Steve Klauke Named Ballpark Digest 2014 Broadcaster of the Year
SALT LAKE CITY (October 29, 2014) - Ballpark Digest announced today that the publication has named Salt Lake Bees radio broadcaster Steve Klauke as its 2014 Broadcaster of the Year. The 2014 Ballpark Digest Awards honor the best and brightest at every level of baseball.
"Miller Sports Properties and the Salt Lake Bees are truly fortunate to have such a great voice, a consummate professional and an outstanding individual in Steve representing our organization," said Jim Olson, Chief Operating Officer for Miller Sports Properties. "Summer nights in Utah are more enjoyable listening to Steve describe the action of a Bees game on the radio or television."
"Steve is not just one of the best broadcasters in Minor League Baseball; he is one of the best in any sport, at any level," said Bees General Manager Marc Amicone. "This is a well-deserved award for the hardest-working and most-dedicated broadcaster I've ever met."
Each year Ballpark Digest honors noteworthy accomplishments in the baseball world, whether it be Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, independent baseball, summer-collegiate baseball or college baseball. Readers are asked to submit nominations for awards in specific categories; Ballpark Digest editors then go through the submissions. The awards cover both individual as well as team accomplishments.
Past broadcasting winners include Mike Capps (Round Rock Express), Paul Edmonds (Winnipeg Goldeyes), Donny Baarns (Visalia Rawhide) and Jon Sadak (Scranton/Wilkes Barre Railriders). A complete listing of Ballpark Digest Awards can be found at www.ballparkdigest.com/awards.
"Over the years, fans identify with a team through its broadcaster, and since 1994 Bees fans have been lucky to have a broadcaster like Steve Klauke behind the booth," said Kevin Reichard, Ballpark Digest publisher. "This award is recognition for Steve's daily accomplishments, as well as his career with the Salt Lake Bees."
As the current "Voice of the Bees" for the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, Klauke has been behind the microphone for nearly every game in the 21-season history of the franchise, calling an incredible 3,064 Salt Lake baseball games out of a possible 3,074. On June 24, 2014, Klauke called his 3,000th game.
"I would like to thank Kevin and the voting panel at Ballpark Digest for this wonderful honor," said Klauke. "With all of the talented broadcasters in Minor League Baseball, especially my cohorts in the Pacific Coast League, it is greatly appreciated and very humbling."
Since being hired as the radio and television broadcaster for the Salt Lake Buzz in 1994, Klauke has described more than 165,000 outs, accompanied thousands of home runs by his signature, "It's up there, it's out there, it's gone!" call, and punctuated 1,562 Bees wins with "handshakes and high fives all around."
In addition to the Bees, Klauke has filled in for the Utah Jazz, Utah Grizzlies, Weber State football and basketball as well as the University of Utah men's and women's basketball and a pair of games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004. Klauke has also described the action for countless high school football and basketball games in Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Utah. He handled the play-by-play duties of the Utah Flash for two seasons in the NBA Development League. In 1995 Klauke was named Utah Sportscaster of the Year, and in 1997, he was inducted into the Utah Softball Hall of Fame for his hundreds of broadcasts of men's fastpitch softball.
Also a self-proclaimed food critic, Klauke visits restaurants featured on the TV show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" while on the road with the Bees and authors a blog about his experiences titled "Triple-D in Triple-A," which is available on the Salt Lake Bees website. Klauke and his wife, Sue, live in Sandy and are the parents of two children, Adam and Lisa.
--slbees.com-
About the Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels and completed the franchise's 20th anniversary season in 2014. The 2014 season also marked the club's 14th year of affiliation with the Angels, in which Salt Lake owns five division championships and two trips to the Pacific Coast League Finals. In 2013, the Bees surpassed 10 million in total fan attendance dating back to the franchise's establishment in 1994. For more information, www.slbees.com.
About Ballpark Digest/August Publications
The leading Website covering the culture and business of baseball since its inception in 2002, Ballpark Digest (www.ballparkdigest.com) has been called an "indispensable" guide to baseball and ballparks by The New York Times; it's been used as a source by publications and Websites ranging from The Wall Street Journal to Epicurious.com. August Publications is a publisher based in Middleton, Wis. Besides Ballpark Digest, August Publications websites include SpringTrainingOnline.com, ArenaDigest.com, YellowstoneInsider.com and NewWest.net.