are very supportive. “FaceTime helps a lot,” he said.

So, what are his future career goals?

“I want to be able to make an impact on the lives of those I work with, both players and staff, as well as to continue to learn from them all.”

The above appears in the July 2019 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture. To subscribe, click here.