(November 4, 2019) Andrew Chapman was the No. 2 broadcaster for the Biloxi Shuckers in September when they lost to Jackson in the Southern League championship series. Now he’s joining the Generals as their Broadcasting and Media Relations Manager.
Jackson is the AA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Chapman follows fellow STAA member Tyler Springs.
The Generals opening was emailed to STAA members during the Southern League championship series. Springs told Chapman of the opening prior to the start of the series. The position was not posted publicly.
“After getting to know Tyler during the regular season, he was very gracious in passing along a recommendation to Jackson for me and even introduced me to their general manager,” Chapman recalls. “After our face-to-face I was able to land a formal interview with the Generals and they offered me the job shortly after.”
Chapman graduated from Arizona State University in 2017. He’s spent the past two summers in Minor League Baseball as a broadcasting and media relations assistant — first for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and this year for Biloxi. A broadcaster getting his first crack at a No. 1 job in Double-A is unusual, but Chapman has prepared himself for the opportunity.
“For each of the last two seasons, it has been about getting the on-air reps, learning the media relations side of the job, and building relationships throughout the industry,” he says. “After getting to know and observing a number of talented broadcasters this season, I’m looking forward to staying in the Southern League and taking on the challenge of running my own media department.”
Chapman believes working beyond his position description in Biloxi helped him earn the Jackson opportunity. “I managed my time efficiently and met the work standard that was asked of me throughout the season. I also expressed a willingness to learn and innovate — creating a team podcast and helping produce a monthly TV show for the Shuckers. I tried to enhance the assistant position beyond what it was when I first arrived in Biloxi and I worked under a great mentor in [fellow STAA member] Garrett Greene who was willing to let me do that.”
The fact that Chapman spent 2019 in the Southern League likely also helped his application Jackson. “After applying for a number of jobs over the last two years, I get the sense that general managers are usually working off a short list of candidates instead of pouring over resumes,” he says. “Those lists are often made up of people within that specific league or others who have ties to the organization.”
Helping Biloxi host the 2019 Southern League All-Star Game was another selling point for Chapman. Jackson hosts the event next summer. “It was a nice boost to my resume during the interview process,” Chapman grins.
Process is a word Chapman can also apply to the building of his Minor League Baseball career. “Out of college I envisioned getting a lead broadcasting job right away but was discouraged when I couldn’t even land an interview,” he recalls. “After getting the opinion of some folks around the industry, I opted to focus on assistant positions and it turned out to be an important path in my development.
“There is a lot that goes into the job outside of the broadcast. Everything from press releases, game notes, roster moves, credentialing, website management etc. I don’t know if I was necessarily ready to juggle all of that out of college, but my time in Rancho Cucamonga and Biloxi has prepared me for the next step in my career.”
Chapman has been an STAA member for almost three years. “As important as networking is in the greater spectrum of the media business, it can be hard to carve out time every week to send off tape or email new contacts. However, STAA is always on top of the industry trends and openings and has helped connect me with the people who have advanced my career.
“The job market updates through STAA have helped land me numerous interviews and stay active in the industry. From Rancho Cucamonga in 2018, to Biloxi in 2019, and now Jackson, STAA has been a valuable tool!