Tides Announce 2011 Broadcasters
This season will mark Michaud's fifth season behind the microphone for the Norfolk Tides, but his first as the primary play-by-play broadcaster for both home and road contests. He is also known as the area's longtime 'voice' of the Norfolk Admirals hockey team, having spent 18 years with the organization, including all 11 of their seasons in the American Hockey League.
Michaud's baseball broadcasting career includes stints as the play-by-play voice of the Springfield Cardinals of the Midwest League (1992-93), the Vero Beach Dodgers of the Florida State League (1995-96) and the Iowa Cubs of the Pacific Coast League (1998.
Additionally, Pete's resume includes five seasons of play-by-play work as the broadcaster for Old Dominion University's men's and women's basketball programs, including NCAA and NIT tournament games, and 10 years of area high school football play-by-play. He has previously worked in local radio at WFOS, WNIS and WTAR, while also serving as a weekend sports anchor for WAVY-TV 10 and WVEC-TV 13.
Mercurio, a St. Louis native who returns for his second-consecutive year broadcasting the Tides, will work as the color commentator for all Tides home games in 2011. He also serves as the program director and host of the Tony Mercurio Show on ESPN Radio 94.1.
Mercurio graduated from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri with a B.S. in Mass-Communications and a minor in Political Science in the Spring 1972.
Mercurio came to Hampton Roads to broadcast the Tidewater Tides in 1977, and he went on to become Assistant General Manager of the Tides from 1981-1987. He also worked for WGH-AM 1310 and started his own sports talk show on September 15, 1986. He is now in his 25th year as host of the show.
Mercurio has won 15 "Sportscaster of the Year Awards" since 1986 and has received numerous other honors for his excellence in broadcasting.
Socci will return in 2011 on a limited basis, covering a select number of road games during the season. It will mark his sixth with the Tides.
He came to Norfolk in 2006 after spending the previous three seasons as the broadcaster for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes of the Pacific Coast League. He has been the play-by-play broadcaster for Navy football for the past 14 seasons, and served as the voice of Midshpemen basketball for 12. Socci has also spent the past seven seasons working with the Patriot League's basketball television package.
Socci's baseball background includes broadcasting games with the Charlotte Knights in 2002, the Frederick Keys from 1999-2001, the Delmarva Shorebirds from 1996-1998, the Peoria Chiefs from 1993-1995, and the Rochester Red Wings in 1991 and 1992.
A graduate of the University of Dayton in 1989, Socci has worked with the media relations departments of the Cincinnati Reds as well as the University of North Carolina.