A's broadcaster gets emotional Sac Hall of Fame nod

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MESA, Ariz. -- Athletics radio broadcaster Johnny Doskow spent 22 years grinding through the Minor Leagues for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats and holding out hope that one day he would regularly call baseball for a Major League team.

The next time Doskow works the radio booth at Sutter Health Park, home of the River Cats, he will be calling Major League Baseball. He will also be doing so as a Hall of Famer.

After applying his craft at the Minor League level for over two decades in West Sacramento, Doskow is receiving his long-awaited opportunity to call a full season of baseball games in that same city he considers his adopted hometown, as the A¡¯s are set to call Sutter Health Park their new home for at least the next three seasons. He was hired by the A¡¯s in 2023 and rotated as a TV and radio announcer through his first two seasons. This year, however, he is scheduled to call a full 162-game slate for the first time in his career.

As if the opportunity was not exciting enough, Doskow received even more news to celebrate when he found out he was being inducted into the Sacramento Area Baseball Hall of Fame. He was part of a nine-member Class of 2025 that included former Major Leaguer and Sacramento native Fernando Vi?a, and they were all invited for an induction dinner and ceremony last Saturday, Feb. 15 at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento.

¡°Just grateful, honestly,¡± Doskow said of his call to the Hall. ¡°When Leon Lee gave me the call a couple of months ago, I thought he was joking. Then I got really emotional because of what Sacramento means to me. I really consider Sacramento my hometown. I didn¡¯t grow up there, but I¡¯ve spent the last 25 or 26 years there. I love Sacramento. It¡¯s home for me, so to get an honor like that in a place that I love and have enjoyed for so many years, it¡¯s the place where my daughter was born and raised, that meant everything to me.¡±

Doskow began his broadcasting career in 1993 calling games for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, now the High-A affiliate for the Twins. Moving on to call Minor League games for the High Desert Mavericks and Fresno Grizzlies over the next several years, Doskow was hired by the River Cats before the 2001 season. For the next 22 years, he called the action for multiple Pacific Coast League championship-winning River Cats teams and developed countless relationships with players and coaches throughout the years.

¡°There was a period where the River Cats won nine out of 11 division titles,¡± Doskow said. ¡°They had some great teams, and it was packed every night.¡±

What are some of those memories at Sutter Health Park?

¡°The first [PCL] championship in 2003 with Justin Lehr on the mound getting the popup,¡± Doskow said. ¡°That stands out in my mind with the 14,600 fans going crazy. ¡­ Some of my favorite memories are taking my daughter to the ballpark at such a young age. She was born in late 2005, so taking her in ¡®07, ¡®08 and ¡®09 as a toddler, the memories of having her there and raising her at the ballpark. Some of my friends I worked with there and some of the fans got to know her. It was just really cool.¡±

With a lot of questions about how the Sutter Health Park experience for A¡¯s games might look like, there might not be a better-suited person to answer those than Doskow. So, what does he expect?

¡°The advantage of a smaller ballpark is there¡¯s not a bad seat in the house,¡± said Doskow. ¡°No matter where you sit, you will have a good seat seeing these big league players up close. ¡­ Also, it¡¯s not going to be as hitter-friendly as people think. In April it cools off and plays very fair. This is the big leagues, so there could be some high-scoring games. But I do think that early on it will play more pitcher-friendly than people think. ¡­ You get to June, July and August, it¡¯ll be a little hitter-friendly. But until then, I think it¡¯ll play fair.¡±

The cherry on top for Doskow heading into this full-season slate for the A's inaugural season at Sutter Health Park? Getting to call games with the legendary Ken Korach, who is heading into his 34th year in the American League, his 30th with the A's, and his 20th as the team's lead radio announcer.

¡°I know it¡¯s cute that I¡¯m in one Hall of Fame when Korach is in like seven of them,¡± Doskow said with a grin. ¡°But it¡¯s quite an honor. I¡¯m elated to get to call every game. ¡­ To do it for this team that is so close to my heart, it means the world. I just can¡¯t wait to get started.¡±