With the future of AM unclear, a look back at the powerful role radio plays in baseball history

By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Many baseball fans, especially older ones, originally fell in love with America’s pastime by listening to ballgames on AM radio. In fact, next month will mark the 100th anniversary of the first World Series broadcast to a national radio audience. But a century later, some consider AM stations a dying medium in the modern age of digital technology. Several major automakers are eliminating broadcast AM radio from newer models, prompting lawmakers on Capitol Hill to propose legislation that would prevent the practice for safety and other reasons. A bill with bipartisan support, the “AM for Every Vehicle Act” is winding its way through Congress. In the meantime, there’s no denying the profound impact AM radio has had on the growth and popularity of baseball through the years.