Longtime Denver sportscaster and voice of the Colorado Rockies, Jerry Schemmel is out as the team’s radio announcer. According to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post, Schemmel was included in iHeartMedia’s massive list of layoffs that were felt in markets throughout the country this week.
The Rockies flagship radio station is iHeartMedia’s KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM. Schemmel was an employee of iHeartMedia, not the Rockies, but members of Denver’s baseball team were disappointed to hear the broadcaster would no longer be calling their games this season.
“Jerry is a pro,” Rockies manager Bud Black told The Post. “His passion for his profession showed up every day. I personally will miss our daily interactions. And everyone around the ballpark, I’m sure, will feel the same.”
All-Star shortstop Trevor Story also weighed in on the news, saying “Jerry was one of my favorite people to see every day. I’m going to miss him greatly.”
Schemmel joined the Rockies radio booth in 2010, but he’s been a recognizable voice in Colorado for decades longer, having served as the voice of the Denver Nuggets from 1992-2010.
Without Schemmel, Jack Corrigan is currently the lone voice in the Rockies radio booth, but there is an expectation of adding a second announcer. Corrigan has called Rockies games since 2002, having previously spent 18 years as an announcer for the Cleveland Indians.
The 2020 season is quickly approaching. With Rockies’ pitchers and catchers set to report to spring training on Feb. 11, the radio station will need to move fast to find a replacement for Schemmel.
Beyond sportscasting, Schemmel was amazingly one of 184 people to survive a 1989 plane crash. Unfortunately, United Airlines Flight 232 still took more than 100 lives after crashing in Sioux City, Iowa. Schemmel was a hero on that tragic day, going back into the burning airplane to rescue an 11-month old girl trapped in an overhead bin.
Every year since 2007, Schemmel rides his bicycle 112 miles to Colorado Springs and back, one mile for each life lost, to honor the victims of the crash.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
