Thirty-five year-old Connor Miller never expected to become the official hype man and on-field host for the Traverse City Pit Spitters, the region’s summer college league baseball team. But that’s exactly what happened after founding general manager Mickey Graham tapped him to audition when the club was formed in 2018.
As host, Miller has spent each of the past five summers singing, dancing, and donning costumes in a part-time gig that has him performing for tens of thousands of fans a year (making the impact of his creativity pretty impressive).
IPR’s commentator Joe Beyer said he was fascinated by the improvisational artistry of Miller and his “Rally Crew,” who night after night keep the energy of a game going – no matter the score. And after shadowing Miller, he says there’s a true philosophy of fun guiding him behind the scenes.
As the “Spits” get ready for another post-season playoff run, Miller will be at the center of it all again leading the on-field antics, but he recently announced on social media that after five years, this season will be his last.
Dan Wanschura and Beyer sat down to celebrate an unexpected career in the show business of sports, and they encouraged audiences to catch Miller in action one last time before his retirement.
Tickets for the final regular season games (August 9, 10, 11 & 12), along with playoff schedule announcements, can be found anytime online at the Pit Spitters official site. Follow Traverse City Pit Spitters on Instagram for playoff updates.
