Courtesy Rochester Post Bulletin

(July 2, 2010) The long Northwoods season with games almost every day can take a physical toll on the players to be sure. But it's also a challenge for radio play-by-play announcers such as the Honkers' Mike Wagenheim, an STAA client, who is in his second season with the team.

Wagenheim who calls games by himself on KOLM AM 1520 and simultaneously on the Internet, has been rendered speechless this week by a severe case of laryngitis.

The Honkers have had pinch-hitters at the microphone to fill in while Wagenheim recovers. Nathan Kirby, the team's young first-year media assistant, called the Tuesday night game against Willmar, with some color commentary from Wagenheim.

But Wagenheim's voice was completely gone by Wednesday, and Curt Carstensen from the Northwoods League front office gamely stepped in. Carstensen is no stranger to play-by-play in the league; he was the announcer for six seasons for the Alexandria Beetles, before joining the league office as Director of Operations in 2007.

Carstensen also called Thursday night's game between the Honkers and Willmar, with Wagenheim helping him by providing information during the broadcast. Carstensen told his audience that if he said anything that sounded smart or informative, it was coming directly from Wagenheim.

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