SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Baseball sets the soundtrack of summer, from the crack of the bat to the roar of the crowd to the broadcaster conducting this symphony.
“Every time there’s a big moment, you want a great call,” Sioux Falls Canaries General Manager Duell Higbe described. “I mean, [Canaries Broadcaster Tanner Hoop’s] call the other night, we’re being no-hit through ten and two-thirds [innings], Jabari hits our first hit of the game, a backside three-run home run. I thought it was Paul Allen calling the shots. People remember the moment, but they remember the call as well.”
Through four seasons in Sioux Falls, Tanner Hoops has been the voice behind some of the biggest moments in recent Birds history, from record-breaking Jabari Henry home runs to that no-hitter turned extra-inning walkoff to making the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.
“I think about that and what that meant to the community and what that meant to the guys who put in the work and put in the effort, and getting to narrate that story, how special that is is not lost on me,” explained Hoops. “I think about when I first came in here in 2022 and we finished 34 games below .500. I was just happy to be part of pro baseball that year, but I knew that we were building something special and we were going in the right direction.”
Hoops has known this would be his career path from a young age, not just because he had the voice, but because it was a way to stay close to the sports he loves.
“My Marfan syndrome diagnosis put an end to any playing career I ever hoped to have, so this was a way I felt I could stay involved in the game,” said Hoops. “As it turns out, I have a talent for it, or at least I’m told I do. I’m thankful for that.”
Hoops was diagnosed when he was just three years old after his parents noticed he had a lazy eye.
Marfan Syndrome is a genetic condition affecting connective tissue, impacting Tanner’s eyes and heart.
He’s learned to adapt and overcome his eye condition, using binoculars or reading the body language of the players. He’s never known anything different.
Things took a turn last season on a road trip when his vision worsened.
“When they told me that my natural lenses are hanging on by a thread, I felt like my world stopped, you know? I didn’t know what the future would be for me. It was going to impact and threaten my career and I truly was lost. I didn’t know where to go from there,” Hoops recalled.
“Obviously, we were really supportive of him getting the work done that he needed to get done,” Higbe said. “I personally couldn’t imagine going in for an eye surgery. That’s scary.”
After two crucial eye surgeries that replaced his natural lenses, what could have threatened his career turned into a gift. He noticed a significant and immediate difference after each surgery, seeing the world differently and finding out what he “was missing out on.” The soundtrack of summer resumed for Tanner Hoops.
“You can’t really tell on the call, but he says it’s a lot easier to call the game and get every single call right, and I think he’s just taken a step forward,” Higbe said.
“I feel a lot more confident when I go on air, I feel like I can more accurately describe what’s going on, I feel better about my calls as a whole,” Hoops said. “What it does for the quality of life that I get to experience now is night and day different. I can’t understate that enough. It quite literally gave me a new lease on life and quality of life.”
Advocacy and awareness are Hoops’ calling outside of the broadcast booth. He wants to raise awareness for what Marfan Syndrome is, what the signs are, and to get tested.
“I don’t think it’s something that we’re just starting to see an epidemic of here, but the numbers are going up,” said Hoops. “I think people are starting to realize what they need to look for.”
Hoops is grateful for the doctors he has worked with throughout his life, Vance Thompson Vision for performing his surgeries, his employers for trusting him and helping him grow in his skills, and his friends and family for supporting him every step of the way.
With multiple memorable calls this postseason already, Hoops hopes there are a few more ahead of him as the Birds keep dancing.
The Canaries took game two of the West Division Championship Series on the road and need to win just two games to advance to the Miles Wolf Cup Final.
The rest of the series will be played in Sioux Falls, and you can watch games three through five (if necessary) on the Outlaw channel 13.2.
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