{"id":1460,"date":"2025-10-15T15:27:49","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T15:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/?p=1460"},"modified":"2025-10-16T14:30:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T14:30:59","slug":"schemmel-laid-off-from-rockies-broadcast-for-second-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/sports-media\/schemmel-laid-off-from-rockies-broadcast-for-second-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Schemmel Laid Off From Rockies Broadcast For Second Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

You might think having to slog through a 119-loss season on the radio would be bad enough.\u00a0 But for Colorado Rockies<\/a> broadcaster Jerry Schemmel, the worst news came Tuesday, as he announced that he had been laid off for the second time in six years from the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems incredibly unfair,\u201d he told the Denver Post’s<\/em> Patrick Saunders<\/a> Tuesday. \u201cI gave my heart and soul to those broadcasts and felt like I was completely prepared every night, and hopefully sounded OK.”<\/p>\n

The 65-year-old said he was aware that his situation could be changing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t completely shocked by the phone call, as I knew other layoffs were happening in Denver,\u201d Schemmel told the Post<\/em>. \u201cBut a little surprised because I was making only 25% of the salary I was making when they let me go the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Unusual Arrangement For Schemmel<\/h2>\n

Schemmel is one of the few play-by-play broadcasters who was not employed by the team they broadcast.\u00a0 Instead, his employment came from the team’s flagship radio partner, iHeartMedia.\u00a0 Rockies games air on 850 KOA, a 50,000 watt clear-channel station owned by the media conglomerate. The station also broadcasts Denver Broncos and Colorado Buffaloes games.<\/p>\n

He joined Rockies broadcasts in 2010 following the retirement of original broadcaster Jeff Kingery.\u00a0 Schemmel and partner Jack Corrigan worked together for ten seasons until Schemmel was laid off by iHeartMedia in January of 2020.<\/p>\n

After missing the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Schemmel was brought back to replace Mike Rice after he would not get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Post<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0 <\/em>He partnered again with Corrigan for the last four seasons.<\/p>\n

Schemmel says the decision by iHeartmedia won’t keep him from moving forward with his next chapter.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI know life is unfair,” he told the Post<\/em>.\u00a0 “It\u2019s unfair for the others who got laid off, both in Denver and across the country.\u00a0 Like I tell people in my motivational speaking, \u2018When you get knocked down, you gotta get back up.\u2019 Which I will do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hear T.J. Rives with me discussing this puzzling lack of loyalty by the Rockies\/KOA radio for their broadcaster on the newest “Last Word On Sports Media” podcast<\/a> by clicking play below,<\/p>\n