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Are Any Minor League Baseball teams *not* on the radio in 2011?

I

ixnay

The Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks are preparing for their 2011 season opener on Fri., April 8.

The opener begins their 19th season (since Wilmington returned to MiLB in 1993) and, for the first time, a station other than AM 1290 Wilmington will be carrying their games, that being 89.7 FM Glassboro, NJ (the station of Rowan University).

But at least the Rocks have a radio deal. OTOH John Sadak, the Rocks' media liaison, pointed out to MikefromDelaware on R-I's Delaware board the following:

Most Minor League Baseball broadcasts regardless of competitive level or market size are far from a cash cow. In fact, in recent time many MiLB/independent teams have forged relationships with college radio stations (Trenton Thunder, Bowie Baysox, Camden Riversharks), dropped radio altogether (online webcasts only), or in some cases, have no broadcast coverage whatsoever. In our league [the 8-team, counting Wilmington, Carolina League] alone, two teams have no over-the-air broadcasts (Potomac, Winston-Salem), and Frederick just brought back a part-time over-the-air schedule after having no broadcasts at all for nearly a decade, then an online-only feed for two years.
Click to expand...

Which leads to my question... are any MiLB teams outside the Carolina League lacking radio deals for 2011?

ixnay
 
Plenty of them, especially at the lower levels. I've been keeping track of radio coverage in my region for NorthEast Radio Watch for years now, and while the AAA and AA teams still usually have broadcast coverage, I think it's tipped to the point where fewer NY-Penn (short-season A) teams have radio than don't. It's all about the streaming audio these days.
 
The Grand Prairie Air Hogs are not on the air in the D/FW market. I think they are online only.
 
if the indianapolis indians are on the radio i don`t know where so i include them.
 
AFAIK, the A-level Lake Erie Crushers (based in Avon, Ohio... 20 minutes west of Cleveland) do not have a radio home this year as of yet. Last year, coverage was limited to just Sunday home games on N/T WEOL/930 Elyria - that station is normally an affiliate for the Cleveland Indians radio network. All other games were webcast on SportsJuice.com.
 
You have to be insane to listen to Minor League Baseball on the Radio. I remember Ft Myers Miracles, it had the ambiance of a Little League game over the air. What's worse, Minor League Hockey....OMG
 
Leebo65 said:
You have to be insane to listen to Minor League Baseball on the Radio. I remember Ft Myers Miracles, it had the ambiance of a Little League game over the air. What's worse, Minor League Hockey....OMG
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Remember, not only are they young, inexperienced athletes, they are also young, inexperienced announcers with maybe some high-school play-by-play under their belts (if that). But the guy calling the plays for some Turnip League team in 2011 could be the next Vin Scully in 2031. You never know.

The great ones all started somewhere, and were horrible when they were young and just starting out. And like minor-league baseball, where less than 5% of Class A ballplayers ever make the bigs, only a very few minor-league broadcasters make it to the top.
 
Leebo65 said:
There is no reason to broadcast Minor League anything on the Air. Not even for future Vin Scully's.
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Why not? What did minor-league sports do to you? Do you also have a problem with college sports? They're the de-facto minor leagues for the NFL and NBA.
 
Leebo65 you have a right to your comments however wrong they are. Minor League broadcasts have a real place on the ar. Apparently, you have not been to many if any minor league games. In many cities Minor League baseball is king. How many years have the Dayton Dragons been sold out?

The Louisville Bats broadcast are top notch. I did minor league baseball a few years back and based on many years experience at the high school and college level , I can tell you the play by play men are solid broadcasters of the teams and their respective cities supported not ony the teams but the broadcasts.

I suggest Leebo65 go to some Minor League games and see how people in the stands are listening to the broadcasts. Is Leebo65 even aware that there are a ton of new ballparks in minor league baseball at all levels and attendance in minor league baseball is always up every year.

WNKR is airing the Florence Freedom ,at the lowest minor league of them all .and are thrilled to have them on the air. If I was running a station again (after several stints) and had the chance to air minor leaue ball I would do it in a second. I know it will produce a solid revenue source and strong and loyal audience base.

Are some teams without a radio deal yes. It is not a negative statement about minr eague baseball but the problem with AM radio. These stations should pick up minor leage baseball but I have said it before it takes a certain special GM and some key sales people to sell sports.

It's easy to sell a music radio station. It takes a real sales pro to sell sports.
 
leebo65: i thought NASCAR on am.radio, was pointless.
(hence the "bORED op") nic.name . .
-
i walked outside, get some fresh aire on a sunday
afternoon, i could hear the echos from the station
(covering the race) at a local garage..down the street.
-
by the end of the season: i was a "fan" of nascar,
i knew the names, the drivers, (etc etc ) it was
reeeeely kinda cool.
-
goto an AM operation, that wont get a single call all day,
and "dump" out of the broadcast "early" (by neatly) at the
top of the hour, say 4pm playing local, then flipping a switch
to auto pilot...u will get emails/calls . .
 
Two years ago, the Mobile [AL] BayBears, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks, still had a local radio presence on the HD-2 signal of WRGV-FM ('107.3 The Groove', licensed to Pensacola). They previously had a long time presence on News Talk 1480 WABB--and IIRC, that relationship dated back to the beginning of the team's relocation to Mobile.

Now, BayBears games are 'relegated' to audio coverage on local Comcast cable channel 45 and online via comcast.mobilebaybears.com.
 
Nathan mentioned the Lake Erie Crushers.

All the other minor league teams in Northeast Ohio have radio deals.

AA Akron Aeros: Clear Channel sports WARF/1350 "Fox Sports 1350", in a long-term deal. At one point in their early history, the Aeros were on Akron Public Schools AAA WAPS/91.3 "The Summit" (a professionally run station).

A Lake County Captains: As far as I know (haven't rechecked recently), they're back with WELW/1330 Willoughby as flagship, and Media One's WFUN/970 "ESPN 970" and WZOO/102.5 "Magic Oldies" as "affiliates" over in Ashtabula. IIRC, they ran the Captains on the big signal of AC WREO/97.1 over there the year before, at least for some games.

NYP League Short-Season A Mahoning Valley Scrappers: After a number of years on Clear Channel standards WNIO/1390, the Scrappers move to Whiplash Radio standards WHTX/1570 Warren this year. Since that move, WNIO became (oddly enough) a sports station as "The Sports Animal", but without the Scrappers. They have plenty of other teams, tho.
 
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