Former Broadcasters Find Success in Pros

March 6, 2008

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- While his hometown of Chanhassen was trying to get to 5 degrees on the thermometer this morning, former River Bats broadcaster Jon Laaser was in his Myrtle Beach office staring at the ocean three blocks away in 70 degree weather.

Laaser is just one of the many broadcasters to get their start in the Northwoods League and go on to success in professional sports.

“Laaser was a poster child of how being apart of the River Bats can help you and your career,” said River Bats Vice President Marc Jerzak.

Yet he got in the league different than most others, more by accident.

While working on his broadcast journalism degree at Brown College, he decided to make a demo play-by-play tape for potential job opportunities.

He was then referred to the River Bats of the Northwoods League by a friend, who was a former St. Cloud State student.

“At the time I had no idea who the River Bats were or that the Northwoods League even existed,” Laaser said. “But we called them and they were gracious and let us use the press box.”

While recording then-River Bats GM Scott Schreiner came through for a listen and when the position was open the next spring Laaser got the nod.

For the next two seasons he was the voice of the River Bats.

“It was the best preparatory experience for the minor leagues,” Laaser said. “All the players and front office go in with an excited mindset and have so much potential, it is a great atmosphere.”

Laaser would even turn down a chance to go to the storied Cape Cod League to stay with the River Bats.

His work in the Northwoods League ended up earning him a job with the independent St. Paul Saints, where he worked alongside Anthony LaPanta and Kris Atteberry.

“Working with them was a real eye-opener,” Laaser said. “It was my first professional experience and I went in thinking I was great but realized quick I was not that good yet and needed to work on getting better.”

The next summer he earned his way into affiliated baseball, becoming the play-by-play announcer for the Arizona Diamondbacks Class-A club, the Yakima Bears.

“That brought me a sense of accomplishment that I got myself into the affiliated game,” Laaser said.

The next season he was off to Class-AA with the successful Altoona Curve.

“What they do there is absolutely an outstanding accomplishment,” Laaser said. “It’s an old steel city where the industry has sort of gone away and right in the middle is this baseball cathedral that the community rallies behind.”

The Greensons Baseball Investors, who operate the Curve, then offered him the opportunity to become the No. 1 radio guy for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Class-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

He accepted the job and has been working all off-season to prepare for his first as Pelican.

“You can’t beat this city, it has all the bells and whistles,” Laaser said. “I am excited to get going, it is a lot of work in the off season and it gets pretty hectic now here right before the season begins.”

The five cities in six years have not had a toll yet on Laaser, who like players he reports has the dream of reaching the major leagues some day.

“If you are in the minor league game and don’t have the hope of making it to the major leagues, I question your sanity,” Laaser said.

Others feel he has what it takes to reach his potential.

“Laaser has unparalleled passion in his pursuit to be a top tier sports radio broadcaster,” said former intern/current Memphis Grizzlies front office employee Brent Schoeb.

Following in Laaser’s Footsteps

The River Bats did not lose a step when Laaser left as fifth-year St. Cloud State student Matt Futrell came into the booth and took over.

After serving on a River Bats video project through a summer collegiate class and learning the ropes of the Northwoods League from Laaser, he applied to become his successor.

He got the position and was the 2005 voice of the River Bats.

“The River Bats is a real stand-up operation,” Futrell said. “They are the envy of the Northwoods League and show how to do things the right way.”

Futrell would then graduate SCSU and went to the Baseball Winter Meetings along with Laaser and struck gold at the Professional Baseball Job Fair.

He had landed a media relations internship with the independent Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League.

“We had a blast at the winter meetings,” Futrell said. “I wound up with the internship and packed up my Saturn and drove to Massachusetts.”

The Rox are owned by the Goldklang Group, the same company that runs the St. Paul Saints and features comedian Bill Murray as a principal owner.

In 2007 he joined the front office staff as a group ticket sales representative but still got some work on air in the middle innings of the game.

Futrell was then promoted this off-season to Director of Media Relations/Broadcasting and will serve as the main radio announcer for the Rox’s 98-game schedule.

“It is great opportunity, especially in an organization like this,” he said. “They know how to run things the right way.”

He will now spend his summers covering the sport he loves full-time, with the hope of any other person involved in independent baseball, to make the jump to affiliated baseball.

“The end all and be all will be getting to affiliated ball,” Futrell said. “(FSN Twins broadcaster) Dick Bremer grew up in Minnesota and went to St. Cloud State just like me, so that is inspiration enough to know it can be done.”