Brian Anderson (sportscaster)

Brian Anderson (born June 7, 1971) is an American sportscaster. Since 2007, he has called play-by-play for the Milwaukee Brewers' telecasts on FSN Wisconsin. As a part of his work on the 2007 Brewers Preview Show, Anderson and the FSN team were awarded a regional Emmy Award.

This article is about the Milwaukee Brewers TV broadcaster. For the Tampa Bay Rays TV broadcaster, see Brian Anderson (pitcher).
Brian Anderson
Born (1971-06-07) June 7, 1971
Austin, Texas, U.S.
OccupationSportscaster
Years active1998–present
Spouse(s)Michele
ChildrenMadeline

Anderson also calls NCAA Tournament basketball for Turner Sports, regular season NCAA basketball for FOX Sports, and the Big Ten Network, MLB games for TBS, and NBA games for TNT.

Broadcasting career

Early career

From 1998 to 2000, Anderson handled Minor League and Little League Baseball telecasts for ESPN. He received his start in baseball with the San Antonio Missions, the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, serving as a radio/television play-by-play announcer from 1994 to 1998 and from 2000 to 2003.

Anderson worked as a play-by-play announcer at The Golf Channel from 2003 to 2006. In his role there, he served as a host for a variety of the network's events, including the PGA and Nationwide Tours. Anderson also worked at FSN Southwest as a sideline reporter for the San Antonio Spurs from 1999 to 2007, where he saw the Spurs win three NBA Championships.

Starting in 2007, Anderson moved on to be the play-by-play announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers on Fox Sports Wisconsin. He is joined by color commentator Bill Schroeder. The duo occasionally also did games for WMLW, a local over-the-air channel in the Milwaukee metro area, but Fox Sports Wisconsin has since become the exclusive local broadcast partner for the Brewers. Anderson remains a member of the Brewers' broadcast booth today.

National work

Since 2008, Anderson has been tapped by TBS to provide play-by-play for the network's coverage of the postseason, calling the Brewers-Phillies National League Division Series in 2008, the Rockies-Phillies series in 2009, the Reds-Phillies series in 2010 and the Yankees-Tigers American League Division Series in 2011. In 2012, Anderson worked the NL Wild Card Game and NLDS. In 2013, he worked the American League Wild Card tiebreaker between the Rays and Rangers, the AL Wild Card Game and ALDS. From 2014 to 2017, Anderson served as the secondary play-by-play announcer for TBS during the Division Series.

Because of Ernie Johnson stepping aside for the 2011 playoffs to care for his son Michael (who suffers from muscular dystrophy and was placed in intensive care around the same time as the playoffs), Anderson called the 2011 National League Championship Series for TBS, which only by coincidence had the Brewers against the Cardinals; his role was announced before the playoff seedings for the NLDS were fully set.[1] Anderson again returned to calling LCS in 2017, when he called the 2017 National League Championship Series for TBS,[2] as Ernie Johnson was preoccupied with his NBA on TNT duties. He has continued to call the LCS every year since.

In 2018, Anderson once again served as lead play-by-play announcer during the MLB postseason in place of Johnson, who stepped aside due to blood clots and being advised not to fly.[3] In this role, Anderson was on the call of the first-ever Division Series featuring the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

In 2010, TBS named him as play-by play announcer on Sunday MLB on TBS regular season broadcasts.

In addition, Anderson started calling NCAA basketball games for ESPN during the 2009–2010 season.

In 2012, he began calling NCAA basketball games for the Big Ten Network, concluding in covering the early rounds of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament.[4]

Since 2012, Anderson has called play-by-play for Turner Sports and CBS's coverage of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and NBA.

In 2013, he was named lead host for TNT's exclusive coverage of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.[5]

Anderson is currently a play-by-play announcer for Fox College Hoops.[6]

Anderson replaced an ailing Marv Albert to call undefeated Kentucky's thrilling 68–66 win over Notre Dame at the 2015 NCAA Midwest Regional final in Cleveland, Ohio.[7] He also served as commentator for the Michigan State Spartans team cast during their Final Four game against Duke.[8]

Beginning in 2014, Anderson added NBA on TNT duties to his resume, usually in a fill-in position or as a 3rd announcer when TNT features a rare tripleheader that night, such as on MLK day. He also extensively covers the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs in this position. Wisconsin Badgers play-by-play man Matt Lepay substitutes for him on Fox Sports Wisconsin for Brewers games when he is away calling the NBA.[9]

Anderson also began calling some NFL on CBS games during the busier weeks of the 2014 NFL season, when the network's six or seven announcing teams weren't enough to cover the network's games.[10]

Anderson called the 2019 PGA Championship for Golf on TNT, which was the last year for TNT's golf coverage.

Prior to the 2019-20 NBA season, it was announced that as a replacement to the recently eliminated "Players Only" broadcasts which occurred on Tuesday nights beginning during the 2nd half of the season, TNT would instate a more traditional broadcast format to their Tuesday Night slate of games. Anderson was announced to be one of the play-by-play announcers to the weekly scheduled doubleheader, along with longtime Nets announcer Ian Eagle. Anderson will be partnered with either Stan Van Gundy or Jim Jackson.

Notable calls

September 27, 2008 – Anderson was the play-by-play announcer for the final game of the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers season for Fox Sports Wisconsin, where Ryan Braun hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Brewers the lead and eventual win, which led to a Wild Card berth and the first playoff berth for the Brewers in 26 years.

And there's a drive into left field, this is hit well! AND IT'S GONE! RYAN BRAUN! A 2 RUN HOME RUN! THE BREWERS TAKE THE LEAD!

September 7, 2010 – Anderson called Trevor Hoffman's 600th career save for Fox Sports Wisconsin. Anderson's call of the final out:

On the ground... Counsell, and there it is! Trevor Hoffman! A milestone, number 600!

October 6, 2010 – Anderson called Game 1 of the 2010 National League Division Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies for TBS, where Roy Halladay threw the second no-hitter in postseason history. Anderson's call of the final out:

Halladay is one strike away, the 0-2... a bouncer. Ruiz, IN TIME! ROY HALLADAY, HAS THROWN A NO-HITTER!

October 3, 2014 – Anderson called Game 2 of the 2014 American League Division Series between the Detroit Tigers and the Baltimore Orioles for TBS, where Delmon Young hit a bases clearing double to give the Orioles a 1-run lead in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Bases loaded, Young swings! Line drive... that is down, and to the wall! Cruz is in, Pearce is in, Hardy is around 3rd, he's gonna try to score! And SAFE! THE ORIOLES HAVE THE LEAD! The legend of Delmon Young in the postseason continues!

October 15, 2017 – Anderson called Game 2 of the 2017 National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers, where Justin Turner hit a walk-off 3-run home run to give the Dodgers a 2–0 lead on their way to winning the series. Anderson's call of the home run:

And Turner, in the air to center field, that ball is hit well. Martin is on the run, this is way back! AND, IT IS GONE! IT IS A WALK-OFF HOME RUN... FOR JUSTIN TURNER!

March 22, 2018 – Anderson covered the 2018 Sweet Sixteen match-up between the 11th seeded Loyola-Chicago Ramblers and the 7th seeded Nevada Wolf Pack for Turner Sports. Loyola-Chicago had a 1-point lead until Marques Townes hit a 3 to help ice the game to advance the Ramblers to the Elite Eight.

Custer... crossover, kicks it. Townes, for 3. YES SIR! MARQUES TOWNES!

April 22, 2018 – Anderson called Game 1 of the 2018 Eastern Conference First Round match-up between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, where Khris Middleton hit a buzzer beating 3 to tie the game at 99 just minutes after Terry Rozier hit a 3 to put the Celtics up with 0.5 seconds left in the 4th quarter.

Who's going to get the last shot here? Gets it in, Middleton for the tie! OH MY GOODNESS! KHRIS MIDDLETON! TIES IT, WITH A LONG RANGE 3! And now they will check to see if he got it off in time, I think he did.

October 8, 2018 – Anderson called Game 3 of the 2018 American League Division Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees for TBS, where Brock Holt hit for the first cycle in postseason history. Anderson's call of Holt's home run and completion of the cycle:

That ball is ripped, down the right field line. That is a fair ball home run, and the cycle for Brock Holt! He hits for the cycle in a postseason game! So what if it's off a position player. History for Brock Holt. Single, triple, double, homer. 16–1 Boston, and a night Brock Holt will never forget.

October 17, 2018 – Anderson called Game 4 of the 2018 American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros for TBS. He called Andrew Benintendi's diving catch of Astros third baseman Alex Bregman's liner off of Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel to win Game 4. The Red Sox would go on to win the series in 5 games, on their way to their ninth World Series title. Anderson's call of the final play:[11]

TBS analyst Ron Darling: This has been a bases loaded postseason for the Red Sox, this is the Astros' chance.
Anderson: A base hit could tie it. Runners will be off at the crack of the bat with two outs. Kimbrel deals, Bregman, in the air to left field. Benintendi dives! And, HE MAKES THE CATCH! OH WHAT A PLAY! GAME SAVER! ANDREW BENINTENDI! The Red Sox win on a spectacular catch by Benintendi in left field. Wow! What a game! What a finish! The guts it takes to make that play. If it gets by him, it's over.

March 30, 2019 – Anderson called the Elite Eight match-up between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Virginia Cavaliers, where Mamadi Diakite made a floater to tie the game at 70 at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, where Virginia eventually won.

2 point game. Jerome... short. Back tap, Diakite. A race for it, into the hands of Clark. They got a chance to win it here. Up the front is Diakite, for the win! AND IT GOES! For the tie! Diakite! Squares it at 70!

April 23, 2019 – Anderson called Game 5 of the 2019 Western Conference first-round match-up between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trail Blazers, where Damian Lillard hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game for the Trail Blazers, and advance them to the second round of the playoffs.

Chance right here, shot clock is off. Portland has a timeout. Lillard, a chance to send the Thunder home. Lillard, long range 3... [buzzer sounds] AND... IT'S GOOD! AT THE BUZZER! DAMIAN LILLARD! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

October 15, 2019 – Anderson called game four of the 2019 National League Championship Series between the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals where the Nationals swept the Cardinals in four games to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

In the air, center field...This should do it. Robles will squeeze it, AND THERE IT IS! The Washington Nationals are National League Champions!

Personal life

Anderson played catcher on the nationally ranked baseball team at St. Mary's University, Texas and graduated cum laude from the school in 1993 with a degree in English communications. He has a wife and one child. Anderson is the younger brother of former Reds pitcher Mike Anderson.[12]

Anderson is a Christian. Anderson has spoken about his faith, saying "Not everything depends on what is happening in my particular space. I don’t live or die with my call of a game or a win or loss, or something good or bad at home. I know there is a greater picture, a greater hope; and that is eternity [in Heaven]. ... I will trust in God, who gave His only Son as the ultimate sacrifice, and He did it for me."[13]

References
  1. Heistand, Michael (27 September 2011). "Family situation keeps TBS' Ernie Johnson from MLB playoffs". USA Today. Gannett Company. pp. C3. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  2. Fang, Ken (2 October 2017). "Brian Anderson will call the NLCS on TBS due to Ernie Johnson's NBA commitments". Awful Announcing.
  3. Terranova, Justin (1 October 2018). "Ernie Johnson to miss TBS' baseball playoff coverage". New York Post.
  4. http://btn.com/2012/10/24/btn-sets-on-air-talent-roster-for-basketball/
  5. Wolfley, Bob (22 February 2012). "Brewers' Anderson will work NCAA basketball tournament telecasts". SportsDay with Bob Wolfley. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  6. http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/latestnews/2015/11/10/fox-sports-unveils-loaded-lineup-of-studio-and-game-announcers-f
  7. "Marv Albert is 'under the weather', Replaced by Brian Anderson for Call of Kentucky-Notre Dame". USA Today. March 28, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  8. "Cleaves to be analyst on MSU Final Four homer broadcast". Detroit Free Press. March 31, 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  9. http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2014/01/27/brian-anderson-rachets-down-brewers.html
  10. Deitsch, Richard (16 June 2014). "What's next for ESPN NBA Countdown?; CBS's NFL moves". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  11. "Watch an extended cut of Andrew Benintendi's game-ending catch". YouTube. 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  12. Radcliffe, JR (July 18, 2012). "Q & A with Brewers broadcaster (and Hartland resident) Brian Anderson". Lake Country Now.
  13. "Brewers' TV Announcer Tells His Faith Story's Play-by-Play". Archived from the original on 2014-05-05.
Preceded by
Ernie Johnson Jr.		 Lead play-by-play announcer, Major League Baseball on TBS
2011
2017-present		 Succeeded by
Ernie Johnson Jr.
Incumbent
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