Kellman, it's 2,999 and counting homa City, where the lighting used to be so bad he Broadcast hardly saw anything at all. Sports "When it got dark, you couldn't John O'Neill even see the baseball," recalled Kellman, the Indians' longtime radio voice. "I'd have to react to the movement of the players to see where it had been hit." When the Evansville Triplets were in the American Association, Kellman had a different problem. ."There was a light right above my booth and the moths would all flock to that. You'd battle the moths all through the broadcast." Kellman started his career with the Indians in Evansville, on April 17, 1974. Monday at Victory Field will be Kellman's 3,000th broadcast. You can hear him on WNDE-AM (1260) or WIRE-FM (100.9). "I was definitely hoping I'd do 3,000 games," he said - but he didn't think they'd all be here. "I thought I'd be in Indianapolis a couple of years." And inc d, one may wonder why Kellman has stayed in a minor-league market so long. It's that way in a lot of careers. Some people hang around just long enough to find the next job. Others, at some point, decide to build a life where they are. Tom Akins came to Indianapolis in 1965 to play timpani for the symphony. From 1975 to 1995, he also worked in the booth with Kellman at Indians home games as well as a few on the road. Now he's public relations director for the symphony and serves as a sports correspondent for various radio networks. No question, he said - Kellman is as good as some majorleague announcers. "He is incredibly loyal and dedicated to Indians baseball." Akins said. "He is an absolute student of the game and delights in baseball strategy and lore." Part of that history is the boom in minor-league baseball. "With those very high salaries in the major leagues," Kellman said, "I think some fans appreciate the fact that these players come out and try hard and aren't making a lot of money because they're trying to get somewhere." Kellman also has seen changes he doesn't like, such as players being called to the big leagues too soon. "There's a lack of patience at the major-league level," he said. "They rush players before they're ready.' Back in the 1980s, Kellman tried hard to land a major-league job and subbed on some Chicago White Sox broadcasts. He came close several times but hasn't looked for a job in years. "I make a nice living. (Indians president) Max Schumacher has never told me what to say. Not all employers are like that," he said. "And I've fallen in love with this city." New job for Joe Joe McConnell can put another team on his broadcasting résumé. Too bad he doesn't know what it's called. The Hoosier-born McConnell has been picked as the radio voice of the National Football League team that will play in Tennessee starting this fall. The team had played in Houston as the Oilers. Because a new stadium in Nashville isn't ready, the team will play in Memphis for two years. And because of NFL guidelines, the team can't change its uniforms or nickname until next year, though McConnell says it will happen eventually. So in the fall, he'll be at the Liberty Bowl, calling the action for a team in limbo. And he remains the radio voice for Purdue University football on Saturdays, so he'll be an announcer in limbo, too. Travel arrangements still are being worked out. He's already solved the toughest puzzle, which has him flying out of Detroit on a Sunday morning after Purdue plays at Toledo on a Saturday night. He'll arrive in Miami three hours before kickoff. McConnell still will live in Indianapolis. His most recent NFL job was with the Colts. Other teams in his past include the Chicago Bears and White Sox, Minnesota Vikings and Twins, Northwestern University (football and basketball), Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns. "I'm 58. I'm not looking to move," McConnell, said. "I'm lookNg at this as my last gig." After 23 seasons with the Indianapolis Indians, Howard Kellman has seen a lot. Except in Okla- 4 6
