You’re stuck in crawling traffic on I-25. The sun is dipping behind the Front Range, blinding you through the windshield, and the Rockies are already in the bottom of the third at Coors Field. You can’t watch the game. You shouldn't be looking at your phone anyway. So, you hit the dial. That familiar crackle of the airwaves clears up, and suddenly, you aren't in a sea of brake lights anymore. You're at 20th and Blake.
Rockies on the radio isn't just a backup plan for when you're away from a TV. Honestly, for a lot of us in the Mountain Time Zone, it’s the preferred way to consume the sport. There is a specific kind of magic in a radio broadcast that a high-def television stream just can’t replicate. It’s the pacing. The storytelling. The way a commentator describes the humid evening air or the way the ball carries differently when the wind is blowing out toward LoDo.
The Voices That Define the Colorado Summer
If you’ve spent any time listening to the Rockies on the radio, you know the voices of Jack Corrigan and Jerry Schemmel. They aren't just announcers; they’re the soundtrack to July. Jack has been with the club since 2002, coming over after a long stint with the Cleveland Indians. He’s the steady hand. Jerry, who famously survived the crash of United Airlines Flight 232, brings a level of perspective and passion that’s rare in any broadcast booth.
They have this rhythm. It’s not forced. On TV, the announcers often feel like they have to stay out of the way of the images. On the radio, they are the images. When a line drive screams into the gap in right-center, Jack’s voice rises in a very specific, incremental way that tells you exactly how much trouble the outfielder is in before the ball even hits the turf.
KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM serve as the flagship stations, a partnership that has stood for decades. It’s one of the most powerful signals in the West. On a clear night, you can sometimes pick up the Rockies broadcast as far away as neighboring states. It’s a lifeline for fans in rural Wyoming or Western Nebraska who might not have access to the regional sports networks but still want to follow every pitch of a Ryan Feltner start or check in on how Ezequiel Tovar is handling shortstop.
✨ Don't miss: Super Bowl LI: What Really Happened with the New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons 2017 Comeback
Why Radio Outperforms Streaming (Really)
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: blackouts. If you’ve tried to watch the Rockies lately, you know the headache of navigating streaming rights, cable packages, and geo-fencing. It’s a mess. Meanwhile, radio remains blissfully simple. You turn it on. It works.
There's also the delay factor. If you’re following a game on a streaming app, you’re often 30 to 60 seconds behind real-time. Your phone buzzes with a "scoring alert" before you even see the pitch thrown. It ruins the tension. Radio is as close to "live" as you can get without sitting in the bleachers.
The descriptive depth is just better too. Think about it. On a TV broadcast, the director might show a close-up of a fan eating a giant pretzel while the pitcher is shaking off signs. On the radio, the announcers stay locked into the nuances. They’ll tell you where the infielders are shaded. They’ll mention that the dirt looks a little dry near the mound. They fill the "dead air" with anecdotes about the history of the game that you just don't get when the visual feed is doing the heavy lifting.
The Technical Side of the Rockies Radio Network
It isn't just one station in Denver. The Rockies Radio Network is a massive web of affiliates. We're talking about dozens of stations across the Rocky Mountain region. From KSBV in Salida to stations in Grand Junction and even into New Mexico and South Dakota, the reach is staggering.
✨ Don't miss: 2023 Singapore Grand Prix Explained: Why This Race Still Matters
- KOA 850 AM / 94.1 FM (Denver flagship)
- KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish language broadcast)
The Spanish broadcast is a vital part of the ecosystem. For years, Jerry Romo and others have brought a completely different energy to the game. If you’ve never listened to a home run call in Spanish, you’re missing out on some of the purest joy in sports broadcasting. The cadence is faster, the excitement is palpable, and it reflects the deep cultural connection between baseball and the Latino community in Colorado.
Is it perfect? No. Radio has its quirks. You’ll get the occasional signal fade when you drive behind a mountain or under a heavy concrete overpass. But there’s a nostalgia to that, too. It reminds you that the signal is a physical thing traveling through the air to reach you.
The Evolution of Listening Habits
Most people aren't carrying around a transistor radio with a silver antenna anymore. We’ve moved to the MLB app or TuneIn. Even so, the "radio" experience remains the same. Whether it's through a smart speaker in your kitchen while you're cooking dinner or through the auxiliary port in an old truck, the medium dictates the message.
The Rockies have had their ups and downs—mostly downs lately, if we're being honest. The front office decisions, the trades, the struggle to develop consistent pitching at altitude. It can be a lot to stomach. But listening to the Rockies on the radio softens the blow. There is a comfort in the familiar voices and the slow burn of a nine-inning game that makes a losing streak feel a little more like a shared journey rather than a catastrophe.
🔗 Read more: Why the Nike Elite Socks Pack Is Still the Gold Standard for Basketball
During the 2007 "Rocktober" run, the radio was the heartbeat of the state. I remember people sitting in their parked cars in grocery store lots just to hear the final out of an inning. You don't do that with a TV. You don't huddle around a screen the same way you lean in toward a speaker.
What to Expect Moving Forward
The landscape of sports media is shifting. Teams are looking at direct-to-consumer models, and local TV deals are collapsing across the country. Through all that turmoil, the radio remains the most stable platform. It’s the "cockroach" of media—it survives everything.
If you want to get the most out of the experience, try "syncing" the radio. Some fans love to mute the TV and play the radio audio. It’s tricky because of the lag, but if you have a digital radio feed that you can pause for a few seconds, you can align Jack and Jerry with the TV images. It’s the ultimate way to watch a game.
Also, keep an ear out for the pre-game and post-game shows. This is where you get the real meat of the analysis. You’ll hear from the manager, get updates on the farm system in Albuquerque or Hartford, and hear the "Rockies Totals" that wrap up the night. It’s a complete package that costs you absolutely nothing but your time.
How to Access the Broadcast Today
If you’re looking to tune in right now, you have a few main avenues. Each has its pros and cons depending on where you are and how much you want to spend.
- Over-the-Air: If you’re in the Denver metro area, 850 AM is your best friend. It’s free, it’s instant, and it works during power outages.
- The MLB App: For a small annual fee (usually around $20-$30 for the season), you can get every single radio broadcast for every team with no blackouts. This is the gold standard for out-of-market fans.
- Smart Speakers: Just tell your device to "Play KOA NewsRadio." Sometimes they’ll block the game stream due to licensing, but usually, the official team apps or the MLB skill will get you through.
- Satellite Radio: SiriusXM carries the home and away feeds for every Rockies game. Great for long road trips through "no-man's land" where AM/FM signals die out.
Basically, there’s no excuse to miss a pitch. The Rockies on the radio are an institution. They represent the quiet moments of summer, the tension of a full count, and the enduring hope that maybe, just maybe, this is the year the pitching holds up at 5,280 feet.
To make the most of your listening experience this season, start by identifying your local affiliate if you're outside of Denver. Most local stations will carry the game, but their signals might vary in strength after sunset. If you find the AM signal is getting static-heavy as the sun goes down—a common issue with atmospheric changes—switch to a digital stream via the MLB app to maintain clarity. For those who enjoy the historical side of the game, pay close attention during the middle innings; that's usually when the announcers dive into the "this day in baseball history" segments that provide context you won't find in a box score. Finally, don't ignore the Spanish broadcast on 1150 AM; even if you aren't fluent, the sheer energy of the "Jonrón" calls is a great way to experience the passion of the game from a different perspective.