Mike Wilner
Encyclopedia
Michael Wilner is a baseball
broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays
. He hosts a postgame radio call-in show called JaysTalk on the Fan 590 and authors a blog on Fan590.com. He graduated from the University of Toronto
in 1994.
, basketball
, and football
. Wilner began his professional broadcasting career at the age of 19 with the Class-A Welland Pirates
. He later did play-by-play for various baseball teams including the Class-A Watertown Indians
, and the Double-A Hardware City Rock Cats. During the 2010 Winter Olympics
, Wilner hosted 2010 Winter Games Today in Vancouver with David Alter from Whistler, British Columbia
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. He hosts a postgame radio call-in show called JaysTalk on the Fan 590 and authors a blog on Fan590.com. He graduated from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1994.
Broadcasting career
Wilner began his broadcasting career at the University of Toronto in 1988, and was named sports director there a year later. During his tenure at the University of Toronto, Wilner did play-by-play for various sports including hockeyHockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
. Wilner began his professional broadcasting career at the age of 19 with the Class-A Welland Pirates
Welland Pirates
The Welland Pirates were a minor league baseball team located in Welland, Ontario. The team played in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, and were affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their home stadium was Welland Stadium. Famous players to play there include Tim...
. He later did play-by-play for various baseball teams including the Class-A Watertown Indians
Watertown Indians
The Watertown Indians were a minor league baseball team located in Watertown, New York. The team played in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League and was affiliated with the Cleveland Indians. Its home stadium was Duffy Fairgrounds. The team relocated to Staten Island for the...
, and the Double-A Hardware City Rock Cats. During the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, Wilner hosted 2010 Winter Games Today in Vancouver with David Alter from Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
.
Professional controversies
- On June 18, 2008, Wilner hosted a post-game radio show featuring J. P. Ricciardi, then the General Manager of the Blue Jays, as his guest to answer questions from the callers. In response to one caller's insistence for the Blue Jays to acquire outfielder Adam DunnAdam DunnAdam Troy Dunn , nicknamed "Big Donkey", is an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Chicago White Sox. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed....
in a trade, Ricciardi responded by saying, "Do you know the guy doesn't really like baseball that much? Do you know the guy doesn't have a passion to play the game that much? How much do you know about the player? There's a reason why you're attracted to some players and there's a reason why you're not attracted to some players. I don't think you'd be very happy if we brought Adam Dunn here. We’ve done our homework on guys like Adam Dunn and there’s a reason why we don’t want Adam Dunn. I don’t want to get into specifics." Ricciardi later apologized for his blunt, personal criticisms of Dunn on Wilner's program. - On June 1, 2010, Mike Wilner got into an argument during a media scrum with the Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito GastonCito GastonClarence Edwin "Cito" Gaston is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. His major league career as a player lasted from 1967–1978, most notably for the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves...
about Gaston's field level decision making. Wilner detailed the confrontation on his blog. A day later his employer, the Fan 590 announced Wilner would not be covering the team for several days, presummably a suspension though the Fan 590 refused to state the reason. Because Rogers CommunicationsRogers CommunicationsRogers Communications Inc. is one of Canada's largest communications companies, particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, home phone and internet with additional telecommunications and mass media assets...
, owners of the Toronto Blue Jays, also owns the Fan 590, the suspension had at least the appearance of a case of media censorship. The Toronto Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America issued a letter or protest suggesting the suspension was an attempt by the Blue Jays to muzzle media criticism. The controversy received coverage in all three of Toronto's daily newspapers, largely in sympathy with Wilner.