List of Pittsburgh Pirates broadcasters
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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
- a Each year is linked to an article about that particular MLB season.
See also
Notes
- ↑ McCollister 2008, p. 104
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Smith, Curt (2005). Voices of Summer. New York City: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-1446-8.
- 1 2 3 Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 477
- ↑ O'Brien 1998, p. 20
- 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.
- 1 2 3 "Broadcasters". Team. PittsburghPirates.com. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
- ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 484
- ↑ Associated Press (12 September 2006). "After 51 years, KDKA out as Pirates flagship station". ESPN.com. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
- ↑ "Pirates announce five-year strategic partnership with Clear Channel Communications" (Press release). PittsburghPirates.com. 2006-09-12. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- 1 2 3 Biertempfel, Rob (2008-10-02). "No doubt about it: Lanny Frattare retires". Memorable Calls. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
- ↑ McCollister 2008, pp. 129
- 1 2 3 4 "Pirates Broadcasters". All Time List. PittsburghPirates.com. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 478–9
- ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 479–80
- 1 2 Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 480
- ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 480–1
- ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 481–2
- ↑ Robinson, Alan (1 October 2008). "Frattare retires after 33 seasons with Pirates". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
- 1 2 3 4 Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 482
- 1 2 Finoli, Ranier 2003, p. 483
- ↑ Finoli, Ranier 2003, pp. 483–4
References
- Finoli, David; Bill Ranier (2003). The Pittsburgh Pirates Encyclopedia. United States: Sports Publishing L.L.C. ISBN 1-58261-416-4.
- McCollister, John (2008). The good, the bad, and the ugly Pittsburgh Pirates. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-57243-982-5.
- O'Brien, Jim (1998). We Had 'Em All the Way: Bob Prince and His Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: James P. O'Brien - Publishing. ISBN 1-886348-03-0.
External links
- Official Pittsburgh Pirates Broadcasting page
- "Pirates Broadcasters". All Time List. PittsburghPirates.com. Retrieved 2009-03-01.