March 20, 2015 at 2:34 PM
PawSox, Salem Red Sox announce radio play-by-play hires
The Pawtucket Red Sox and Salem Red Sox have both announced new hires in their radio booths for the coming season over the past 24 hours. The PawSox on Friday hired Will Flemming (pictured) to replace the departed Josh Levering, who became the latest in a long line of PawSox broadcasters to jump to the majors when he was hired by the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason. Meanwhile, Salem tapped Kevin Burke on Thursday to replace long-time Salem broadcaster Evan Lepler, who is leaving to become the lead broadcaster of the American Ultimate Disc League on ESPN3.
Flemming, 35, will join Josh Maurer in the PawSox booth. The team of Flemming and Maurer will broadcast all 144 Pawtucket games on 920 WHJJ and a dozen other affiliated stations. He has spent the last three seasons as a play-by-play voice of the Indianapolis Indians, the Pittsburgh Pirates' Triple-A affiliate. Flemming has also called NCAA finals in baseball, hockey, basketball, track and field, soccer, and swimming. He has also been the voice of IUPUI men's basketball on television and radio during the baseball off-season.
If his name looks familiar, it may be because Flemming's brother Dave spent three seasons as radio voice of the PawSox from 2001 to 2003 before joining the San Francisco Giants as a radio and television broadcaster.
Burke, 25, returns to the Salem franchise after having worked for the team in 2010 and 2011 as on-field master of ceremonies. A Virginia native, Burke also spent some games in the booth with Lepler during his time with the team.
Lepler announced his departure from the Salem radio booth, which he has manned since 2009, on Wednesday in a post on his Salem Sox Talk blog. Lepler had also served in recent years as Salem's director of media relations. Aaron McFarling of the Roanoke Times talked to both Burke and Lepler about their new jobs.
Photo credit: Will Flemming, provided by the Pawtucket Red Sox