Monthly Archives: February 2011

Roger Hoover

By Justin Shackil / smokiesonradio.com

Roger Hoover has been named the lead play-by-play radio voice of the Jacksonville Suns after spending two years with the Smokies Radio Network. The Suns are the Southern League affiliate of the Florida Marlins and Hoover replaces J.P. Shadrick who leaves to take a similar position with the Oklahoma City Redhawks of the Pacific Coast League.

“The past two seasons with the Smokies and working on the Smokies Radio Network has been a great experience,” said Hoover, who served as the Senior Broadcasting Assistant on the Smokies Radio Network, working alongside Director of Broadcasting Mick Gillispie. “Along with Mick, Darren Headrick, Alex Powell, and Jim Tocco, we put together a Major League-quality broadcast that I was always proud of. While it’s tough to leave East Tennessee, I am very excited about this opportunity with the Jacksonville Suns. I’m thrilled to stay in the Southern League with so many of my friends and colleagues, and I can’t wait for Opening Day.”

Hoover along with Chris Archer, Steve Clevenger, and Russ Canzler during Tennessee's celebration following the 2010 North Division Championship Series

Hoover joined the Smokies in 2009 while still a student at the University of Tennessee. He co-hosted the Pilot Oscar-Mayer Pre-Game Show as well as the Tenth Inning Wrap-Up Show for all Smokies broadcasts durin the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Before coming to Tennessee, Hoover served as the Director of Broadcasting for the Kingsport Mets, the Appalachian League affiliate of the New York Mets and has been a contributor on the Vol Network at his alma mater on baseball and men’s basketball radio broadcasts, as well as the television programs “Inside the Orange,” and “The Pat Summitt Television Show.”

“We couldn’t be more proud of Roger,” said Smokies voice Mick Gillispie. “He did an excellent job over the past few years and will surely be missed by everyone with the Smokies organization and our fans. Jacksonville is getting a great radio voice and a wonderful person.”

2010 Smokies starting pitcher Trey McNutt

By Adam Kline / smokiesbaseball.com

The Chicago Cubs and Tennessee Smokies announced a two-year extension of their player development partnership through 2014. The extension keeps the Cubs’ Double-A affiliation in Tennessee through the 2014 season.  Cubs Vice President of Player Personnel Oneri Fleita and Smokies General Manager Brian Cox made the announcement Monday.

“It is a great privilege and honor to extend our PDC (player development contract) with the Smokies organization,” Fleita said.  “The East Tennessee community, Brian Cox, Doug Kirchhofer and the rest of the staff at Smokies Park have been very accommodating.  The Cubs are very grateful and proud to be part of the Tennessee Smokies family.”

The PDC was last extended with a two-year extension through 2012 in December 2007.

“This will mark another great day in Smokies baseball history with the extension of the player development contract with the Chicago Cubs,” said Cox.  “On behalf of the Smokies organization, I would like to thank the Chicago Cubs for having the confidence in us to help develop their players at the Double-A level.“The past 4 seasons we have seen what a rich baseball tradition the Cubs have brought to East Tennessee and we look forward to many more years with them,” Cox added.  “I would like to thank Oneri Fleita, for all the assistance he has given us over the past 4 years to make this partnership work for both the Smokies and the Chicago Cubs.”

2010 Smokies outfielder Brett Jackson

In their four seasons as the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate, the Smokies have reached the postseason three times, including back-to-back North Division championships in 2009 and 2010.  More than 30 Smokies players have gone on to play for the Cubs, including current stars Andrew Cashner, Starlin Castro, Tyler Colvin, James Russell and Jeff Samardzija.  The Smokies have also benefitted from the Cubs national popularity with a combined attendance of 1,030,898 at Smokies Park in four seasons, including setting a Smokies Park single-game attendance record (7,728) last season.

Cubs Vice President of Player Personnel Oneri Fleita at Smokies Park in 2010

“We are thrilled to build upon our already strong relationship with the Smokies,” Fleita added.  “In addition to the superb amenities, the team has provided our coaches and players with a sate-of–the-art ballpark.  The Cubs’ staff, coaches and players love everything the Smokies organization has to offer.”

The Smokies began their relationship with the Cubs in 2007 after two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Since moving to Smokies Park in 2000, the Smokies have held affiliations with the Toronto Blue Jays (2000-02), St. Louis Cardinals (03-04), Diamondbacks (05-06) and currently with the Cubs (07-14).

Mick Gillispie

By Roger Hoover / Smokies Radio Network

The Smokies Radio Network is pleased to announce that Smokies play-by-play voice and the 2010 Southern League Broadcaster of the Year Mick Gillispie is returning to the Chicago Cubs spring training broadcast for cubs.com during the 2011 Cactus League season.

Gillispie announced several spring training games for the Cubs in 2010, and this season will join Len Kasper, the television play-by-play announcer for the Cubs for the webcasts. Kasper is entering his seventh season as the television voice of the Cubs on WGN-TV and CSN-Chicago after working for three years as the play-by-play voice of the Florida Marlins on Fox Sports Net.

Kasper and Gillispie will team up for 16 webcasts while Gillispie will be heard on all 19 games that will be heard on cubs.com.  A full schedule can be found on our “Mick in Mesa” page on smokiesonradio.com.

Cubs Television Play-By-Play Announcer Len Kasper will team with Mick Gillispie for cubs.com webcasts during 2011 Spring Training.

Here is the official release  from the Chicago Cubs on the 2011 spring training broadcast schedule:

CHICAGO – For the first time ever, nearly every Chicago Cubs spring training game will be available to Cubs fans via television, radio or internet radio broadcast as the club today announced its 2011 spring training broadcast schedule.

The 2011 broadcast schedule will feature eight games televised by Cubs broadcast partners (six by WGN and two by Comcast SportsNet), 11 on the WGN Cubs radio network and 19 via internet radio broadcast on www.cubs.com.

In total, 32 of the 34 games (not including the intrasquad game) are scheduled to be available to Cubs fans via one or more broadcast mediums.

Cubs TV play-by-play announcer Len Kasper will join Mick Gillispie, radio broadcaster for Chicago’s Double-A Tennessee affiliate, for most of the cubs.com internet radio broadcasts.  Gillispie is entering his fifth season as the voice of the Tennessee Smokies and last season was named the Southern League Broadcaster of the Year.  The first exclusive cubs.com broadcast takes place Tuesday, March 1 vs. the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale.

WGN Radio will broadcast Chicago’s first two games of the spring – Sunday, February 27 vs. Oakland and Monday, February 28 vs. Milwaukee.

The first televised spring game will be Sunday, March 6 when the Cubs host the Los Angeles Dodgers on WGN.  Comcast SportsNet’s first game will be Sunday, March 20 vs. the San Francisco Giants from HoHoKam Stadium.

All games start at 1:05 p.m. Arizona time unless otherwise noted.

We look forward to listening to Mick once again in spring training, and for more information as well as the full broadcast schedule, visit the Mick in Mesa page.