Huntsville Headlines 39.055: Chicago Station Hires Huntsville Sports Personalities
Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2019 10:43 pm
By Rick Mariotti
Chicago Sports Online
Chicago’s Fox television affiliate announced Sunday that it will produce a nightly show during the baseball season devoted to coverage of the Chicago Black Sox.
The Sox, who play in the Brewster Baseball Association, are returning to Chicago after a 19-year exile in Alabama, where they played as the Huntsville Phantoms. Local businessman Vinnie Vitale bought the team last year and secured permission from the BBA to move it back to the Chicago area.
As part of the announcement, WFLD (Ch. 32) said it has hired two sports personalities from Huntsville to help anchor the program: Mandy Anderson and Cliff Martin. Both sports journalists appeared on a similar program that covered the Phantoms.
Mandy Anderson
Anderson anchored Phantoms Tonight and Martin was a reporter for the program.
“Mandy and Cliff are both accomplished sports journalists and know the franchise well, so it made all the sense in the world to have them cover the Black Sox for our viewers,” said station General Manager Marjorie Wells.
Anderson has been involved in something of a feud over the past several weeks with Vitale, the team owner, over his decision to relocate the franchise.
Vitale, however, voiced no concerns over Anderson’s new job covering the Black Sox.
“Mandy? Ah, she’s OK. She’s got spunk, and ya gotta love that, right?” he said. “She can’t park worth a damn, though.”
Cliff Martin
Vitale’s last comment referenced two recent instances in which his company, South Side Towing, towed Anderson’s automobile from Huntsville to Dolton, IL, due to alleged parking infractions near the Phantoms’ stadium.
Anderson said she bears no grudge against Vitale and looks forward to covering the team.
“For a sports journalist and a baseball fan, this is a dream assignment,” she said. "And I've learned my lesson. When I need to visit the team offices or the new stadium, I'll be taking an Uber."
Chicago Sports Online
Chicago’s Fox television affiliate announced Sunday that it will produce a nightly show during the baseball season devoted to coverage of the Chicago Black Sox.
The Sox, who play in the Brewster Baseball Association, are returning to Chicago after a 19-year exile in Alabama, where they played as the Huntsville Phantoms. Local businessman Vinnie Vitale bought the team last year and secured permission from the BBA to move it back to the Chicago area.
As part of the announcement, WFLD (Ch. 32) said it has hired two sports personalities from Huntsville to help anchor the program: Mandy Anderson and Cliff Martin. Both sports journalists appeared on a similar program that covered the Phantoms.
Mandy Anderson
Anderson anchored Phantoms Tonight and Martin was a reporter for the program.
“Mandy and Cliff are both accomplished sports journalists and know the franchise well, so it made all the sense in the world to have them cover the Black Sox for our viewers,” said station General Manager Marjorie Wells.
Anderson has been involved in something of a feud over the past several weeks with Vitale, the team owner, over his decision to relocate the franchise.
Vitale, however, voiced no concerns over Anderson’s new job covering the Black Sox.
“Mandy? Ah, she’s OK. She’s got spunk, and ya gotta love that, right?” he said. “She can’t park worth a damn, though.”
Cliff Martin
Anderson said she bears no grudge against Vitale and looks forward to covering the team.
“For a sports journalist and a baseball fan, this is a dream assignment,” she said. "And I've learned my lesson. When I need to visit the team offices or the new stadium, I'll be taking an Uber."