Veteran Braves radio broadcaster Jim Powell announces he's leaving booth
There's going to be a slightly different mix of radio voices for the Atlanta Braves going forward, as longtime radio broadcaster Jim Powell has announced he's not returning for the 2024 season.
Powell, posting on social media, was clear and unequivocal in his assertion that he was finished in Atlanta, saying "I am writing this post to let you know that I have called my last game for the Braves." He reminded fans in the message that everyone in professional sports "serve at the pleasure of our employer," but refused to speculate why he was not going to be working with the team going forward.
Powell thanked several of his broadcast partners in the message, including Don Sutton, Mark Lemke, and current analyst Joe Simpson.
Powell, originally from Roswell, GA, has been with the Atlanta Braves Radio Network since 2009, when he left a thirteen-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers to join the late Don Sutton in Atlanta. After Sutton passed away before the 2021 season, the Braves named the tandem of Ben Ingram and Joe Simpson as the primary radio team and Powell shifted to a part time role, one that has been decreasing in recent seasons.
Powell, who graduated from the University of Georgia and worked for WRFC in Athens during college, is a member of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2020. He began his baseball career in the minor leagues, calling games in 1987 with the Columbia Mets and then Charlotte Knights before getting his first MLB opportunity with the Minnesota Twins for the 1993 season.
He later would team up with the legendary Bob Uecker in the Milwaukee Brewers radio booth starting in 1996, where he went on to be named the Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year in 1998.
Powell, a 30-year broadcasting veteran in the major leagues, admitted in the message that he was "seeking new challenges" both in and outside of baseball but did not know what was in store going forward, promising that "I will update you on where I go from here."
The Braves have seen recent movement in both the TV and radio booths in recent years, first with Sutton's death and the subsequent elevation of Ben Ingram and Joe Simpson, and then movement on the television side. Chip Caray resigned after the 2022 season to take the lead role in St. Louis with the Cardinals, being replaced by Brandon Gaudin. Most recently, lead television analyst Jeff Francoeur announced he was stepping back to a significantly reduced role to spend time with family, being replaced by C.J. Nitkowski.
Best wishes after a wonderful career in Atlanta, Jim.
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