For the past three years I have been listening to Great Lakes Loons baseball games on 100.9 FM ESPN and watching Loons games on MiLB.TV. I certainly don’t follow all 140 regular season games but I do catch many of them. I am particularly fond of minor league baseball and especially fond of the Loons as they are a Dodgers Class-A affiliate.

During that time I have become quite familiar with the broadcasting work of Brad Golder and his partner Jared Sandler. I have contacted Brad on occasion to ask a question, express my appreciation or to simply make a comment. He has always responded to my emails answering my questions and thanking me for my interest in the Loons and his broadcasts. He and Jared participate in some lighthearted banter, baseball quizzes and are always well prepared with information on the Loons and their roster.

Brad Golder graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2003 with a degree in political science. He joined the Loons after spending two seasons working for the Atlanta Braves Radio Network as the Operations Manager and producer.

Sadly, Golder recently had an announcement of another kind – he is stepping down as the Loons lead play-by-play announcer effective in February, 2015. During his time with the Loons he announced over 1100 games.

After eight seasons and 1,100 games, Loons play-by-play man Brad Golder is hanging up his mic.
(Photo courtesy of bensbiz.mlblogs.com)

The Great Lakes Loons played their first game as a Dodger affiliate on April 5, 2007. The game was played in South Bend Indiana in winter like conditions. Brad Golder began his career as a Loons play-by-play announcer that day. He remembers the game well. Trayvon Robinson, the Loons leadoff hitter, came to the plate wearing a ski mask. Golder reports he was pumped for the first pitch and it didn’t go exactly as he would have liked as the first pitch in Loons history resulted in a bunt by Robinson. Not expecting a bunt he admits: “I blew it,” he says. “I was pumped up, all ready to announce, ‘And the first pitch in Loons history is a strike!” and Trayvon bunts the ball. I wasn’t expecting it – no one was expecting it – and the catcher blocked my view. It was an awesome play and I basically missed it.”

Another bit of Loons history transpired in that game as Clayton Kershaw threw the first ever pitch for the Loons. He struggled through 2.3 frigid innings while walking six. As we all know now Kershaw made it to the majors just over a year later.

As with all announcers Golder has his own style. Although not what I would describe as a homer he definitely loved the Loons. On more than one occasion I thought that I had missed what he was saying. However, Bruce Gunter in “From the Nest” MLB Pro Blog indicates that what I heard was perhaps a Brad Golder signature call when he disagreed with an umpire’s call. Gunter writes: “The situation was this: A Loons pitcher would throw a pitch that Brad thought was in the strike zone. The home plate umpire thought, and ruled, otherwise.“And that pitch is right down the middle for ball one,” he’d say, so subtly that it took a split second to register.”

When asked what has been the highlight to this point of his work with the Loons he quickly replied “The 2009 season.” He when on to describe “Dee Gordon, the first time the Loons made the Midwest League playoffs and the come from behind victories in the playoffs.” He then pointed out other things that stood out in his mind such as “watching certain players develop here, Clayton Kershaw, seeing Lance Parrish manage the team and getting to the Midwest League Championship Series.”

What does the future hold for Brad Golder? He is planning to move to metro Detroit and has interests in communications and public relations as well as broadcasting. “We’ll see what happens,” he said. “It could very well be that I end up in another field and do play-by-play broadcasting as a hobby. It’s hard to say. But I love doing play-by-play and it would be great to keep doing it in some format.”

Brad Golder doing a pre-game interview with Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda.
(Photo courtesy of greatlakesloons.mlblogs.com)

I have to think that broadcasting is now part of his DNA and will continue to at least be a part of his life going forward. “There’s a rush to calling a game live that I think is almost equitable to the kind an athlete feels during a game,” he said. “That’s especially true if it’s the ninth inning of a close game and you’re anticipating that a game-changing moment could happen anytime.” That rush will be difficult to give up.

Loons fans and the folks in Midland have enjoyed their association with Brad Golder for eight years. I have done so for three years but in that short span of time I can see why he was indeed the voice of and for the Loons.

Thank you Brad for your total commitment to your team and your community. You will be missed.