(January 21, 2020) Three years after losing his job when his team discontinued radio, Michael Broskowski is back in Minor League Baseball’s Midwest League. An STAA member, Broskowski has joined the Clinton LumberKings as Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations.
Broskowski spent the past two seasons with the short-season Orem Owlz. Prior to that, he was with the Midwest League’s Burlington Bees for four years before they eliminated radio in 2017.
In Clinton, Broskowski follows fellow STAA member and good friend Erik Oas. The pair worked together seven years ago in the California Winter League. When Oas decided he was leaving baseball after last season, Broskowski was among the first people he told. “He knew I was looking to get back into full-season ball and back into the Midwest League,” says Broskowski.
Losing his job in Burlington was admittedly a big challenge for Broskowski. “It made me question if this was what I really wanted to do for a living, and being back into the job market after four years of being full time was extremely frustrating,” he recalls. “Working for Orem rejuvenated me in terms of my drive to continue this career. I had some of the most fun I’ve ever had in baseball working in Orem. The experience in Orem helped me a lot and made me realize this is what I want to keep doing.”
Broskowski’s love for baseball broadcasting stems from listening to games as a kid. “I was raised in the Milwaukee area and I always remembered listening to Brewers games. And then when I got a little older I had season tickets to a minor league baseball team and would always try and talk to the broadcasters and pick their brains,” he says. “My father also worked in radio as a DJ at a polka radio station so I just combined my love for radio with my love for baseball.”
The LumberKings are a Miami Marlins affiliate. This summer will be the first since 2013 that Broskowski has worked outside the Los Angeles Angels organization. He is ready for the challenge. “Working for Angels’ affiliates for the last six years, you knew every player in the system and their background and what they have done in previous seasons. In a new system, it’s a lot of learning and research and learning how an organization operates.”
One constant throughout most of Broskowski’s 10-year baseball broadcasting career is his STAA membership. “One of the big things I like about STAA is the [weekly] advice emails,” he says. “There is always something in there that I find useful, whether it’s in regards to on-air work or applying for jobs or putting together demo tapes. I always learn something new.
“I would tell someone who just joined STAA that Jon Chelesnik does a great job in not just notifying his clients of a job opening but of also helping your career when it comes to giving advice and getting an edge on the job market.”
(Visit Michael’s website).