List of Pittsburgh Pirates broadcasters

Forbes Field wall – 2006

The Pittsburgh Pirates are members of Major League Baseball (MLB); they have employed sportscasters to provide play-by-play and color commentary during games broadcast over the radio and on television.

On August 5, 1921, Pittsburgh hosted the first baseball game broadcast over the radio. Harold Arlin, a foreman at Westinghouse, announced the game over KDKA from a box seat next to the first base dugout at Forbes Field.[1][2][3] Throughout the 1920s and 1930s "occasional" games would be broadcast, until Rosey Rowswell became the first "Voice of the Pirates" in 1936.[4] While most of Roswell's early broadcasts were solo, he was joined by Pirates' co-owner Bing Crosby and his successor Bob Prince for games.[4] Prince took over as lead broadcaster in 1955 and held the position over the next 20 seasons. Prince gained a reputation for giving players nicknames and inventing catchphrases to describe the game; he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in August 1986.[5] In 1976, Lanny Frattare became the Pirates' lead broadcaster. Frattare held the position for 33 years—the longest tenure of any Pirates' broadcaster.[6] Upon Frattare's retirement after the 2008 season, Greg Brown took over the role as lead broadcaster.[7] Multiple people have held temporary positions as broadcasters, including former players Don Hoak, Dave Giusti, Willie Stargell, and Pittsburgh Penguins' broadcaster Mike Lange.[8]

WWSW-FM broadcast Pirates' games on the radio during the 1940s and 1950s until KDKA became the franchise's flagship station in 1955.[9] In 2006, the Pirates switched to WPGB in an attempt to reach younger age brackets; under the contract WPGB carried Pirates' games though the 2011 season.[10] Starting with the 2012 season, KDKA-FM took over as the flagship station of the Pirates Radio Network. As of 2016, the Pirates Radio Network has stations located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.

TV & Radio Broadcasters

Go ball, get outta here!

— Lanny Frattare after a Pirates home run[11]

There are a reported 15,000 people at the game this afternoon. If that's true, then at least 12,000 of them are disguised as empty seats.

— Jim Woods[12]

There was nooooo doubt about it.

— Lanny Frattare after a Pirates win[11]

Broadcaster Years[a] Reference
Harold Arlin 1921 [13]
  Rosey Rowswell   1933–1954 [4][13]
Al Helfer 1933–1934 [13]
Jack Craddock 1942–1947 [13]
Bob Prince 1947–1975; 1985 [14]
Paul Long 1957–1962 [15]
Jim Woods 1958–1969 [16]
Nellie King 1967–1975 [16]
Gene Osborn 1970
Milo Hamilton 1976–1979 [17]
Lanny Frattare 1976–2008 [6][18][19]
Nellie Briles 1979–1980 [20]
Dave Martin 1980 [20]
John Sanders 1981–1989 [20]
Jim Rooker 1981–1993 [20]
Steve Blass 1983–present [21]
Alan Cutler 1986
Mike Lange 1986–1987
Kent Derdivanis 1990–1993 [11]
Bob Walk 1994–present [21]
Greg Brown 1994–present [22]
John Wehner 2005–present [7]
Tim Neverett 2009–2015 [7]
Joe Block 2016–present

Footnotes

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ McCollister 2008, p. 104
  2. ↑ Leventhal, Josh; Jessica MacMurray (2000). Take Me Out to the Ballpark. New York, New York: Workman Publishing Company. p. 53. ISBN 1-57912-112-8.
  3. ↑ Smith, Curt (2005). Voices of Summer. New York City: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-1446-8.
  4. 1 2 3 Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 477
  5. ↑ O'Brien 1998, p. 20
  6. 1 2 "Pittsburgh Pirates play-by-play announcer Lanny Frattare to retire after 33 seasons" (Press release). PittsburghPirates.com. 1 October 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 "Broadcasters". Team. PittsburghPirates.com. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  8. ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 484
  9. ↑ Associated Press (12 September 2006). "After 51 years, KDKA out as Pirates flagship station". ESPN.com. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  10. ↑ "Pirates announce five-year strategic partnership with Clear Channel Communications" (Press release). PittsburghPirates.com. 2006-09-12. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  11. 1 2 3 Biertempfel, Rob (2008-10-02). "No doubt about it: Lanny Frattare retires". Memorable Calls. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  12. ↑ McCollister 2008, pp. 129
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Pirates Broadcasters". All Time List. PittsburghPirates.com. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  14. ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 478–9
  15. ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 479–80
  16. 1 2 Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 480
  17. ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 480–1
  18. ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 481–2
  19. ↑ Robinson, Alan (1 October 2008). "Frattare retires after 33 seasons with Pirates". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 482
  21. 1 2 Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 483
  22. ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 483–4

References

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