Fastball

Toronto Blue Jays Radio Voice Let Go After Six Years Behind the Mic

Sportsnet/Rogers Communications has elected not to renew the contract of radio play-by-play voice Ben Wagner. He is out after six seasons behind the mic.
Brady Farkas|
Toronto Blue Jays Radio Voice Let Go After Six Years Behind the Mic
Toronto Blue Jays Radio Voice Let Go After Six Years Behind the Mic

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Toronto Blue Jays

After six seasons behind the microphone, Toronto Blue Jays radio broadcaster Ben Wagner is out.

Per Sportsnet PR on social media:

An update on Sportsnet's baseball radio broadcast:

After six seasons as the voice of our baseball radio broadcasts, Sportsnet has decided not to renew Ben Wagner's contract for next season.

Thank you, Ben, for sharing your voice and expertise with listeners across Canada.

We wish you the very best.

It should be noted that Sportsnet/Rogers Communications made this decision - not the Blue Jays.

Sports media site Barrett Sports Media had more information as well:

Wagner had served as the radio voice of the team for the last six seasons and called road games remotely for the last several years following the COVID-19 pandemic. He was briefly taken off the radio broadcasts when Sportsnet decided to simulcast its television broadcast on radio; however, that move was expeditiously reversed.

During this past season, Wagner worked alongside color commentator Chris Leroux and had the opportunity to travel to call the team’s Wild Card Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, which ended in a 2-0 loss. The Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels were the only two MLB teams not to send their broadcasters on the road during the 2023 MLB regular season.

Upon graduating from Indiana State University with a degree in radio and television, Ben Wagner worked as the director of media and public relations for the Lakewood BlueClaws, a Class-A Minor League Baseball team for which he also served as its play-by-play announcer.

The Blue Jays finished third in the American League East this past season. Sportsnet has said they will announce their broadcast plans prior to the 2024 season.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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