30 Years of Victory Field, 50 Seasons Behind the Mic, and the Stars of Indianapolis Baseball

On today’s show Dom Miranda sat down with Howard Kellman, Voice of the Indianapolis Indians who debuted with the team in 1974 and has called more than 7,000 games, to talk Indians baseball and Victory Field’s 30th anniversary. Kellman moved from Brooklyn, New York to Indianapolis after sending 110 letters across the country to every minor league team, nearly landed several MLB broadcast jobs in the 1980s, and chose to stay after expanding into local TV calling high school football and basketball games. He reflects on Victory Field’s July 11, 1996 opening, downtown Indianapolis’ growth, the club’s upkeep approach to the ballpark, and his 2016 in-game heart attack and recovery. Kellman also revisits the 2000 championship season, the 2015 run to Game 5 of the Governors’ Cup championship series, the Indians’ MLB affiliates (Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates) since the Vic’s 1996 opening, evolving minor-league control, plus notable players and memories from Andrew McCutchen to Gerrit Cole, Paul Skenes, Razor Shines, and more. If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. Sports episodes where Dom talks about Indiana sports, visit getindiana.com/podcast/shows/get-in-sports. You are going to learn about: Howard Kellman’s Persistence to Landing a Job Broadcasting Baseball Notable Indianapolis Indians Players, Teams, and Memories Minor League Baseball’s Structure and MLB Partnerships Check out these great clips from the show: 00:00 Victory Field Legends Tease 01:15 Guest Introduction: Howard Kellman, Voice of the Indians 03:34 Brooklyn to Indy Break 06:20 Big League Near Misses 08:44 50 Seasons Behind Mic 11:25 Opening Night 1996 13:02 Downtown and Ballpark Growth 15:35 Heart Attack Scare 2016 19:53 Championship Seasons Spotlight 22:17 Future Stars at Victory Field 24:42 2015 Playoff Heartbreak 26:21 Memory and Local Catchphrases 27:51 MLB Affiliates Explained 28:29 Minor League Overhaul 2021 30:25 Why Pittsburgh Pirates Partnership Works 33:26 Victory Field Anniversary Plug 33:37 Indians Alumni Spotlight 37:59 Pitching Trio Breakdown 40:25 Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin 42:24 Under-the-Radar Players 43:13 Rapid Fire Memories 44:33 Mickey Mantle World Series Story 47:19 Heroes and Broadcast Mentors 49:36 What Makes Indiana Sports Follow and Share For all the latest Indiana sports news and coverage, follow Get IN. Sports on Instagram and Facebook, and Dom Miranda on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.