Bismarck and Rockford announcers take home honors
Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League has announced that Ryan Klimcak, of the Bismarck Larks, and Larry Larson and Adam Cohen of the Rockford Rivets, have been named the 2020 Northwoods League TV Announcers of the Year.
“In these unique and challenging times, it is a credit to Northwoods League teams and their webcasting crews that the League was able to play over 500 safe live baseball games this summer and broadcast each of these to our subscription paying public, using our streaming platform and four camera HD broadcasting operation at each ballpark. An impressive feat in any season,” said Northwoods League, Great Plains Division President Glen Showalter. “Quality television announcers like Ryan, Larry, and Adam enhanced our game broadcasts and we are happy to recognize them for their performance this season and want to congratulate them on being named the Northwoods League TV Announcers of the Year.”
The Northwoods League webcasting operation strives to continuously improve the quality of its’ broadcast content and a part of that effort in recent years has been transitioning from simulcast audio operations to tv announcers for the game productions. All Northwoods League teams now have dedicated TV announcers for the game productions.
“We are all fortunate that the Northwoods League team webcasting crews include talented individuals like Ryan, Larry, and Adam. Many of the team webcasting crew members are in excellent college broadcasting programs and they come to the Northwoods League because it is regarded as one of the best summer sports developmental opportunities for students pursuing careers in sports broadcasting and broadcasting in general,” said Northwoods League Executive Producer, George Giles.
During the season, Northwoods League TV game productions from team ballparks are scored in multiple categories on a nightly basis by League staff, and this grading constitutes the foundation for determining each season’s award winners.
“This is a huge honor, and I am so proud to be chosen as the NWL broadcaster of the year,” said Bismarck’s Ryan Klimcak. “I would like to thank Larks General Manager John Bollinger, Director of Ballpark Operations Nathan Maddox and Media Manager, Lee Greuel for giving me the opportunity to call games in what was truly a remarkable season. From the coaches, to all the players in Bismarck, the Larks are a special, world-class organization. It was a joy being able to share this unique season, not only with them, but the extremely passionate fans of the Bismarck-Mandan area.”
In a season like this, it was as important as ever to provide subscription paying fans with quality tv productions of NWL games. Fans could watch from the comfort of their homes on their own televisions using Apple TV, Amazon Firestick, or AndroidTV, and they could also watch on their pc, mobile phone, or tablet.
“I know Adam and I worked hard to constantly improve our broadcasts throughout the season, so receiving this award is humbling,” said Larry Larson of the Rivets. “I’m proud that we were able to deliver an enjoyable broadcast to fans of the league, especially in a year like 2020. It wouldn’t have been possible without a great organization around us, from the front office to the players.”
Northwoods League webcasting crew members have gone on to work for teams in professional sports organizations such as MLB, the NFL, and others.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 27th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, over 245 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Star Jordan Zimmermann (DET). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.