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Ken Wilson (sportscaster)
Encyclopedia
Ken Wilson is an American sportscaster
, who primarily handled play-by-play of baseball and hockey. For twenty seasons he was the play-by-play hockey
announcer for the St. Louis Blues on FoxSports Net Midwest
and KPLR-TV
. His famous catch phrase when calling Blues games was 'Oh Baby!', which he yelled during moments of extreme excitement. Wilson also spent a number of seasons broadcasting Major League Baseball
games. He was also the voice of the NHL on both ESPN
and SportsChannel America
.
, Wilson earned a degree in journalism from the University of Michigan
, then attended business school at the University of Hawaii
in Honolulu, Hawaii
. During this seven year stretch living in Hawaii, he did play-by-play for the Triple A baseball Hawaii Islanders, became sports director of the NBC
affiliate in Honolulu, and even developed the second ever sports talk radio show in the United States, Hawaii Sports Huddle. In 1976 he received acclaim as Hawaii Sportscaster of the Year. Later Wilson became the first announcer for the Seattle Mariners
, along with Dave Niehaus
, from -. Moving on from Seattle, Wilson did games for the Chicago Blackhawks
, and then from - play-by-play for the Cincinnati Reds
TV Network. He eventually broadcast 22 seasons in the National Hockey League. Wilson has returned to the Seattle Mariners
for the 2011 season, his 23rd in the major leagues, providing play-by-play as part of a rotating committee of announcers replacing Dave Niehaus
, who died on November 10, 2010.
, then part owner of the Sports Time
Cable Network, to not only announce the Reds games, but move from covering the Blackhawks during the hockey season to the St. Louis Blues. Wilson called his first St. Louis Blues game on October 11, 1984, a 4-2 win for the Blues in Calgary. During his time at Sports Time, he called the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team game against a team of NBA stars, played at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 9, 1984. The crowd of 67,678 was the largest crowd to see a basketball game in the U.S. at the time. During the 1985 baseball season, Ken Wilson, working with Joe Morgan
, called Pete Rose
's 4192nd hit that broke Ty Cobb
's all time record. Wilson then called one of the greatest games in St. Louis Blues history, known as the Monday Night Miracle
, the following year. Wilson's association as announcer for the Blues continued to grow stronger after that. In addition to his hockey work, he continued his work in baseball, announcing St. Louis Cardinals
games between 1985 and 1990, California Angels
' games from -, and games for the Oakland A’s
from 1996-1998. During his big league career Wilson has also described two no-hitters, Kenny Rogers' perfect game, George Brett's 3,000th hit and Gaylord Perry's 300th victory.
In 1997, Wilson purchased the Zanesville (Ohio) Baseball Club of the independent Frontier League and moved the club to the western suburbs of St.Louis. He formed an investor group and served as managing partner of the River City Rascals
, until selling his interest in 2004. He helped form a second group that purchased a Frontier League expansion team in 2000. That club began play in 2001 in the eastern suburbs of St. Louis as the Gateway Grizzlies
. Wilson retains an ownership interest in that club.
Wilson continued announcing for the St. Louis Blues earning the Missouri Sportscaster of the Year award in 2001 along with four Mid-America Emmy Awards
for play-by-play. After the 2003–04 NHL season, when his contract was not renewed by the Blues, he moved back to Honolulu, where he spent a year as a reporter on KHON-TV, prior to opening Mama's Island Pizza in 2005. Along with his wife, Wilson operated the restaurant until February 2008. During this time, Wilson also did play-by-play for the Hawaii Winter Baseball
League in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 Wilson became President of the West Coast League
, a top summer collegiate wood-bat baseball league, and moved to the league's headquarters in Portland, Oregon
. Wilson returned to the Seattle Mariners television booth on July 27, 2008 to fill in for his former partner Dave Niehaus, who was being inducted to the Hall of Fame
on the same day.
During his career, Ken Wilson has broadcast 2,187 Major League Baseball
games and 1,556 National Hockey League
games.
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
, who primarily handled play-by-play of baseball and hockey. For twenty seasons he was the play-by-play hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
announcer for the St. Louis Blues on FoxSports Net Midwest
FSN Midwest
Fox Sports Midwest is a regional sports network that operates in eastern and central Missouri , central & southern Illinois, Southern Indiana, Nebraska, and Iowa.-History:...
and KPLR-TV
KPLR-TV
KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KPLR is owned by the Tribune Company, and is an affiliate of The CW Television Network. The station's studios are located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, in Northwest St. Louis County KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station...
. His famous catch phrase when calling Blues games was 'Oh Baby!', which he yelled during moments of extreme excitement. Wilson also spent a number of seasons broadcasting Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games. He was also the voice of the NHL on both ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and SportsChannel America
SportsChannel America
SportsChannel America was a cable television network operated by Cablevision. It was the country's first regional sports network, and thus an important ancestor to many of the United States' regional sports outlets, especially Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. SportsChannel New York was the...
.
Life and career
Born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Wilson earned a degree in journalism from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, then attended business school at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. During this seven year stretch living in Hawaii, he did play-by-play for the Triple A baseball Hawaii Islanders, became sports director of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate in Honolulu, and even developed the second ever sports talk radio show in the United States, Hawaii Sports Huddle. In 1976 he received acclaim as Hawaii Sportscaster of the Year. Later Wilson became the first announcer for the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, along with Dave Niehaus
Dave Niehaus
David Arnold Niehaus was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with the Ford C. Frick Award, the...
, from -. Moving on from Seattle, Wilson did games for the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, and then from - play-by-play for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
TV Network. He eventually broadcast 22 seasons in the National Hockey League. Wilson has returned to the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
for the 2011 season, his 23rd in the major leagues, providing play-by-play as part of a rotating committee of announcers replacing Dave Niehaus
Dave Niehaus
David Arnold Niehaus was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with the Ford C. Frick Award, the...
, who died on November 10, 2010.
St. Louis Blues era
In 1984, Wilson was approached by Anheuser-BuschAnheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
, then part owner of the Sports Time
Sports Time
Sports Time was a regional sports network in the United States. It was owned by Anheuser-Busch and was launched on April 2, 1984. Sports Time was available in 15 states from Colorado to West Virginia.-Coverage:...
Cable Network, to not only announce the Reds games, but move from covering the Blackhawks during the hockey season to the St. Louis Blues. Wilson called his first St. Louis Blues game on October 11, 1984, a 4-2 win for the Blues in Calgary. During his time at Sports Time, he called the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team game against a team of NBA stars, played at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 9, 1984. The crowd of 67,678 was the largest crowd to see a basketball game in the U.S. at the time. During the 1985 baseball season, Ken Wilson, working with Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
, called Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
's 4192nd hit that broke Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
's all time record. Wilson then called one of the greatest games in St. Louis Blues history, known as the Monday Night Miracle
The Monday Night Miracle (ice hockey)
Unfortunately for the Blues, the clock dipped under two minutes remaining in the game as they still searched for the game-tying goal. With only 1:17 remaining in the game, the Blues shot the puck behind Calgary's net from the neutral zone. As Calgary defenseman Jamie Macoun brought the puck from...
, the following year. Wilson's association as announcer for the Blues continued to grow stronger after that. In addition to his hockey work, he continued his work in baseball, announcing St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
games between 1985 and 1990, California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
' games from -, and games for the Oakland A’s
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
from 1996-1998. During his big league career Wilson has also described two no-hitters, Kenny Rogers' perfect game, George Brett's 3,000th hit and Gaylord Perry's 300th victory.
In 1997, Wilson purchased the Zanesville (Ohio) Baseball Club of the independent Frontier League and moved the club to the western suburbs of St.Louis. He formed an investor group and served as managing partner of the River City Rascals
River City Rascals
The River City Rascals are a professional baseball team based in O'Fallon, Missouri, in the United States. The Rascals are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 1999 season to the present, the Rascals have played their...
, until selling his interest in 2004. He helped form a second group that purchased a Frontier League expansion team in 2000. That club began play in 2001 in the eastern suburbs of St. Louis as the Gateway Grizzlies
Gateway Grizzlies
The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team based in the St. Louis suburb of Sauget, Illinois, in the United States. The Grizzlies are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
. Wilson retains an ownership interest in that club.
Wilson continued announcing for the St. Louis Blues earning the Missouri Sportscaster of the Year award in 2001 along with four Mid-America Emmy Awards
Mid-America Emmy Awards
The Mid-America Emmy Awards are a division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The division was founded in 1976 and in addition to granting the Mid-America Emmy Awards, it recognizes awards scholarships, honors industry veterans at the Silver Circle Celebration, conducts...
for play-by-play. After the 2003–04 NHL season, when his contract was not renewed by the Blues, he moved back to Honolulu, where he spent a year as a reporter on KHON-TV, prior to opening Mama's Island Pizza in 2005. Along with his wife, Wilson operated the restaurant until February 2008. During this time, Wilson also did play-by-play for the Hawaii Winter Baseball
Hawaii Winter Baseball
Hawaii Winter Baseball, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball.-History:...
League in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 Wilson became President of the West Coast League
West Coast League
The West Coast League is a collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. The league is designed to develop college talent. As such, only current college players are allowed to participate in the league...
, a top summer collegiate wood-bat baseball league, and moved to the league's headquarters in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Wilson returned to the Seattle Mariners television booth on July 27, 2008 to fill in for his former partner Dave Niehaus, who was being inducted to the Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
on the same day.
During his career, Ken Wilson has broadcast 2,187 Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games and 1,556 National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
games.