Neyer: Scully not the only broadcaster working on a streak

From SABR member Rob Neyer at Baseball Nation on August 26, 2013, with mention of SABR member John Husman:

In case you missed it, Vin Scully has agreed to return to the Dodgers’ broadcast booth in 2014.

For his 65th season.

Yeah. Think about that one for a second. Come up with your own superlative comparisons.

But let’s save just a bit of attention for Toledo Mud Hens broadcaster Jim Weber. To wit:

Raised in the south end, Weber went to work at Jeep right out of Bowsher High and devoted spare time to playing in a band when he began dabbling in radio in 1969, helping a buddy out on high school football and basketball games.

The Hens, meanwhile, dropped off radio in the early 1970s and Weber, sensing an opportunity, approached general manager Charlie Senger.

“I introduced myself and I told him I thought I could broker a radio deal for him,” Weber recalled.

Senger laughed in his face. But Weber knew the station manager at WTUU, a rather obscure AM station, and, sure enough, he came up with a deal for 52 games to be aired.

First it was 52 games on WTUU, then 80 games per season on WSPD, and since 1985 it’s been every game every season on WMTR. Sunday, Weber worked his 5,000th straight scheduled broadcast.

Read the full article here: http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/8/26/4658930/jim-weber-toledo-mudhens-broadcaster-streak



Originally published: August 26, 2013. Last Updated: August 26, 2013.