Media MonsterWeird But True

Listen To A Minor League Announcer Quit On The Air

The Lake County Fielders are in complete disarray. The independent, part-owned-by-Kevin-Costner minor league team is enduring an ongoing exodus of team employees, each seemingly quitting in more bizarre fashion than the last. Manager Tim Johnson recently quit because he said he wasn’t getting paid. There’s been near-complete roster turnover. And if you think that’s a mess, you should hear what happens on the field. From the linked story about Johnson’s resignation:

On Saturday night, the Fielders hosted the Jose Canseco-led Yuma Scorpions at a Zion baseball diamond the team leases from the city at Green Bay Road and Route 173.

Fielders hitting coach Pete LaCock served as interim manager and used pitchers as position players. After an 8-3 Scorpions victory he too resigned the team.

Amazingly, it gets weirder. Canseco took it upon himself to level the playing field by pitching that day – but it wasn’t enough, as he let up just one run in six innings. And the Fielders were actually doing well before all this started, going 20-12 to begin the season. But with things in such chaos, it’s no surprise that some on board want to get out while they still can – including team play-by-play announcer Qumar Zaman, who recently became the latest Fielders employee to jump ship…and he did it on the air.

Zaman’s is a tale of outrage (but not hatred) at not getting paid, and general mistreatment (of him and just about everyone else in the organization) by the Fielders. “Good night, and good luck” indeed – the Fielders could use some. Audio of Zaman’s public resignation below.

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