Curt Bloom leaving booth after 30 years as the voice of the Birmingham Barons
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Curt Bloom has hung up his headset as the radio broadcaster of the Birmingham Barons, ending a professional relationship spanning over 30 years.
Bloom, who has been calling games for the Barons since 1992, released a statement on Tuesday, saying he had decided to let someone else be the voice of the franchise. He is the longest-tenured broadcaster in the team's history.
'One letter, one twee, one post could never capture my true feelings on what I experienced in my three decades as lead broadcaster for one of the most recognizable teams in all of MILB,' Bloom said in his statement.
Bloom, who has twice been named Southern League Broadcaster of the Year, announced four Southern League championship wins for the Barons, Southern League All-Star Games and Michael Jordan's 1994 season with the club. Originally from New York, Bloom was inducted into the Birmingham Barons Hall of Fame in 2013. Five years later, he found himself in the Southern League Hall of Fame.
While with the Barons, Bloom gained announcing experience with the Chicago White Sox, the Barons' parent club. On July 24, 2022, he got 'called up to the show' to call a regular season game for between the White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians. He also handled play-by-play duties for Chicago on webcasts during spring training in 2019.
Bloom was a special guest announcer in the majors from July 3-6, 2003, when the Montreal Expos played against the Atlanta Braves. A year later, he was a play-by-play voice for two games between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles.
Big games ahead for Alabama, Auburn men's basketball
A 1985 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Bloom broadcasted contests for the Bakersfield Dodgers, Prince William Cannons and Huntsville Stars before coming to the Magic City.
In the past, Bloom called games for Samford football, as well as men's and women's basketball. He also as an assistant professor at Miles College.
Despite his time with the Barons coming to a close, Bloom still works behind the microphone for UAB men's basketball games at Bartow Area as well as covering Vestavia Hills High football games, which he plans to continue doing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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