Announcer

The Orioles are seeking a new public address announcer for games at Camden Yards. David McGowan is leaving the position after 14 seasons to pursue a career change. “I feel so fortunate to have played even a small role in helping Orioles fans enjoy major league baseball in the best ballpark in the country. It has truly been a privilege getting to serve the fans of Baltimore and to work for the Orioles organization.” The new PA announcer will deliver all public address greetings, player introductions and other game-day announcements.

Antonio Barton's decision about where he will finish his college basketball will come Sunday afternoon. Barton, who played his first three seasons at Memphis and opted to leave when fellow point guard Joe Jackson returned for his senior year, texted me Wednesday morning.   But the former Lake Clifton standout wouldn't say where he was making his decision and gave no indication whether he was choosing Maryland, Tennessee or any other school among what he said a few weeks ago were two dozen suitors.

Even though we're meeting in a busy coffee shop in White Marsh, it's clear Ryan Wagner has the voice-of-God pipes he needs for his next gig. Thirty-nine days from now, as the Orioles new public-address announcer, he'll settle in behind a microphone in the press box, press a button and intone: "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Oriole Park at Camden Yards ... " This will be Opening Day 2012, Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins,...

Jim Berkman, Quinn Carney, Michele DeJuliis, Sue Heether, Bill Miller, Tracy Stumpf, Ryan Wade and Michael Watson will be inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame on Oct. 26 at the Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, US Lacrosse announced Tuesday. Tickets for the induction ceremony will be available to the public for purchase Aug. 1 and will be sold at http://uslacrosse.org/HOF . The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a program of US Lacrosse, was established in 1957 to honor men and women who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of lacrosse to our way of life.

Check out this video from the MIAA high school lacrosse playoffs in May of an announcer named Booker Corrigan calling a game between Boys' Latin and McDonogh. The goal by Boys' Latin's Greg Pyke is pretty standard, but the call from Corrigan -- inspired by Biggie Smalls -- was not. [ Via Awful Announcing ]

Arda Ocal (@arda_ocal) of The Score Television Network and The Baltimore Sun spoke with Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) about calling ECW matches, his involvement with WWE.com and much more.

NFL Socci named Patriots play-by-play announcer Bob Socci , who has called radio play-by-play for Navy for the past 16 years, has been named radio play-by-play announcer for the New England Patriots on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Socci, who replaces Gil Santos , will join color commentator Scott Zolak (Maryland) in the booth. Santos retired after the 2012 season after 36 seasons of calling Patriots games. Socci, 45, of Milton, Mass., is the lead announcer for CBS Sports Network's coverage of Patriot League college basketball and calls games for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. Varsity Gaels' Williams to play for U.S. All-Stars in Capital Classic Mount St. Joseph senior guard Kameron Williams will be one of 10 players on the U.S. All-Stars basketball team at Sunday's 40th annual Capital Classic in Virginia.

Contemporary wrestling fans know Jerry “The King” Lawler as the voice of the WWE. But those who have followed Lawler's career through the past four decades have witnessed the evolution of a true journeyman and icon of the professional wrestling industry. Whether competing in the ring, promoting a wrestling show, battling celebrities or calling the action from behind the announce table, Lawler has left an undeniable mark on the business, even transcending the boundaries of wrestling and becoming a pop culture icon with a little help from one Andy Kaufman.

LAUREL -- Jehan Malherbe made his debut at Laurel Race Course yesterday, with the announcer from South Africa calling two of the 10 races.He made a miscue early, then settled into a smooth style of accurate calls.He came from Cape Town, representing Maryland racing's attempt to obtain a unique announcer with a style somewhat like that of Trevor Denman, who arrived on the West Coast from South Africa with much anticipation several years ago.Several track operators, including those at Laurel and Pimlico race courses, have coveted Denman.

His interest in horse racing was whetted, Dave Rodman said, when his father used to sneak him into Jefferson Downs in Louisiana as a child."The age limit was 12 or 13, but I was under that," said Rodman, Pimlico's track announcer. "My father would buy tickets. Then, with the security people to the left of us, I'd shadow him on the right, and we'd scoot through together so they wouldn't see how young I really was."That was the first of a series of steps that led Rodman, 36, to his career as a track announcer.

T. Rowe Price plans to launch a new series of 11 target-date retirement funds later this summer, the Baltimore-based money manager said Wednesday. Target date funds automatically become more conservative as investors age. Price began offering such funds in 2002 and they had assets amounted to $88.1 billion at the end of March. This original series is designed to provide income for a retirement lasting 20 to 30 years. The new series, called T. Rowe Price Target Retirement Funds, will provide income for a shorter withdrawal period.

The U.S. Peace Corps will begin accepting applications from same-sex couples who wish to serve overseas together for the first time next month, the agency announced Tuesday. The move follows a broader shift by the Obama administration toward publicly supporting gay rights and denouncing LGBT discrimination globally through U.S. diplomatic efforts, including at the State Department and the United Nations. The Peace Corps said opening its doors to same-sex domestic partners "further diversifies the pool of Peace Corps applicants and the skills of those invited to serve overseas in the fields of education, health, community economic development, environment, youth in development and agriculture.

Hardly anyone would second-guess Denver coach Bill Tierney if he elected to start Saturday's NCAA tournament semifinal against top-seeded Syracuse with junior goalkeeper Jamie Faus in the cage rather than opening with sophomore Ryan LaPlante as he has done in 17 of the team's 18 contests this season. After all, Faus was one of the primary reasons why the fourth-seeded Pioneers (14-4) are enjoying its second Final Four in the last three years. He made 11 saves and surrendered just five goals in more than 50 minutes of play after replacing LaPlante in the first quarter of an eventual 12-11 decision against fifth-seeded North Carolina last Sunday in the quarterfinal round.

The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association announced the Division III players who earned All-American honors, and a number of players from area programs and the Baltimore metropolitan area were on the list. Stevenson junior defenseman Kyle Holechek (Loyola) earned a spot on the first team. He was joined by Tufts freshman attackman Cole Bailey (Severn), Dickinson junior attackman Brian Cannon (Loyola) and Dickinson senior defenseman Peter Zouck (Gilman). Salisbury placed four players on the second team in senior midfielder Eric Kluge, junior defenseman Josh Martin, senior faceoff specialist Tyler Granelli and freshman short-stick defensive midfielder Preston Dabbs.

The IAAM coaches have announced their all-star lacrosse teams: A Conference Sammie Burgess, McDonogh Gabby Cha, Mount de Sales Molly Cobb, Notre Dame Prep Ellie DeGarmo, Bryn Mawr Caroline Federico, Maryvale Nevi Fernandez, St. Paul's Cece Finney, Roland Park Liz Haus, Notre Dame Prep Miranda Ibello, Maryvale Stephanie Lazo, St. Mary's Julie Legar, Garrison Forest Maggie Preas, McDonogh ...

The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse program plans to surrender its status as an independent and join a conference, the university announced Friday. The Blue Jays have competed independently for 130 years, winning nine NCAA championships and qualifying for 41 consecutive NCAA tournaments before getting left out of the postseason earlier this month. In a letter to the Johns Hopkins community and posted on the school's website, president Ronald J. Daniels said he accepted the recommendation of a seven-member special committee that proposed that the program pursue a conference affiliation.

LAUREL -- Laurel Race Course management said yesterday that a South African announcer, Jehan Malherbe, will begin a tryout as race caller Dec. 1. He will call the races through Christmas.The announcement said the tryout will be a "prelude for a possible permanent position as announcer at Laurel and Pimlico."Malherbe, 34, succeeds Milo Perrins, who announced his resignation Friday to return to New Mexico as the caller at tracks in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.Santa Anita Park started the trend of hiring foreign announcers by bringing Trevor Denman from South Africa.

The Baltimore County baseball coaches released their 2013 picks for top players, coaches and all-county teams earlier this week. The full list is below. 2013 Baltimore County baseball awards Baltimore County Player of the Year: Sam Stark, Towson, senior Baltimore County Pitcher of the Year: Matt Evans, Eastern Tech, senior Baltimore County Offensive Player of the Year: Kris Ewers, Dulaney, senior Divisional Coaches of the Year: Division I -- Rich Hambor, Catonsville; Division II -- Brad Eastham, Towson; Division III -- Brian Powell, Dundalk Sportsmanship Award: Division I -- Hereford; Division II -- Loch Raven; Division III -- Chesapeake-BC All-Baltimore County first team Pitcher: John Klein, Catonsville, junior Pitcher: Matt Evans, Eastern Tech, senior Pitcher: Aidan Miller, Towson, senior Infielder: Kyle Kershner, Towson, senior Infielder: Tyler Silbersack, Franklin, junior Infielder: Sam Stark, Towson, senior Infielder: Kris Ewers, Dulaney, senior Infielder: Tyler Smith, Western Tech, senior Infielder: Jay Patti, Hereford, senior Infielder: Logan Countryman, Loch Raven, senior Infielder: Cody Gwinn, Eastern Tech, junior Outfielder: Ryan Silcott, Franklin, senior Outfielder: Bobby Donald, Dulaney, senior Outfielder: Paul Walter, Eastern Tech, senior Outfielder: Robbie Wheelton, Catonsville,...