(April 2, 2013) John Leahy broadcast his first minor league baseball game in 2005. Eight years later, Leahy now has his first full-time job in affiliated ball. An STAA client since 2006, Leahy has been named play-by-play voice for the Lowell Spinners. The Spinners are the Boston Red Sox Class-A affiliate.
A veteran of independent league baseball, Leahy has worked for the Florence Freedom and Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League, and the North Shore Spirit of the Can-Am League. The Spinners job is a good fit for several reasons.
“First of all, doing affiliated baseball has long been a goal of mine from my days doing independent ball. It is a logical progression of the career path,” says Leahy. “Secondly, it’s close to home. Lowell is less than an hour away from my home. Even some of the road trips are somewhat close. For example, they open the season in Norwich, CT, which is about an hour south. And I have family close by on a few of the road trips, so it will work out very well.”
Leahy has done some part-time broadcasting for the Spinners each of the past two seasons. “In 2011 I was brought aboard to split the duty with Ken Cail, and then in 2012 I came aboard to cover all of the road games on WCAP.”
Leahy is especially grateful to Cail. “In 2011 I was facing my first summer without baseball since I got my start in 2005 when Ken called me to ask if I wanted to help out. If not for him this job would not have been possible, so I will forever be in Ken’s debt.”
This will be Leahy’s first full summer schedule since 2010. “Although it was nice having some down time in the summers and doing a half schedule, I prefer a full schedule,” says Leahy. “I need to be busy.”
Working for a Boston Red Sox affiliate is also a plus for the life-long Sox fan. “[Boston] is the team I have loved since I was a youngster. Last season we called a game at Fenway Park, my first time ever calling a game there. That was a thrill I’ll never forget.”
(Visit John’s STAA Talent Page).