While a baseball game is being played live, a baseball announcer watches and announces the game to an audience. This type of announcer might work in a minor league and use a loudspeaker to announce a game to spectators to help them keep track of who the players are at any given time. The majority of well-known professional baseball announcers, on the other hand, work in television or radio and broadcast games to audiences who are not present at the game. Some announcers also host sports shows or write columns for sports sections of newspapers and magazines.
A baseball announcer will frequently act as an extra pair of eyes for the fans at a high school, college, or minor league game. It can be difficult to see all of the action on the field during a live game, especially if one’s seats are far from the field or at an odd angle. By mentioning who is at bat, who made an important play, or what call an umpire or official made, an announcer at a game can help those in attendance keep track of the game better. This type of announcing can help a new announcer gain experience in preparation for a job with a major league team or a television or radio network.
A major league baseball announcer usually works at a stadium where a major league game is being broadcast on television or radio. In the same way that a stadium announcer can help fans in the stands, a television baseball announcer can help an audience watching the game. Though instant replays and a variety of angles can help viewers understand and follow games on television, the announcer can provide additional details and explanations for the audience.
Radio announcing of a major league game, on the other hand, necessitates more than simply adding to the on-field action. To be a radio baseball announcer, you must be able to describe the action as it occurs for listeners who are unable to see the game. As the announcer uses his or her words to paint the scene in broad strokes across the listener’s mind, this type of announcing frequently becomes a performance.
Some baseball announcers can do more than just call games; they can also host sports programs for fans of local teams on television or radio. An announcer who establishes a strong enough reputation may be able to work on a national level as a host of cable sports programs. A baseball announcer with a knack for writing might also be able to find work submitting material to newspapers and magazines’ sports sections.