‘Connect with the community.’ Meet the first broadcaster in Columbus Clingstones history
Jack Johnson stood outside Synovus Park, previously named Golden Park, where construction crews were in the final weeks of the yearlong, $50 million renovation to the city’s historic, 99-year-old baseball stadium.
As he thought about his debut as the first broadcaster in Columbus Clingstones history, Johnson put in perspective his role in this effort to bring affiliated minor league baseball back to Columbus for the first time in 17 years.
“I feel like I’m joining at the 25.9 mile (mark) of a marathon,” Johnson told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I’m going to cross the finish line with a lot of people that have been running since the opening gun.”
But when the Clingstones play each of their 138 Southern League games during their inaugural year, including their season opener April 4 at the Montgomery Biscuits and their home opener April 15 against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, perhaps no staff member will have more of a connection to the fans than Johnson.
That’s because his play-by-play will narrate the 2025 story of this Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. New York-based Diamond Baseball Holdings, which owns and operates 34 minor league baseball teams, including all the Braves affiliates, has moved its Double-A franchise to Columbus from Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson.
How to watch, listen to Clingstones games
Johnson, 25, will be the voice of the Clingstones on Sportsvisions Radio 92.1 FM, one of PMB Broadcasting’s 10 stations in Columbus, and on the livestreaming simulcast (MLB At Bat app, MiLB.tv and Bally Sports Live app).
Although he will be the only play-by-play broadcaster for the Clingstones this season, Johnson said fans can expect to hear special guests join him in the booth.
Johnson spent the past two years interning with the Gwinnett Stripers, the Class AAA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, where he did play-by-play for parts of some games. Now, he will call every inning for the organization’s Class AA team in Columbus.
“The history that so many great players have played here, both for teams in Columbus and visiting teams, is incredibly rich,” said Johnson, a 2022 graduate of Arizona State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. “To have the next generation of great athletes, great players, great memories be made right here, starting in a month, it’s exciting.”
Johnson appreciates the privilege to be the first broadcasting voice of the Columbus Clingstones.
“It means a lot, not just for myself, but I hope that I can connect with the community,” he said. “Everyone I’ve met so far has been incredibly kind. … It’s up to me, over the course of the season, to connect the people that have those memories and want so badly to make new memories with the baseball team in town.”
Heavy machinery still was doing work on Synovus Park when the Ledger-Enquirer visited Tuesday, prohibiting inside access, but Johnson insisted the club is confident the stadium will be ready for the April 15 home opener
“No doubt,” said Johnson, who also is the media relations manager for the Clingstones. “The team has done a tremendous job. Everything is on schedule. I think people are going to see one of the jewels of the Southern League here in a month.”
Jack Johnson’s experience as a broadcaster
In addition to his work with the Stripers, Johnson was a postgame clubhouse reporter for 680 The Fan during select Atlanta Braves home games in 2024, and he called Arizona Fall League games for MLB.com. He appeared on ESPN+ broadcasts for Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, and Arizona State, as well as GHSA State Championship events for the NFHS Network.
“We are excited to have Jack delivering all of the on-field action to our fans during this historic season in Columbus”, Clingstones general manager Pete Laven said in a news release. “He has earned this opportunity through talent and a diligence that has brought him high praise throughout the Braves system.”
Growing up in San Jose, California, Johnson’s dream of becoming a sports broadcaster was fueled by listening to San Francisco Giants broadcasters Duane Kuiper, Jon Miller, and Dave Flemming. He also idolized national broadcasters Al Michaels and Bob Costas.
“These days, I am a massive fan of Jason Benetti, Joe Davis, Brian Anderson,” he said. “I think Ben Ingram is probably the best radio guy I have ever heard. He is fantastic in Atlanta.”
Johnson’s journey to becoming a broadcaster began at age 5 or 6, when he started mimicking his favorite broadcasters while playing video games or in his backyard.
He has a love for baseball and storytelling, and there’s no better baseball story for a minor league broadcaster than describing the action to an audience that also roots for the major league club.
“I think it’ll matter tremendously,” Johnson said. “There’s a passion across the Southeast for the Braves that I find is kind of unmatched around the rest of the country. … To have an extension of that brand here in Columbus, … I think that’s incredibly valuable to people here.”
The art of broadcasting
Johnson considers broadcasting an art form.
“There’s always something to improve upon,” he said. “… It’s a combined feeling of live performance and feeling like you’re in the game itself.”
Johnson wants to convey the highs and lows of the game to his audience.
“You’re captioning that when you’re trying to put it into words over the radio,” he said. “They’ll feel more connected to the players, the coaches, the city, the town, the region, all of that.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 1:13 PM.
