Bob Prince
Encyclopedia
Robert Ferris Prince was an American
radio
and television
sportscaster
and commentator best known for his 28-year stint as the voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Major League Baseball
club, with whom he earned the nickname “The Gunner” and became a cultural icon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
Prince was one of the most distinct, colorful and popular voices in sports broadcast history, known for his gravel voice, unabashed style and clever nicknames and phrases, which came to be known as "Gunnerisms." His unique manner influenced a number of broadcasters after him, a list that includes Pittsburgh Penguins
voice Mike Lange
and Pittsburgh Steelers
color analyst Myron Cope
among others.
Prince called Pirates games from 1948
to 1975
, including the World Series
championship years of 1960
and 1971
. Nationally, Prince broadcast the 1960
, 1966
, and 1971 World Series
and the 1965 All-Star Game
for NBC, as well as the first year (1976
) of ABC
's Monday Night Baseball
. He also broadcast at different times for other Pittsburgh-area sports teams, including Steelers
football and Penguins
hockey.
. His father was a former West Point football player and a career military man. An Army brat, he attended many schools before graduating from Schenley High School
in Pittsburgh. An athlete himself, he lettered in swimming at the University of Pittsburgh
. Prince worked for radio station WJAS
, then landed a sports show on KDKA-TV. Prince joined Rosey Rowswell in the Pirates' broadcast booth as a commentator in , and he was promoted to the top spot shortly after Rowswell’s death in February 1955. He also broadcast Pittsburgh Steelers
and Penn State
football in the 1950s.
As a result of his unmistakable voice, fertile baseball mind, and high-profile persona, it wasn't long before Prince would be king among Pirates supporters everywhere. Perhaps more than any Pirates player, Prince was responsible for the conversion of an untold number of fans in the Baby Boomer
generation. His voice was a fixture on team broadcasts that aired continuously for seven decades on KDKA-AM
, a clear channel radio station that could be heard well beyond the tri-state area after sundown.
A regular smoker
, who was known to have a drink or two off the field and keep late hours, Prince lived much like the way he broadcast. In 1957, on a dare by Pirates third baseman Gene Freese
, Prince jumped from the third floor of the Chase Hotel in St. Louis into a swimming pool below.
and vice versa in the 1960s, which coincided with the rise of the Pirates as a championship-caliber team. It was Woods who first referred to Prince as "The Gunner." However, it was not because of his staccato style but rather the result of an incident, during Woods' first spring-training with the Pirates in Fort Myers, Florida
(1958). As Woods recounted, two decades later, to an interviewer in Cleveland, Prince had a narrow escape from an encounter with a jealous husband who was packing a gun.
To be sure, no one bled black and gold like Prince did before or since. Invariably, when his Buccos were trailing in the late innings by two runs, he'd say, "We need a bloop and a blast!" If calling for three runs, he would say, "We need a bleeder, a bloop and a blast!" His partisanship slipped over into Woods' style as well, and by the mid-'60s, The Possum would be announcing the presence of pinch-hitter (and reserve catcher) Jesse Gonder
with, "Let's go up yonder with Jesse Gonder." (The two would continue working together through the season, after which the flagship station KDKA refused to match a higher salary offer from KMOX
in St. Louis
for Woods to join Jack Buck
in the Cardinals
' booth; that partnership only lasted two seasons.) Prince was more of a rooter than a homer, in that he always showed respect to opponents and the game alike. Like the vast majority of broadcasters of his time, he rarely second-guessed players or managers. He was especially close friends with Milwaukee Braves pitchers Warren Spahn
and Lew Burdette
.
, a plastic rattle in the shape of an oversized green pickle that Pirates fans used to jinx opponents. "Never underestimate the power of the Green Weenie," he liked to assure listeners. At the height of the term's popularity in 1966, Prince often punctuated the last out of a Bucs' victory by exclaiming, "The Great Green Weenie has done it again!" The pin's shape and color is derived from the pickle shaped pins distributed to schoolchildren when they toured the H. J. Heinz Company
factory in Pittsburgh. By late season, with the Pirates in a terrific pennant race with the Dodgers and Giants, some fans would parade a giant replica of the Green Weenie through the grandstand as a rally symbol. The hex symbol had started in the dugout with trainer Danny Whelan. Prince picked up on it and began talking about it on the broadcasts. No one thought to trademark the Green Weenie, so tens of thousands were sold in 1966, but Prince, Whelan and the Pirates didn't profit from it.
in 1969, Prince had numerous conflicts with Westinghouse management. His conflicts with Westinghouse executives Edward Wallis and A.B. "Bill" Hartman became personal. Pirates management often interceded to quell tensions between Prince and KDKA executives. Finally, in 1975, Prince and sidekick Nellie King
were fired, a decision that Pirates management did not try to reverse. Pirates fans, shocked by the news, did not react well. Egged on by competing radio station WEEP
, hundreds of supporters held a parade and downtown rally. Several Pirates players also went to bat for him, but rehiring Prince was never a consideration. KDKA hired Milo Hamilton
in December and distributed press kits at a news conference that had a cover sticker proclaiming, "The New Voice of the Pirates."
After his time with the Pirates, Prince had stints calling Houston Astros
baseball, Pittsburgh Penguins
hockey and ABC
's Monday Night Baseball
. However, the Pirates were clearly the place for Prince, as he never realized his previous popularity elsewhere. He was frustrated that ABC wouldn't let him employ his usual style, and was removed from the primary Monday night broadcast team during his first season before being dropped altogether after the season. He also was released by the Astros after a one-year stay; he later said that Houston didn't agree with him. His work with the Penguins was a cause of consternation for hockey fans. Prince didn't understand the game, didn't know the Penguins' personnel and thought he could get by on his reputation and popularity. Eventually he was taken off play-by-play and re-cast as an intermission interviewer.
Prince drifted from job to job, many of which were considered small for a celebrity who had been the hottest act in town. Eventually, he returned to baseball in 1982, calling Pirates games for a cable station. However, his exposure was limited (cable didn't have nearly the penetration that it does now) and Prince was too far removed from the scene to offer many insights about the game or the team.
suggested that KDKA should launch a campaign to have Prince recognized with the Hall of Fame's Ford Frick Award. At about the same time, independently, station executives Rick Starr and Chris Cross decided Prince should have a role on the radio broadcasts. The announcement came days after he had been released from a hospital for cancer treatments. Prince returned to the Pirates broadcast booth on May 3, 1985 to announce three innings
of the game between the Pirates
and the Los Angeles Dodgers
. Weakened from mouth cancer, Prince was able to announce only two innings but was given three standing ovations by the crowd as pure magic occurred. The Pirates scored 9 runs in the first inning that Prince announced, one for each year of his absence from the booth. In the next inning Prince called for first baseman Jason Thompson to park one "so we'll have a little bit of everything", and Thompson promptly homered.
The 1985 Pirate team was not very talented and would lose 104 games. Willie Stargell
had retired three years earlier, and most of the 1979 Championship Team
had disbanded. Nonetheless, the fourth inning broadcast announced by Prince on May 3, 1985, was the fifth most runs scored in any one inning during the Pittsburgh Pirates long franchise history. One commentator on KDKA-TV
(Channel 2) referred to it on the 6:00 p.m. news as the "last revival of the Green Weenie," Prince's good luck charm from 1966. Prince announced a few following homestands. However, weeks later he reported to the park for another game, but his illness forced him to go home after waiting through a long rain delay. Prince was unable to report for work again and was re-admitted to the hospital. He died on June 10.
by the Baseball Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in . Even today, his name remains synonymous with Pirates baseball. In 1999, Prince was selected for the Pride of the Pirates award, a lifetime achievement honor given annually to a member of the organization.
In addition, Prince created or popularized colorful nicknames for numerous Pirates players, a list that included:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
and commentator best known for his 28-year stint as the voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
club, with whom he earned the nickname “The Gunner” and became a cultural icon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Prince was one of the most distinct, colorful and popular voices in sports broadcast history, known for his gravel voice, unabashed style and clever nicknames and phrases, which came to be known as "Gunnerisms." His unique manner influenced a number of broadcasters after him, a list that includes Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
voice Mike Lange
Mike Lange
Mike Lange is the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 2001, he received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for his outstanding work as an NHL broadcaster....
and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
color analyst Myron Cope
Myron Cope
Myron Cope , born Myron Sidney Kopelman, was an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster who is best known for being "the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers."...
among others.
Prince called Pirates games from 1948
1948 Pittsburgh Pirates season
- Offseason :* December 8, 1947: Billy Cox, Gene Mauch and Preacher Roe were traded by the Pirates to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Hal Gregg, Vic Lombardi and Dixie Walker.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
to 1975
1975 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 89th in the history of the franchise. The Pirates' 92-69 record was good enough to win their fifth National League East title in six seasons by 6½ games over their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies...
, including the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championship years of 1960
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
and 1971
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
. Nationally, Prince broadcast the 1960
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
, 1966
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
, and 1971 World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
and the 1965 All-Star Game
1965 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1965 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 36th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 13, 1965 at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota...
for NBC, as well as the first year (1976
1976 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees ; Johnny Bench, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 7-1; George Foster, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Naranjeros de Hermosillo...
) of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs most Monday nights during the regular season on ESPN and is also available in high definition on ESPNHD. The official name of the game is Monday Night Baseball presented by Vonage. The game starts at 7 p.m...
. He also broadcast at different times for other Pittsburgh-area sports teams, including Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
football and Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
hockey.
Early life and career
Prince was born in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. His father was a former West Point football player and a career military man. An Army brat, he attended many schools before graduating from Schenley High School
Schenley High School
Schenley High School is both a public school building and a school program that closed with the graduating class of 2011. Schenley High School is located in the North Oakland neighborhood at the edge of the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2008 the school's staff and...
in Pittsburgh. An athlete himself, he lettered in swimming at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. Prince worked for radio station WJAS
WJAS
WJAS is an adult standards radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Renda Broadcasting, and broadcasts at 1320 kHz with a power level of 5,000 watts.- The History of 1320 WJAS-AM :...
, then landed a sports show on KDKA-TV. Prince joined Rosey Rowswell in the Pirates' broadcast booth as a commentator in , and he was promoted to the top spot shortly after Rowswell’s death in February 1955. He also broadcast Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
football in the 1950s.
As a result of his unmistakable voice, fertile baseball mind, and high-profile persona, it wasn't long before Prince would be king among Pirates supporters everywhere. Perhaps more than any Pirates player, Prince was responsible for the conversion of an untold number of fans in the Baby Boomer
Baby boomer
A baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom and who grew up during the period between 1946 and 1964. The term "baby boomer" is sometimes used in a cultural context. Therefore, it is impossible to achieve broad consensus of a precise definition, even...
generation. His voice was a fixture on team broadcasts that aired continuously for seven decades on KDKA-AM
KDKA (AM)
KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in...
, a clear channel radio station that could be heard well beyond the tri-state area after sundown.
A regular smoker
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
, who was known to have a drink or two off the field and keep late hours, Prince lived much like the way he broadcast. In 1957, on a dare by Pirates third baseman Gene Freese
Gene Freese
Eugene Lewis Freese is a former third baseman in American Major League Baseball for 12 seasons . A journeyman, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros, batting .254 with 115 home runs in 1,115 games...
, Prince jumped from the third floor of the Chase Hotel in St. Louis into a swimming pool below.
Pairing with Jim Woods
Many veteran observers believe Prince did his best work while paired with longtime sidekick Jim "The Possum" WoodsJim Woods
James M. Woods was an American sportscaster, best known for his play-by-play work on Major League Baseball broadcasts.-Early life:...
and vice versa in the 1960s, which coincided with the rise of the Pirates as a championship-caliber team. It was Woods who first referred to Prince as "The Gunner." However, it was not because of his staccato style but rather the result of an incident, during Woods' first spring-training with the Pirates in Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
(1958). As Woods recounted, two decades later, to an interviewer in Cleveland, Prince had a narrow escape from an encounter with a jealous husband who was packing a gun.
To be sure, no one bled black and gold like Prince did before or since. Invariably, when his Buccos were trailing in the late innings by two runs, he'd say, "We need a bloop and a blast!" If calling for three runs, he would say, "We need a bleeder, a bloop and a blast!" His partisanship slipped over into Woods' style as well, and by the mid-'60s, The Possum would be announcing the presence of pinch-hitter (and reserve catcher) Jesse Gonder
Jesse Gonder
Jesse Lemar Gonder , was a professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from -. He played for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates....
with, "Let's go up yonder with Jesse Gonder." (The two would continue working together through the season, after which the flagship station KDKA refused to match a higher salary offer from KMOX
KMOX (AM)
KMOX is a radio station broadcasting from St. Louis, Missouri. It is a 50,000-watt clear channel radio station, which permits its nighttime signal to be heard in most of the continental U.S. KMOX operates as "NewsRadio 1120" and refers to itself as "The Voice of St...
in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
for Woods to join Jack Buck
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
in the Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' booth; that partnership only lasted two seasons.) Prince was more of a rooter than a homer, in that he always showed respect to opponents and the game alike. Like the vast majority of broadcasters of his time, he rarely second-guessed players or managers. He was especially close friends with Milwaukee Braves pitchers Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
and Lew Burdette
Lew Burdette
Selva Lewis Burdette, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves...
.
"The Green Weenie"
In 1966, Prince popularized a good-luck charm known as the Green WeenieGreen Weenie
The Green Weenie was a sports gimmick co-created by Bob Prince , the legendary broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and Pirate trainer Danny Whelan...
, a plastic rattle in the shape of an oversized green pickle that Pirates fans used to jinx opponents. "Never underestimate the power of the Green Weenie," he liked to assure listeners. At the height of the term's popularity in 1966, Prince often punctuated the last out of a Bucs' victory by exclaiming, "The Great Green Weenie has done it again!" The pin's shape and color is derived from the pickle shaped pins distributed to schoolchildren when they toured the H. J. Heinz Company
H. J. Heinz Company
The H. J. Heinz Company , commonly known as Heinz and famous for its "57 Varieties" slogan and its ketchup, is an American food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J...
factory in Pittsburgh. By late season, with the Pirates in a terrific pennant race with the Dodgers and Giants, some fans would parade a giant replica of the Green Weenie through the grandstand as a rally symbol. The hex symbol had started in the dugout with trainer Danny Whelan. Prince picked up on it and began talking about it on the broadcasts. No one thought to trademark the Green Weenie, so tens of thousands were sold in 1966, but Prince, Whelan and the Pirates didn't profit from it.
Departure from the Pirates
Soon after control of the broadcasts changed from Atlantic Richfield to Westinghouse BroadcastingWestinghouse Broadcasting
The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndication....
in 1969, Prince had numerous conflicts with Westinghouse management. His conflicts with Westinghouse executives Edward Wallis and A.B. "Bill" Hartman became personal. Pirates management often interceded to quell tensions between Prince and KDKA executives. Finally, in 1975, Prince and sidekick Nellie King
Nellie King
Nelson Joseph "Nellie" King was an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and later a member of the Pirates' radio announcing team with Bob Prince.-Baseball career:...
were fired, a decision that Pirates management did not try to reverse. Pirates fans, shocked by the news, did not react well. Egged on by competing radio station WEEP
WWNL
WWNL is a Christian radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station, which is owned by Steel City Radio, Inc., broadcasts at 1080 kHz with a power of 50,000 watts daytime .- History :...
, hundreds of supporters held a parade and downtown rally. Several Pirates players also went to bat for him, but rehiring Prince was never a consideration. KDKA hired Milo Hamilton
Milo Hamilton
Leland Milo Hamilton is an American sportscaster, best known for calling play-by-play for seven different Major League Baseball teams since 1953...
in December and distributed press kits at a news conference that had a cover sticker proclaiming, "The New Voice of the Pirates."
After his time with the Pirates, Prince had stints calling Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
baseball, Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
hockey and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs most Monday nights during the regular season on ESPN and is also available in high definition on ESPNHD. The official name of the game is Monday Night Baseball presented by Vonage. The game starts at 7 p.m...
. However, the Pirates were clearly the place for Prince, as he never realized his previous popularity elsewhere. He was frustrated that ABC wouldn't let him employ his usual style, and was removed from the primary Monday night broadcast team during his first season before being dropped altogether after the season. He also was released by the Astros after a one-year stay; he later said that Houston didn't agree with him. His work with the Penguins was a cause of consternation for hockey fans. Prince didn't understand the game, didn't know the Penguins' personnel and thought he could get by on his reputation and popularity. Eventually he was taken off play-by-play and re-cast as an intermission interviewer.
Prince drifted from job to job, many of which were considered small for a celebrity who had been the hottest act in town. Eventually, he returned to baseball in 1982, calling Pirates games for a cable station. However, his exposure was limited (cable didn't have nearly the penetration that it does now) and Prince was too far removed from the scene to offer many insights about the game or the team.
May 3, 1985
Three years after his return, KDKA and the Pirates decided to make Prince a member of the regular radio broadcast team in 1985. Broadcaster Lanny FrattareLanny Frattare
Lanny Lawrence Frattare is a former American sportscaster. For 33 years he was a play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, the longest such tenure in the team's history...
suggested that KDKA should launch a campaign to have Prince recognized with the Hall of Fame's Ford Frick Award. At about the same time, independently, station executives Rick Starr and Chris Cross decided Prince should have a role on the radio broadcasts. The announcement came days after he had been released from a hospital for cancer treatments. Prince returned to the Pirates broadcast booth on May 3, 1985 to announce three innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
of the game between the Pirates
1985 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates finished in sixth place in the National League East, with a record of 57-104, 43½ games behind the NL Champion St. Louis Cardinals.- Offseason :* December 12, 1984: Brian Harper and John Tudor were traded by the Pirates to the St...
and the Los Angeles Dodgers
1985 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1985 Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League West before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. Fernando Valenzuela set a major league record for most consecutive innings at the start of a season without allowing an earned run .-Offseason:*January 3,...
. Weakened from mouth cancer, Prince was able to announce only two innings but was given three standing ovations by the crowd as pure magic occurred. The Pirates scored 9 runs in the first inning that Prince announced, one for each year of his absence from the booth. In the next inning Prince called for first baseman Jason Thompson to park one "so we'll have a little bit of everything", and Thompson promptly homered.
The 1985 Pirate team was not very talented and would lose 104 games. Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell
Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
had retired three years earlier, and most of the 1979 Championship Team
1979 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates had 98 wins and 64 losses and captured the National League East Division title by two games over the Montreal Expos. The Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds to win their ninth National League title, and the Baltimore Orioles to win their fifth World Series title - and also...
had disbanded. Nonetheless, the fourth inning broadcast announced by Prince on May 3, 1985, was the fifth most runs scored in any one inning during the Pittsburgh Pirates long franchise history. One commentator on KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
(Channel 2) referred to it on the 6:00 p.m. news as the "last revival of the Green Weenie," Prince's good luck charm from 1966. Prince announced a few following homestands. However, weeks later he reported to the park for another game, but his illness forced him to go home after waiting through a long rain delay. Prince was unable to report for work again and was re-admitted to the hospital. He died on June 10.
Honors and awards
Prince was posthumously awarded the Ford C. Frick AwardFord C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford Christopher Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball...
by the Baseball Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in . Even today, his name remains synonymous with Pirates baseball. In 1999, Prince was selected for the Pride of the Pirates award, a lifetime achievement honor given annually to a member of the organization.
Gunnerisms
Prince used dozens of pet words and phrases that were often imitated but never duplicated in his profession. Here are some:- "A bloop and a blast": A base hit and a home run, usually late in the game when the Bucs were down by two runs.
- "There's a bug loose on the rug" or just "A bug on a rug": A ground ball that scooted between all the fielders on the defensive team, often skipping/rolling all the way to the outfield wall. Also possibly refers to the artificial turf as a "rug".
- "A dying quail": A bloop base hit, more commonly known as a "Texas Leaguer."
- "Can o' corn" or "A No. 8 can of Golden Bantam": A routine fly ball or popup which came straight down, from old-time grocery stores in which canned goods (including corn) were on a very high shelf and a stick was used to pull them off the shelf ... and be neatly caught by the clerk. Golden Bantam was a popular brand of corn.
- "Foul by a gnat's eyelash" and "Close as fuzz on a tick's ear": The difference between a ball being fair or foul or a player being safe or out.
- "Frozen rope": A hard line drive, often hit by Roberto Clemente.
- "Hidden vigorish": A call for help for the Pirates or for an individual player, as in, "He just needs a little hidden vigorish." (Vigorish, from a Yiddish slang term, is the somewhat hidden profit that bookmakers get for a bet, regardless of who wins or loses.)
- "Low hummin' riser": A fastball.
- "Rug-cuttin' time" and "For all the money, marbles, and chalk": The deciding moment; crunch time.
- "Runnin' through the raindrops": Escaping without serious damage, as when a Pirate pitcher gives up several hits and/or walks in an inning but the other team did not score.
- "He couldn't hit that with a bed slat": After a batter chased a pitch way outside.
- "A little bingle": A little hit (single); a way to get on base and start a rally.
- "Aspirin tablets": Fastballs so quick they seem that small.
- "Atem balls": A pun describing hard batted balls that went right to a fielder—right "at 'em." When this happened a few times in a game, Prince would say that a Pirate pitcher "has his atem ball workin' tonight."
- "Babushka power": Prince would call on the power of the headscarves that women fans wore. At Prince's urging, the women sometimes would take off their scarves and wave them; Steelers announcer Myron Cope later adapted the idea into the "Terrible TowelTerrible TowelThe Terrible Towel is a rally towel associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football team in the National Football League . Created in 1975 by then Steelers radio broadcaster Myron Cope, The Terrible Towel has spread in popularity; fans take their Towel to famous sites while on vacation...
." that Steeler fans still wave. - "Arriba!": Spanish for above or aloft, used by Prince in reverential reference to Clemente and his astonishing skills. Fans adopted the word as Clemente's nickname. Prince was fluent in Spanish and helped mentor and translate for Hispanic players, including Clemente, a Puerto Rican who spoke English with a heavy accent.
- "How sweet it is!": Exclaimed whenever the result was sweet for the Pirates. The phrase apparently was also used by Rosey Rosewell, longtime Pirate announcer who Prince joined at the beginning of his career. It is originally attributed to entertainer Jackie GleasonJackie GleasonJackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
. - "Good night, Mary Edgerly, wherever you are": His trademark farewell, although he never explained on-air who she was. Prince admitted the phrase was a variation of comedian Jimmy DuranteJimmy DuranteJames Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
's nightly good-bye to an unseen Mrs. Calabash on his television show. Mary Frances Smith Edgerly was, indeed, a real person, a dear friend of Bob and Betty Prince who resided at the Blue Waters Beach Club in St. Petersburg, Florida. "Mayme" was a lifelong baseball fan and used to spend hours in the stands during spring training watching her beloved Pirates. She was a lively and interesting lady who died at the age of 105, two weeks after attending an Old-Timers' game in Buffalo, New York. Clemente also loved Mary and gave her one of his record-setting bats. - "Hoover": A double play in which the Pirates would "vacuum" runners from the bases, which happened often, as second baseman Bill Mazeroski holds the all-time record for double plays. Once criticized for "promoting" a vacuum cleaner companyThe Hoover CompanyThe Hoover Company started out as an American floor care manufacturer based in North Canton, Ohio. It also established a major base in the United Kingdom and for most of the early-and-mid-20th century, it dominated the electric vacuum cleaner industry, to the point where the "hoover" brand name...
that was not a sponsor, Prince—who did not like anyone challenging his sayings—invented the explanation that he was referring to the tax relief policies of former President Herbert HooverHerbert HooverHerbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
. - "Pull out the plug, mother!": When the other team's rally went down the drain, often due to an inning-ending double play.
- "Kiss it good-bye!" or "You can kiss it good-bye!" or "You can kiss this baby good-bye!": legendary home runHome runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
call and current broadcast standard. - "Radio ball": A fastball thrown so hard it “could be heard but not seen.”
- "Soup cooler": A pitch delivered high and inside, so termed because it was up around the lips (which blow on soup to cool it).
- "Spread some chicken on the Hill with Will" or just "Chicken on the Hill": After a home run hit by Pirates slugger Willie StargellWillie StargellWilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
who owned a fried chicken establishment in the Hill District of Pittsburgh and offered free chicken to any customer who was in line when Stargell homered. - "Sufferin' catfish": Words of frustration after the baseball gods conspired against his team. A fairly common southern term.
- "The alabaster plaster": The rock-hard infield surface at Pittsburgh's Forbes FieldForbes FieldForbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
. An "alabaster blast" was the basehit that came off the hard infield, more commonly known as a "Baltimore chop". - "The House of Thrills": Forbes Field itself.
- "The bases are F.O.B.": The bases are loaded (“Full of Bucs,” probably borrowed from Red BarberRed BarberWalter Lanier "Red" Barber was an American sportscaster.Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds , Brooklyn Dodgers , and New York Yankees...
's "Full of Brooklyns"). - "'Tweener": a hit to the left or right field gap and thus between the fielders.
- "We had 'em alllll the way" or "The Buccos had 'em alllll the way": A way to say that the Pirates never trailed in a game. Also used humorously and ironically after the Pirates scored an improbable, come-from-behind victory.
- "Call a doctor, it's outta here": when an opposing player hit a home run off a Pirate pitcher
In addition, Prince created or popularized colorful nicknames for numerous Pirates players, a list that included:
- Nelson BrilesNelson BrilesNelson Kelley "Nellie" Briles was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Pittsburgh Pirates , Kansas City Royals , Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles...
: "The Rainmaker" - Smokey Burgess: "Shake, rattle and roll" (Burgess, one of the greatest pinch hitters of all time, was rather roly-poly. Smokey was a nickname for Forrest.)
- Roberto ClementeRoberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
: "Arriba" and "The Great One" - Donn ClendenonDonn ClendenonDonn Alvin Clendenon was a Major League Baseball first baseman. He is best remembered as the World Series MVP for the Amazin' Mets.-Early life:...
: "Clink" - Gene ClinesGene ClinesEugene Anthony Clines is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball, Clines played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , New York Mets , Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs . He was also the hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs from 2005-2006...
: "Li'l Angry" - Roy FaceRoy FaceElroy Leon Face is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953–1969, pitching primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates...
: "The Baron (of the Bullpen)" - Dick GroatDick GroatRichard Morrow Groat is a former two-sport athlete best known as a shortstop in Major League Baseball. He played for four National League teams, mainly the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in after winning the batting title with a .325...
: "Double Dozen" (No. 24) - Harvey HaddixHarvey HaddixHarvey Haddix, Jr. was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Redlegs , Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles . Haddix was born in Medway, Ohio, located just outside of Springfield...
: "The Kitten" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com) (Haddix arrived from St. Louis with this nickname due to his resemblance to Harry "The Cat" Brecheen, a Cardinals left-hander.) - Richie HebnerRichie HebnerRichard Joseph Hebner is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played from 1968 to 1985 in Major League Baseball. He played with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs, all of the National League, and the Detroit Tigers of the American...
: "Puck" (Hebner played hockey as a youth in the Boston area). - Don HoakDon HoakDonald Albert Hoak was a Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "Tiger," Hoak was a third baseman who played ten seasons in the Majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers , Chicago Cubs , Cincinnati Reds , Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies...
: "The Tiger" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com) (Hoak, not particularly talented, played third base with great ferocity) - Ralph KinerRalph KinerRalph McPherran Kiner is an American former Major League Baseball player and has been an announcer for the New York Mets since the team's inception. Though injuries forced his retirement from active play after 10 seasons, Kiner's tremendous slugging outpaced nearly all of his National League...
: "The Alhambra Kid" (the town in California where Kiner grew up) - Bruce KisonBruce KisonBruce Eugene Kison is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1971-1985 for three different teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates , California Angels and Boston Red Sox...
: "The Whip" (due to his lean figure and sidearm delivery) - Vern LawVern LawVernon Sanders Law is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for 16 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Career:Law was a member of the National League All Star Team in...
: "The Deacon" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com) (Law was a member of the ordained priesthood of the LDS Church) - Bill MazeroskiBill MazeroskiWilliam Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
: "Maz" and "The Glove" (Considered by many the best defensive second baseman of all time, Maz used the smallest glove of anyone playing in that era) - Gene Michael: "The Stick" (the shortstop was very lean)
- Al OliverAl OliverAlbert Oliver, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. Over the course of his 18-year career, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Texas Rangers , Montreal Expos , San Francisco Giants , Philadelphia Phillies , Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays...
: "Scoop" (due to his excellent play at first base) - Dave ParkerDave ParkerDavid Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract...
"The Cobra" - Manny SanguillenManny SanguillenManuel De Jesus Sanguillen Magan, better known as Manny Sanguillen or "Sangy" , is a former professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues. He was named to the All-Star team three times, in , , and . He played primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but also for the Oakland...
: "The Road Runner" (one of the fastest catchers in baseball history) - Dick SchofieldDick SchofieldRichard Craig "Dick" Schofield was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played 14 seasons, spanning from 1983–96. Schofield played the majority of his career with the California Angels, but also played on the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays team that eventually won the World Series...
: "Ducky" (Schofield inherited the nickname from his father, a semi-pro baseball player in Springfield, IL. Schofield was a lifelong utility player who helped the Pirates win the 1960 World Series when starting shortstop Dick Groat was hurt.) - Bob SkinnerBob SkinnerRobert Ralph Skinner is a scout for the Houston Astros and a former outfielder-first baseman, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball...
: "The Dog" or "Doggie" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com) (The very tall Skinner sort of loped along like an over-grown bloodhound as he took his position in left field) - Willie StargellWillie StargellWilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
: "Willie the Starg" - Bill VirdonBill VirdonWilliam Charles Virdon is a former outfielder, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. A premier defensive outfielder during his playing days as a center fielder for the St...
: "The Quail" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com) (Virdon had a habit of getting bloop hits that players referred to as "dying quails" because of the way they would drop.)