By Canadian Press

Roadblock Lifted: Blue Jays radio crew would return to road if team makes playoffs

Sep 28, 2023 | 4:48 PM

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays’ radio rights-holder said Thursday that it will resume traditional in-person broadcasts of road games if the team makes the playoffs.

Sportsnet’s radio crew is on site for home games at Rogers Centre but the network has used pandemic-style remote coverage for road games this season. 

That will change if the Blue Jays — who held the second of three American League wild-card spots entering play Thursday — can secure a post-season berth. 

“The radio team will travel for post-season — Ben Wagner on play-by-play alongside analyst Chris Leroux,” Sportsnet spokesperson Jason Jackson said in an email.

The network used remote coverage in 2022 before shifting back to in-person road broadcasts for most of the second half of last season.

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In 2023, all regular-season road games were called from a screen at Sportsnet’s studio in Toronto. The Blue Jays will close out their campaign this weekend against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. 

It wasn’t clear why Sportsnet used remote broadcasts in the regular season. Interview requests with network brass have been declined and a message left Thursday was not immediately returned.

Toronto would open the post-season on the road if it qualifies for the best-of-three wild-card series starting Tuesday.

Remote radio broadcasts were the norm across the sports landscape in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic due to health concerns and travel restrictions. 

Almost all Major League Baseball radio broadcasters eventually resumed regular travel. The Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels were the only big-league teams that had remote radio calls for road games in 2023.

In addition to audio streaming options, Blue Jays radio broadcasts are heard across Canada on Sportsnet Radio Network affiliates and the Toronto-based flagship Fan590 all-sports station.

Remote radio broadcasts can come with a roll of the dice. Unforeseen audio difficulties or television feed issues can sometimes impact the call of the action.

Last April, a studio fire alarm was to blame for 10 minutes of beeping noises that were heard during a remote call of a Blue Jays’ road game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2023. 

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Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press