From WSU Sport Management to the Detroit Tigers, Connolly has turned a childhood dream into a profession.
By C. Brandon Chapman
For most baseball fans, Major League Baseball is a fantasy. For Colin Connolly, it’s his reality.
And his office.
Colin Connolly in the pressbox of Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers.
As part of the Detroit Tigers’ media relations staff, Colin spends his days crafting the stats, storylines, and behind-the-scenes details that keep fans, broadcasters, and reporters informed.
“My day-to-day consists of writing and editing game notes and compiling all the player stats and season-long information,” he explained. “I’m always looking for good stats or nuggets that broadcasters, beat writers, and fans would find interesting.”
On home game days, he also sends out the daily media schedule — detailing press conference times, media gate openings, and clubhouse availability. From there, he coordinates player and coach interview requests, podcasts, and short features.
Colin coordinates player interview requests. Here he talks to Tigers third baseman Zach McKinstry.
During games, Colin monitors the action closely, digging up relevant stats that can be used on air and collecting insights for the next day’s notes. After home games, he helps produce the “postgame notes,” which include key takeaways, the box score, and play-by-play highlights.
Colin spends a lot of time working with media, including producing post-game notes.
Colin doing in-game work when he was with the Tacoma Rainiers, a job he held until this season.
It’s a grind, he admits — but one he feels incredibly fortunate to experience.
“MLB was always the goal for me — kind of the ‘end game,’” Colin said. “But I always questioned whether I would actually make it. People along my journey told me I was good enough, but there was always self-doubt. There were times I questioned if I wanted to keep going. But getting to this level made it all worth it.”
One of the biggest perks? The travel.
“Not having to take long bus rides or commercial flights anymore is huge. Now we fly private and stay at the nicest hotels in whichever city we’re visiting — that was something I wasn’t fully prepared for,” he said with a smile. “But really, just getting to know the players and coaches as people — beyond just baseball — is unique and rewarding.”
Colin credits much of his success to the Sport Management program at Washington State University.
“Everything I learned through the program and the opportunities I was given were instrumental in getting me here,” he said. “Being around WSU Athletics and working directly with players and coaches taught me a lot that I still use every day.”
Colin doing some pre-game work with the Tacoma Rainiers, a job he held before Detroit.
As the Sport Management program celebrates its 40th anniversary, Colin reflects with pride on being part of its legacy.
“Any program that lasts this long shows its strength and value,” he said. “So many successful people have come out of it, and I owe a lot to the hard work of the professors and university. I’m proud to say I’m from Washington State University and that I was a small part of this great program.”
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This feature is one in a series of features the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences is sharing, leading up to the Sport Management program’s 40th Anniversary celebration on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.