Ryan Radtke, Voice of the Aces, Calls it a Career After 11 Seasons

The Reno Aces have seen countless players, coaches, team personnel, front office staff, and employees come and go since the team's inception in 2009. One constant the organization has had - its voice. And for that…the entire organization thanks you Ryan Radtke for your professionalism, work ethic, commitment to excellence, and passion calling Aces games for the past 11 seasons.
We are incredibly grateful to have you in the booth at Greater Nevada Field for this long and you have certainly become a staple over the airwaves across the Northern Nevada community. We offer nothing but support from the Reno Aces and the best for whatever the future holds. You and your family are always welcome at the ballpark and will surely be missed! Good luck, Rads!
What's next for Ryan Radtke? Hear from the man himself:
What's next?
"I'm going to continue my work for Westwood One doing college football and basketball as well as the NFL. I've been blessed to have more opportunities present themselves each year and some of those are coming up in the summertime. I don't have any concrete plans yet but I'm hopeful that some things may materialize in the coming weeks. Other than that, I'm going to take some downtime and enjoy some time at home. I have an amazing and understanding wife who has allowed me to be on the road pretty much 12 months a year for the past 11 years. I'm looking forward to spending more time with her and hopefully being able to take a summer vacation or two."

What did you learn from the whole experience?
"I learned a lot. I definitely grew as a broadcaster and as a person. I learned so much about dealing with different people and different personalities. I learned about dealing with the ups and downs of a Minor League baseball season (of which there are many). I think at the end of the day I can say I'm a better person for all I experienced in my time with the Aces."

What do you think you'll miss the most?
"The easy answer is the people. I was fortunate to work with some great coaches and players in my time and the daily interactions with them were always fun. At home, I'll miss the fans that would stop by the booth before and after games to say hi. I won't miss the travel and the early mornings that are inescapable in PCL life."
What was your favorite part of calling Aces games?
"The old saying in baseball is you have to watch because you may see something you've never seen before. I think that was the excitement of coming to the ballpark every day - you never know what's going to happen. I enjoyed the craziness of a walk-off sacrifice fly to shortstop like we saw last year and the historic four-homer game by Yasmany Tomás. I loved getting to visit with different people in the game whether it be scouts or other radio guys or personnel from other teams."

Is there a call/game that sticks out to you the most?
"There are three games that stand out in my mind. April 17^th of 2009 - the first home game in Aces history. I remember the anticipation. I remember walking into the ballpark and they were still painting and trying to get everything ready and I remember the sheer amount of people that were jammed into the park that night. I don't care what the record books say, there have never been more people inside Greater Nevada Field than there was that night.
The two others that stand out for me were both at Werner Park in Omaha. Watching the Aces win game four of the 2012 championship series and claim their first (and to date only) league title was amazing. To go from the new kid on the block to champion in four years is astounding. On the other side of the ledger, I'll always remember game five of the 2014 championship series. The dirty little secret of the minor league playoffs is that there are many instances where teams don't really want to win. But that team wanted to win bad and, after taking a 2-games-to-1 lead, they really felt like they were going to do it. I'll always remember walking into the clubhouse after that game and feeling the sadness and heartache the minute I walked in the door. I remember watching some of the most stoic guys I had been around break down and cry. I watched one player who had just been told he was going to the big leagues just nod and cry because he was still upset over losing and not even the good news of a big league call-up could change that. Even though it was a terrible day emotionally, it was a reminder of how much that game can mean to the right group of guys."

Still living in Northern Nevada?
"I'll still be in Northern Nevada and I look forward to enjoying some Aces games from the stands."
Anything else you'd like to add?
"One other thing I would add…it's very tough, basically impossible, to succeed in this line of work without a support system. My wife, Adrienne, has allowed me to be selfish and chase my dreams unimpeded. She has been there every step of the way as a counselor, a partner, and a friend. Life in the minor leagues is a roller coaster and she has helped me deal with the highs and lows that inevitably pop up. I could not have done this without her. She is the real star of our house and deserving of far more attention than I am."