Major league voice?

Steve Guiremand

Monday, June 11, 2001 | 10:49 a.m.

The players on the Las Vegas 51s aren't the only ones trying to make it to the big leagues these days.

So is the man who broadcasts their games in a polished and informative manner each night on KBAD-920 AM radio.

Russ Langer, 41, also is trying to beat the odds to earn one of the rare radio play-by-play jobs with a major league squad. Many in baseball circles believe it is only a matter of time before the New Mexico State product, now in his second year of doing play-by-play for the Stars/51s, earns a chance at his dream job.

"Russ is the consumate professional," 51s president and general manager Don Logan said. "He reminds me of the job (Ken) Korach did when he was here."

Korach, who worked seven years (1989-95) as one of the play-by-play voices for the Stars, went on to broadcast Chicago White Sox games and is currently in his fifth year with Bill King as part of the broadcast team of the Oakland A's. He also has done UNLV men's basketball for the past nine years.

"Every night he does a solid job," Logan said of Langer. "He's very well prepared. He's a major league broadcaster. In my opinion, he ultimately deserves a job in the big leagues."

Logan isn't the only one to feel that way.

Baseball America named Langer one of the top ten minor league baseball announcers back in 1999. And popular ESPN baseball broadcaster Jon Miller, who has provided guidance and support for Langer for more than 15 years, gives him a glowing endorsement on a promo CD that Langer has put together for prospective clients.

Langer credits a meeting with Miller on a 1986 Caribbean cruise featuring several Baltimore Orioles players as helping get him started in the business.

"When I read in USA Today that Jon Miller was going to be on the cruise, I thought to myself, 'Wow, here's a chance to meet him.' "

Langer brought along a play-by-play tape he had done for Miller to critique.

"He couldn't have been any nicer," Langer said. "He gave me some tips on how to structure my tapes so that it would help set them apart from other audition tapes. He was just a great help."

Miller's advice proved invaluble. There were only three Class A broadcast openings the fellowing year and more than 60 applicants. Langer was offered two of the jobs and settled on the Springfield Cardinals of the Midwest League, a team that featured future big league star Todd Zeile, who also appears on Langer's promo CD. Langer had gotten his foot into the baseball broadcasting door.

His next stop was Vero Beach in 1989 where a then-young knuckleballer named Dennis Springer was trying to work his way up the baseball ladder. Langer then spent two years in Midland, Texas while Tim Salmon was starring in double-A before moving on to triple-A in 1992 to call the games of the old Phoenix Firebirds. After four years in Phoenix, he moved to Albuquerque to do the Dukes until 1999. He took over for Jon Sandler in Las Vegas in 2000.

Like many of the the triple-A players he broadcasts, the move to the big leagues is the last and most difficult step for Langer. Although there are about 750 players in the majors and a fairly high turnover rate for about half of those positions, there are fewer than 100 big league announcing jobs. There are usually only a handful of openings each year.

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