Three cheers, and years, for Edmonds

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Goldeyes broadcaster Paul Edmonds is famous for his ‘Fish win’ calls. (PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store

LOOK up, pucker up and kiss him... hello. Again.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes announced Thursday that longtime team radio announcer Paul Edmonds will broadcast every one of the team's regular season and playoff games for at least another three seasons on Sports Radio 1290.

When the agreement ends in 2013, Edmonds will have been the exclusive voice of the Goldeyes for 19 consecutive seasons and almost 1,700 games -- and 1290 will have been the team broadcaster for nine of those seasons.

All of which is the kind of continuity seldom seen these days in what has become an increasingly fragmented digital universe.

"In this day and age where radio is providing so many options -- whether it's terrestrial radio or satellite radio or even going as far as the Internet -- whenever you have consistency so that people know where to find you, I think that's important," said Edmonds.

"And this deal certainly does that."

In addition to broadcasting every one of the Goldeyes games in 2011, Edmonds will also have a weekly show every Saturday featuring news from around the Goldeyes' new league, the American Association.

And Edmonds will also be back this season with Fish manager Rick Forney for 55 With Forney, a weekly show airing on Sundays during which fans can call or email with questions for the Fish skipper.

Edmonds, a father of three, said he likes all the continuity too and is looking forward to the whole new Goldeyes era represented by their move to a new league. "I really don't know what else I would do," Edmonds said. "And when you look at job satisfaction -- mentally, emotionally, financially -- I couldn't ask for anything better."

FISHLINES: The owners of the American Association's Pensacola Pelicans, Quint and Rishy Studer, have purchased the Carolina Mudhens and will be moving that Southern League franchise to a new ballpark in Pensacola for the 2012 season. The American Association Thursday in turn announced the Pelicans will now immediately fold and the Pensacola team will become the expansion Amarillo Dillas for the 2011 AA season. That would keep the number of AA teams at 14 in 2011.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 17, 2010 C2