OC Register: Mark Langston ‘resting comfortably’ after terrifying scene in Angels broadcast booth

[AngelsWin.com]

HOUSTON — As Mark Langston spent Saturday resting comfortably and undergoing tests in a Houston hospital, his partner was still shaken over what he’d seen the night before.

Terry Smith, the Angels radio play-by-play announcer, said that he believed when Langston passed out in the booth, the outcome could have been much worse.

“I can tell you this, in all certainty, they shocked him back to life,” Smith said. “If this happened in his hotel room, he would have died. And he knows it.”

Smith’s dramatic description of the scene that unfolded in their booth earlier Friday was in stark contrast to what was happening later Friday night. Smith and several others in the Angels’ traveling party stopped by the hospital to visit Langston.

“He was in good spirits,” Smith said. “He was joking. He was laughing.”

The Angels have released few details about Langston’s condition, besides an update that the 59-year-old was “resting comfortably” and “undergoing tests” in the hospital on Saturday afternoon.

Smith and Langston have been on-air partners for the past seven seasons. Previously, Langston had pitched 16 years in the majors, including eight with the Angels.

Smith said he had been with him in the hospital on Friday night and they texted throughout the day on Saturday.

“It seems like he’s fine,” Smith said, “but it’s really scary.”

Smith said they were preparing the broadcast as usual, with Langston doing the lineups and then tossing to him for the first pitch. Just as Smith was setting the scene for the game, he saw out of the corner of his eye that something was wrong with Langston.

Jim Saenz, one of the Angels traveling security officials, happened to be in the booth with them, and he immediately went to aid Langston. An Astros official saw from an adjacent booth what was happening, and within 90 seconds, by Smith’s estimate, police and paramedics were there.

As they scrambled to help Langston, Smith said he was unsure whether to continue doing the play by play. Then the Astros hit three homers in a five-run bottom of the first.

“It was unbelievably scary,” Smith said. “Then the bottom of the first gets going and they are hitting home runs like crazy and we are out of the game before the inning is over, and I’m thinking What am I doing right now? This guy is maybe going to die, and what am I doing? It seemed so meaningless.”

Fortunately, within an hour Langston was at the hospital and stabilized, and the Angels then announced that he was alert and undergoing tests.

As good thoughts came streaming in from all over to the Angels and to Smith, he finished the game and met Langston at the hospital, where he was put at ease by his demeanor.

“We had a really good conversation,” Smith said. “He was normal. He kept saying, I’m feeling perfect. I’m feeling normal.’”

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[Jay]

Good news. Lucky paramedics were close by. 

[Lou]

Damn, that is scary. 

Thanks for the update, @Jeff Fletcher

[disarcina]

good to hear he's doing well.

hope he takes the rest of the year off to recover fully -- nothing really happening with the Angels anyway.

here's prayers for a full recovery and getting back in the booth -- which he seems to enjoy and he conveys that joy in the way he announces the games,

 

[Jay]

Langston is 59 years old, same age as me.

Just goes to show you can keel over at any minute.

 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

10 hours ago, Jay said:

Langston is 59 years old, same age as me.

Just goes to show you can keel over at any minute.

 

A coworker had a heart attack at home and died. He was 45. Every day, on the way in to work, I pass by the tree and the commemorative plaque that was put there in his honor.

[fan_since79]

I hope he has the full range of tests to determine if there's an underlying condition. But it could just be a one-time thing. He was in the best place possible for something like this to happen, with paramedics close by. 

I was listening to the radio broadcast and heard him do the lineups then he sent it back to "my partner...Terry Smith!" They do this corny routine where there's a long pause and Terry says, "Why, thank you very, very much, Mark Langston!", then he goes on with the first pitch. Apparently that's when it happened. His voice did sound a little more excited than usual as the Astros started unloading on Suarez, but nothing to indicate something was wrong in the booth. Unreal.

Get well, Mark, and stay in good health for decades to come.

[DCAngelsFan]

I think this is one of those opportunities to remind people that if there's one thing that'll save a heart attack victim's life, it's an AED.  

The survival rates of cardiac arrests outside the hospital are grim - about 5%.  Add CPR, it's much better, but still not good.   

(Cardiac arrests - the heart has, effectively, stopped - victim is unconscious.  Heart attacks are due to blockages, victim is usually awake and in pain - give 'em an aspirin to chew, and call EMS.  If they become unconscious, start CPR/AED.)

CPR + AED before EMS arrives can triple the chances of survival.  

If you're the only responder, call 9-1-1, get the AED if you know where it is, and apply it. 

If there's more than one person, call 9-1-1, start CPR, and send someone to get the AED and prepare it for use. 

They're 'automated' - duh - they have pictures and will literally tell you what to do - you don't have to be trained (although it's much better if you are.) 

 

If you come upon a scene where 9-1-1 has been called, CPR is being delivered, all those gawking bystanders should scatter and find an AED - minutes, even seconds count  

While I'm at it, another person I know had a stroke last night - learn and understand FAST:

• Facial Drooping
• Arm weakness
• Speech difficulty
• Time to call EMS

[Docwaukee]

almost wonder if this was an arrhythmia as opposed to a true heart attack.   

[Lou]

1 minute ago, Dochalo said:

almost wonder if this was an arrhythmia as opposed to a true heart attack.   

that's what I was thinking

[Angel Oracle]

3 hours ago, Dochalo said:

almost wonder if this was an arrhythmia as opposed to a true heart attack.   

Wasn’t it Arrhythmia that claimed Hank Gathers life?

[Vegas Halo Fan]

4 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Wasn’t it Arrhythmia that claimed Hank Gathers life?

He had ventricular tachycardia. He was taking propanolol to control it, but it was suspected that he was skipping doses on game days.

[Jeff Fletcher]

Langston had a ventricular fibrillation.

[fan_since79]

I take metoprolol to control a sinus tachycardia (elevated resting heart rate) which thankfully doesn't involve any arrhythmia. I'll be on this medication indefinitely and it's working great.

I hope Langston can be treated and his condition managed successfully.

[PattyD22]

On 9/22/2019 at 8:27 PM, Jeff Fletcher said:

Langston had a ventricular fibrillation.

Mark is extremely lucky there was an AED around when he went into V Fib.  An AED only shocks 2 arrhythmias- Ventricular Tachycardia (uncontrolled rapid heart rate) and V Fib (uncontrolled electrical activity).  And those shocks need to be delivered within minutes or that person is not coming back.

i just returned from visiting my daughter who gave birth to our second grandchild and didn’t even hear about this in Colorado.  Jesus, that’s scary...but fortunate also.

i hope and pray for a very speedy and complete recovery for him.  I actually like Langston in the booth.  Prayers to him