BROADCASTER DEVELOPING SMOOTH PITCH JETHAWKS INTERN SEEKS NEW ROLE IN BASEBALL.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News

LANCASTER -- As a 13-year-old actor, Williams Calvert was unfazed by Hollywood's bright lights, glamour and glitz.

The seemingly less-onerous trappings of a broadcast booth at Clear Channel Stadium had an entirely different effect this spring on an adult Calvert.

``I'm not going to lie, I was really intimidated at first,'' said Calvert, now 40, who appeared in the 1970s' TV series including ``Little House on the Prairie,'' ``The Jeffersons'' and ``Eight is Enough.''

Calvert is starting a new career in Lancaster as a JetHawks broadcasting intern. He works under the tutelage of JetHawks full-time radio broadcaster Jeff Lasky, calling the middle three innings of home games.

A lifelong Southern California resident, Calvert grew up a diehard Dodgers fan.

His acting career began in Santa Barbara's theatrical circles, where his childhood acting peers included Anthony Edwards, who starred in the hit TV series ``ER,'' and Eric Stolz, who appeared the 1985 film ``Mask'' with Cher.

Calvert's first big role was an appearance on a special Halloween episode of ``The Jeffersons.'' His most visible childhood role came on ``Little House on the Prairie,'' portraying a youth who inadvertently set fire to a school for the blind.

He is still involved in the industry, doing audio dialogue replacement -- high-tech voice-over work -- for Hollywood film and television productions. The work tapers off during the spring and summer, allowing him to pursue a passion he's had since he remembers his father, Robert, taking him to Dodgers games as a child.

``Baseball is very verbal -- that's what I like about it,'' he said. ``The difference between going to a movie, where you have to sit quietly, and going to a ballpark is you can talk about it or other things or anything.''

Calvert calls baseball ``seven minutes of action crammed into three hours.''

``If you watch it enough you can develop a sense for when to really pay attention and when to look away and talk about other things,'' he said.

His first broadcasting job was fictitious, a voice role in the film ``The Rookie.''

He tried pitching his tapes to prospective employers at the 2004 winter meetings, but none were interested.

Calvert agreed to an unpaid internship with the JetHawks in the offseason.

He commutes at least an hour each way from his home in Silver Lake. He spends several hours compiling statistical data and generating media notes in advance of each game. After the games, he conducts post-game clubhouse interviews. He then helps Lasky write game reports.

``William has shown marked improvement under the tutelage of (Lasky) as the season has progressed, and I feel he has a bright future as a broadcaster,'' JetHawks general manager Brad Seymour said. ``His dedication to the craft is obvious.''

His friends support his endeavor, even if they at times question his sanity.

``I do it for the love of the game,'' Calvert said. ``My hope is that in 10 years I can maybe do this for a small Single-A team somewhere in the Midwest. I don't really have major league aspirations. I just enjoy doing it; I guess it's a romantic notion of America in its communities.''

Calvert admittedly struggled developing a rhythmic flow early this season but has grown noticeably more confident. He called all three games alone in a recent weekend series when Laskey left town to attend a friend's wedding.

Laskey has taken note of Calvert's progression, describing him much the way a farm director does a promising pitching prospect.

``There's no doubt he's made significant improvement,'' Lasky said. ``He's so much more in command of what he's doing, and he has so much better an understanding of what it is he's trying to do and what it is he can do.''

Calvert cites Lasky's mentorship as a key factor in his development, noting he's learned to project an aura of confidence.

Ironically, he never needed such reassurance as a child.

``It really never occurred me as a kid growing up that being on TV would scare people, it never crossed my mind,'' Calvert said. ``I did theater, and it translates pretty quickly.

``As a kid you just want to keep it fun. If it's not fun, you just don't want to do it.''

gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

JetHawks broadcasting intern William Calvert pursues his passion for baseball announcing at Clear Channel Stadium in Lancaster.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer