A’s name Amelia Schimmel as Coliseum public address announcer

When Oakland A’s fans enter the Coliseum in 2021 for the first time in two years, they’ll hear a new voice over the loudspeakers. Unless they were watching the games on TV last summer, in which case it will sound familiar from the background of the broadcasts.

The A’s named Amelia Schimmel as their public address announcer on Tuesday, making her the voice of the Coliseum for all of the team’s home games.

Schimmel assumed P.A. duties last season on an interim basis, when longtime announcer Dick Callahan opted out of the 2020 campaign for health reasons. Callahan, who spent 15 summers on the mic for the A’s, passed away in January, and now Schimmel’s guest status has been removed and she will serve as his permanent successor.

While this will be her second year on the job, it will be the first time the green and gold faithful gets to hear Schimmel in person calling lineups, player intros, and other pertinent information. The general public wasn’t allowed at the ballpark last season due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the A’s received approval to open their doors to fans on Opening Day 2021 in April, at a limited capacity.

“I am an Oakland A through and through, so this is the greatest honor of my career,” said Schimmel. “As an Oakland native, I spent many nights at the Coliseum with my family. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would become the PA announcer for my favorite team. I am truly thankful for this opportunity and cannot wait for Opening Day.

“I’m also eternally grateful to the late Dick Callahan, who was a great mentor to me over the last three years. Nobody will replace Dick, but I hope to make him proud as I sit behind the mic each night.”

Schimmel is a six-time Emmy Award winner, from the eight years she spent as an editor and segment producer for MLB Network. She joined the A’s in 2017 as the Club’s Executive Producer of Game Entertainment and Video Content. Per the team’s press release, she has a dog named Kiwi, and two cats named Rollie and “Catrick” Marleau.

Congrats to Amelia! Athletics Nation looks forward to hearing you at the Coliseum for years to come.