Dick Enberg has passed away

[DMVol]

As much as we all remember his time with the Angels, maybe his most memorable work (at least in my opinion) was with Billy Packer and Al McGuire on NCAA basketball broadcasts.  They just really meshed well, right guys, right time....He could handle any sports event....

[Blarg]

Scully retired, Hearn and Endberg gone. There was that perfect moment when all three could be heard on the same day. The voices of Southern California sports I grew up with are silent.  

[Inside Pitch]

Tough day...

Enberg was the first voice I associated with the Angels -- I'd listen to games on the radio as I fell asleep as a kid.  Endberg, Hearn, Scully,  and on the writing end... Jim Murray...    SoCal had it very good for a very long time.    

RIP...

[Jay]

RIP, one of the greats.

[Blarg]

18 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Tough day...

Enberg was the first voice I associated with the Angels -- I'd listen to games on the radio as I fell asleep as a kid.  Endberg, Hearn, Scully,  and on the writing end... Jim Murray...    SoCal had it very good for a very long time.    

RIP...

Funny you would say that. I had a transistor radio with the single ear plug and would act like I was sleeping when my parents checked in on us with the plug hidden on the pillow side. I don't think I ever made it past the 8th inning, which was ok since they lost so many games back then. Enberg was like a baseball lullaby.

[Inside Pitch]

3 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Funny you would say that. I had a transistor radio with the single ear plug and would act like I was sleeping when my parents checked in on us with the plug hidden on the pillow side. I don't think I ever made it past the 8th inning, which was ok since they lost so many games back then. Enberg was like a baseball lullaby.

Ditto....   You stated it perfectly when you described it as a lullaby..  that's truly what it was..     The sound of his voice would always take me back to that room..  so much so I could almost smell the Downy in the sheets.

[Blarg]

Tide.

[itsKnoppUitsme]

“Oh My”

”Touch em all”

”Kiss it (him) goodbye”

 Thank you for all my wonderful memories 

Your Voice was the soundtrack to my life!

 Don’t forget Mattels talking baseball and football! 

[makepeac]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

Scully retired, Hearn and Endberg gone. There was that perfect moment when all three could be heard on the same day. The voices of Southern California sports I grew up with are silent.  

Looking back I was very fortunate, listened to Ernie Harwell as a kid for the Tigers, then a young Al Michaels do Hawaii Islander AAA games, then moved to SoCal and got Enberg, Scully, Hearn and Miller. Probably explains why I often watch sports with the sound off these days.

[Homebrewer]

Sad day for those of us Angels fans who grew up along with the franchise. Dick was the voice (and face) of the team during it's formative years. As others have mentioned, how lucky were we?

Hopefully there will be a statue or some sort of lasting tribute to him, erected in or near the Big A, one day. 

 

[T.G.]

The Angel have had some very good broadcasters over the years... none greater than Dick Enberg. Many of my childhood memories about the Angles are tied to Dick Enberg's voice. Oh my.

[Angel Dog and Beer]

Never had the chance to listen to Mr. Enberg calling the Angels games, I can only imagine, after reading everyone's comments, how special he was to the team and fans. However, I've always enjoyed listening to him in many other sporting events through the years, appreciating his voice, pacing, and knowledge. On top of that, he really seemed like a good guy. 

[T.G.]

A great tribute from one of my favorite writers Joe Posnanski: http://joeposnanski.com/rip-dick-enberg/

 

[Tank]

terrible news.

listening to him was my introduction to baseball on tv and the radio. i always felt he was every bit as good as scully, just without all those winning teams and national attention. he and drysdale were the ideal team, and listening to them call halos games was about as perfect as it could possibly be. his "oh my" and "touch 'em all" were the calls we would use when playing in the backyard or the living room. when i think back to the soundtrack of my youth, it's dick enberg's voice i hear, and will forever more.

maybe some of my equally favorite memories of him came from the quiz show he hosted, 'sports challenge.' somehow my mom scored tickets for it and took us to see four shows taped. we saw greats like dimaggio, lefty grove, berra, and a host of other athletes. it was during one of the breaks in taping that i met elroy crazy legs hirsch and talked with him about his nickname. enberg was, like everything else he did, the perfect host for the show, and his voice overs on several of the highlights were always spot on.

never got to meet him but wish i could have if for nothing else other than to say thanks.

[bloodbrother]

 

[IEAngelsfan]

I was so saddened to read this.

He was the voice of the Angels as a kid and teenager.  He made listening to those awful 70's teams much more tolerable while listening to my transistor radio back in the day.  I will always consider him the best broadcaster this team has ever had.

 

[Blarg]

2 hours ago, ANAHEIMBOB said:

By far my favorite broadcaster , I wish the Angels had brought him back. A very sad day.

They did for some cable broadcasts for the Angels back in 1985. 

Enberg was supposed to be the lead broadcaster for NBC baseball in 1982 when they pulled the rug out from under him and put Scully and Garagioli as the A paring and Kubeck and a very young Costas for the B squad. 

Baseball was always Enberg's first love. 

[Angels#1Fan]

Enberg was the best and I agree with the poster that said he was as good as Scully. In fact when Drysdale joined Enberg I think they were the best team in the business.

Listening to those UCLA basketball delayed broadcasts back when Kareem and then Walton led those teams was a joy and who can forget Enberg and Merlin Olsen doing the NFL.

 

Dick Enberg was by far my favorite Angel broadcaster and the day that he left here was a sad one just as today is.

RIP
 

[AngelsLakersFan]

6 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Ditto....   You stated it perfectly when you described it as a lullaby..  that's truly what it was..     The sound of his voice would always take me back to that room..  so much so I could almost smell the Downy in the sheets.

Im sorry you had to grow up in Downy...

[Revad]

I remember Mr. Enberg as the pre-game voice for the Angels.  Recall his voice with my transistor radio under my blanket.  The Angels have broken my heart many times but when he wanted to come back and retire as an Angels baseball announcer and a few million dollars stood in the way (when he went to the Padres) was a true killer.  As others have said, DE was a true class act and Oh My will echo in my baseball soul forever.

[Kenny]

He was calling the Angels before my time.  So I never really got to know him as we get to know announcers.

[Angelsfirst]

Before my time but I’ve heard plenty games that’s he’s called. A true broadcasting legend. He seemed like a very nice person as well. Rest In Peace Dick Enberg 

[Tank]

typical espn this morning, failing to mention that enberg worked for the rams and angels. they were able to work in that he called BOTH of lincecum's no-hitters. uh, your crack research staff must have missed the FOUR no-no's by some guy named ryan that enberg called.

[disarcina]

Enberg and Drysdale called games were a real delight to listen to --- they had obviously were good friends and the broadcasts with those two was a conversation between two very knowledgeable baseball friends and the audience got to listen in...........

Enberg wasn't Scully. Enberg called Scully the greatest baseball announcer of all time and Scully called Enberg the best all around announcer of all time. Remember, Enberg did all sports for many years, before Scully started his stint with CBS where Scully did football and golf and some other sports. Scully called some national broadcast football games for CBS and did ok -- but from the listener perspective it always seemed a bit strange hearing Scully calling football after all that Dodger (and later NBC baseball).  Enberg was good calling all sports --

and - yes - I agree with the poster who said Enberg's best work was the nationally broadcast college  basketball games with Al McGuire.  That was a combo that couldn't be topped.

[disarcina]

am sure some folks here remember when Enberg first took over the 10 pm KTLA NEWS AT 10 sports anchor role.

back in the day before all the big TV rights and restrictions and MLB.com  etc.  Enberg used to do the 10 PM news (when the Angels had a home game) from the ballpark and then would do some play by play at the end of news games often being able to call the last out (I can't remember if KTLA let him stay on past 11 to finish the game -- I think they did if it was the 9th inning and pretty close to being over).

but that was great -- you could catch his sports cast and then the end of the Halos game.  He was just in his element doing that. Like a kid in a candy store.

then came the UCLA basketball run -- Enberg teamed up for interviews with John Wooden -- WOW !!!