Legendary broadcaster Steve Klauke, the longtime voice of the Salt Lake Bees (Triple-A; Pacific Coast League) and a mentor to many in the business, will retire at the end of the 2023 MiLB season.
Our Broadcaster of the Year in 2014 in the annual Ballpark Digest awards, Klauke has been the voice of Salt Lake baseball since the arrival of the Buzz in 1994. Klauke also won the Utah Sportscaster of the Year Award three times, in 1995, 2014 and 2016. The veteran sportscaster will continue his work as the radio voice of Weber State football and men’s basketball, where he has served as the Wildcats’ broadcaster since 2015.
Originally from the Chicago area, Klauke came to Utah in 1991 as a pre-game, halftime and post-game show host for the Utah Jazz and hosted a daily sports talk show on KISN. In addition to his work with the Bees and Weber State, Klauke has broadcast games for the Jazz, Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, University of Utah, Utah Grizzlies and Utah Flash. Steve and his wife, Sue, live in Sandy and have two children, Adam and Lisa.
When Triple-A Baseball returned to Salt Lake City in 1994, Klauke came back home to the broadcast booth as the voice of the Buzz. Since then, he has called 4,034 regular season and playoff games, punctuated nearly 4,000 Bees home runs with his signature “it’s up there, it’s out there, it’s gone!” call and put the exclamation point on 2,011 Salt Lake victories with “handshakes and high-fives all around!”
“As I enter my 29th season, I have decided that now is the best time to hang up the microphone. I want to thank the fans for their support and hope everyone has had as much fun listening as I have had broadcasting,” Klauke said via press release. “I am looking forward to calling the 2023 season and taking one last trip around the league.”
“The Miller family wishes Steve unlimited enjoyment in his retirement,” said Gail Miller, co-founder and owner of the Larry H. Miller Company. “He has not only been a dedicated long-time employee but also a true fan of the Salt Lake Bees. We will always treasure and honor the immeasurable impact he has had on sports in Utah. Steve will forever be remembered as ‘the voice of the Bees’ and holds a special place in our hearts.”
When Triple-A Baseball returned to Salt Lake City in 1994, Klauke came back home to the broadcast booth as the voice of the Buzz. Since then, he has called 4,034 regular season and playoff games, punctuated nearly 4,000 Bees home runs with his signature “it’s up there, it’s out there, it’s gone!” call and put the exclamation point on 2,011 Salt Lake victories with “handshakes and high-fives all around!”
“Steve is an anchor in the Utah sports community and has built a legacy as the voice of the Bees,” said Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Company, via press release. “His dedication and passion for baseball have inspired and created countless memories for Bees fans. We want to congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement and thank him for his remarkable contributions to our team and the community.”
“Steve is an icon in the Utah media market and, in my opinion, the best play-by-play announcer in baseball at any level,” said Bees president Marc Amicone via press release. “I will miss hearing his voice on the airwaves during Bees games. We wish him all the best in his upcoming retirement and look forward to seeing Steve and Sue at the ballpark as fans in the upcoming years.”
If you follow Steve on social media, you’ll see plenty of tributes to him from other broadcasters, showing the respect he’s earned in the industry.
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