Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Baseball on the Radio

1950 06 11 Indians vs Athletics Complete Broadcast by Al Helfer Art Gleason - YouTube:

When I was a little kid it was hot in Texas in the summertime, just like it is now.  My mother wouldn't let us go outside "in the heat of the day," so on many afternoons I'd sit in the room I shared with my younger brother, Bob, with a little oscillating fan blowing hot air on me, and listen to the Game of the Day on the radio.  The lead broadcaster was "Big" Al Helfer.  On a whim the other day I looked up "Big" Al on YouTube and found the above complete broadcast of a game from 1950.  His voice was as familiar to me as that of an old family friend whom I hadn't seen in 50 years.  Just like the names of almost every player in the starting lineups.  The pace of the game was a lot faster in those days.  Not so much messing around.  I loved listening to this, but then I'm weird.  Next I'm going to have to look for a Game of the Week with Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean.

10 comments:

Jeff Meyerson said...

Cool!

Do they have any Red Barber broadcasts?

Les Edgerton said...

Grew up with Dizzy Dean broadcasts--best ever and funniest!

Ben Boulden said...

Baseball and radio were made for each other.

August West said...

In our basement my father had the old tube Philco radio that his parents had when he was a kid. We lived in Buffalo and in the 60s I would sit in the basement and listen to Ernie Harwell & Ray Lane on WJR broadcast the Detroit Tiger games. (my favorite team) My mother would say "why is that stupid kid sitting in the basement on a beautiful summer day?"

Rick Robinson said...

For me it was Vin Scully and Jerry Dogget doing Dover games. Boy, was Scully ever great.

Rick Robinson said...

Damn. That's DODGER games.

Unknown said...

loved baseball on the radio - first experience was listening to the new LA Dodgers in 1959 world series vs the go-go sox. fell in love with vin scully - became a vital part of my life for 40 years. of course, now, in my opinion, the owners ruined the ambiance of the game... and vin has retired. sigh. how did i get so old?

Cap'n Bob said...

I didn't listen to baseball on the radio that much since TV was usually available. As for Red "The Old Deadhead" Barber, his turn at the mic during Yankee broadcasts was always a low point for me.

Anonymous said...

I remember listening to the Bill Mazerowski homer against the Yankees in 1960 in my transistor radio with an earplug while in class.

Not to mention the Miracle on Ice in 1980, also on a transistor radio, while walking to a University of Minnesota hockey game.

Radio was a wonderful thing back in the old days. Which I miss.

sas

Don Coffin said...

I used to listen (occasionally) to the Indianapolis Indians (on WIRE, 950 on your radio dial--before FM was a thing). Home games only, and, frankly the announcers (whose names I have mercifully forgotten) were awful.