March 28, 2005

Legendary Twins PA announcer Bob Casey died this weekend.: "Bob Casey the stadium voice of the Twins for all of the team's 44 years and whose signature style and verbal stumbles endeared him to baseball fans throughout the Upper Midwest, died early Sunday from complications of liver cancer. He was 79." Bob Casey was famous for two things, his no smoking rule - "Noooooooooooooooo smoking in the Metrodome! If you must smoke, go outside or QUIT!" (or "go to Wisconsin" or "go to a casino" or "go to Disneyland" or one of his other great variations), and also the way he announced Kirby Pucket back in the day - "Now batting for the Twins, number 34, the center fielder, KIRBYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY PUCKETT!". It's a sad day in Twins land.

posted by emoeby to baseball at 09:29 AM - 3 comments

Yes indeed--no trip to the Dome doesnt come without a memory of Casey. I am to the home opening series agaisnt the White Sox--Its going to be really differant without him doing the Announcing... The "noo Smoking" call was often "acted out" by Kent Hrbek--priceless We never hear about local icons like Casey in the national sports media unless of course they are from the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs etc. Another Long Time Twins broadcaster Herb Carneal, HOF play-by play voice of the Twins from their beginnings in Minnesota, will be retiring after this year. There is alot of tradtion is baseball that goes unnoticed as it occurs in the smaller markets.....The Yankees dont own all the the great moments in the game...

posted by daddisamm at 10:02 AM on March 28, 2005

Yeah, it was sad to see him go. Everyone remembers him for how he announced Puckett (and Hrbek, et al., to a lesser extent), of course. If you went to a Twins game you certainly remembered his voice.

posted by chris2sy at 10:05 AM on March 28, 2005

I never heard Casey call a game, but listening to emoeby's description, I can imagine it. The voices are one of the things I love about listening to baseball on the radio, and it's always sad when one of them leaves us.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 11:18 AM on March 28, 2005

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