Steve Jones has been named the 2017 Warner Fusselle Award for Broadcast Excellence as the top broadcaster in the New York-Penn League for his work as voice of the State College Spikes.
The award is given annually by the NYPL to the radio or TV/video streaming broadcaster whose work is deemed exemplary based on baseball knowledge, delivery, production values and overall presentation, according to the league.
Jones has been the lead broadcaster for the Spikes since their inception in 2006. He, of course, also is well-known as the voice of Penn State football, for which he’s called radio broadcasts since 2000, and Penn State basketball, for which he’s delivered broadcasts since 1982.
The Warner Fusselle Award is named for the late former broadcaster, who was the voice of the Brooklyn Cyclones from 2001 until his death in 2012. Fusselle’s long career included time as host and narrator of ‘This Week in Baseball.’
‘It is a great personal honor to accept an award named for the great Warner Fusselle, who was the gold standard for all broadcasters to follow,’ Jones said in a release. ‘This award also speaks to the commitment of the entire Spikes organization, starting with the visionary leadership of Chuck Greenberg, Jason Dambach and Scott Walker, to the importance of keeping in touch with our fans all over the world through these nightly broadcasts.
‘I am also grateful for the opportunity to work with dynamic people like Ben Love and Dan Petrazzolo to create a quality broadcast night in and night out. Most of all, I am thankful for the chance to be able to work with a talented colleague in Joe Putnam as a broadcast partner for the last 10 seasons.’
In addition to calling Spikes games for radio, Jones and Putnam are simulcast on streaming broadcasts of each home game on the MiLB.TV subscription service.
Jones also hosts the weekly ‘Penn State Coaches Show’ on Penn State Sports Network affiliates, ‘Sports Talk with Steve Jones’ weekdays on State College ESPN Radio 1450 and ‘The Steve Jones Show’ weekdays on Newsradio 1070 WKOK in Sunbury.
‘We are extremely proud that Steve Jones has been named the recipient of this prestigious award, and honored to have Steve calling our games,’ Spikes General Manager Scott Walker said. ‘From day one, Steve has been there for the Spikes, and he has truly seen it all unfold. His career achievements with Penn State and the Spikes speak for themselves, and we are truly happy he has been recognized by the New York-Penn League.’
