Frank Messer
Encyclopedia
Wallace Frank Messer was an American
sportscaster that was best known for his 18 seasons announcing New York Yankees
baseball games, and as the recognizable emcee voice of various Yankee Stadium festivities during a three decade span.
native, Messer was a member of the Marines during World War II
in the South Pacific. After the war, he worked as a broadcaster in minor league baseball in the 1950s. He got his major-league break when he joined the Baltimore Orioles
and worked alongside their noted longtime voice, Chuck Thompson
. In 1966
, the year Bill O’Donnell also joined the broadcast crew, the O’s won their first world championship. Messer also called Baltimore Colts
football during the 1960s.
Messer’s next major-league break came after the 1967
season, when Joe Garagiola left the Yankees broadcast crew to concentrate on the network jobs he also had at NBC Sports
and NBC News
. Messer took Garagiola’s place for 1968, working with ex-Yankees Jerry Coleman
and Phil Rizzuto
. The Yankees’ longtime public-relations director Bob Fishel had urged team management to approve a traditional play-by-play sportscaster, which the Yanks had not had since the firing of Red Barber
after the 1966 season.
Messer was eventually given the gig of emceeing the Old-Timer’s Day ceremonies by 1970 – an event in which he participated until the year before his death – and special events, beginning with the retirement of Mickey Mantle
’s Number 7 jersey in June 1969
. Messer’s steadiness and dry wit blended well with Rizzuto’s enthusiasm. For many years, New York Yankees
yearbooks would refer to Messer as "One of the real pros in the business."
The Yankee broadcast crew gained its best known incarnation in 1971
when Messer and Rizzuto were joined by former St. Louis Cardinals
infielder Bill White, a replacement for Bob Gamere
(who’d been brought in when Coleman moved to the West Coast
after the 1969 season). Messer, White and Rizzuto called Yankee games together until the end of the 1985
season.
Messer was acclaimed by critics and fans both for his straight-shooting play calling on radio and TV, and by the club for his effectiveness promoting team events. "We call Frank 'Old Reliable' up here, because we know when we're in trouble, he is here," Rizzuto said on the final 1973 Yankee broadcast before the renovation of the original Yankee Stadium
.
While Messer was relegated to radio for his final year, the trio still provided the second-longest three-man combination in New York sports history, behind the New York Mets
crew of Lindsey Nelson
, Ralph Kiner
and Bob Murphy
.
During that stretch, the trio was joined by Dom Valentino on radio for the 1975
season, Fran Healy
on radio (and later, cable TV too) during the late 1970s and early 1980s, John Gordon
on radio from 1982 to 1985, Bobby Murcer on WPIX in 1983 and 1984, and by the ultimate Voice of the Yankees, Mel Allen
, on cable in the 1970s and 1980s.
WPIX and its usual Rizzuto-Messer-White broadcast trifecta carried the ALCS in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1981, providing New York viewers a local alternative to the nationally-broadcast telecasts.
One of his signature phrases at the end of his last inning before switching booths from radio to TV (or vice-versa) was "(Announcer) will carry you along the rest of the way. It’s been a pleasure." Another was his radio call of a home run from 1981
onward, when the Yankees’ radio home was WABC
: "A-B-C you later!"
Besides Mickey Mantle Day, Messer’s great Yankee moments included his 1978
call of Bucky Dent
’s dramatic three-run homer in the American League East
Championship Game against the host Boston Red Sox
; and his 1980 call of Reggie Jackson
’s 400th home run ("There she goes! Might be upper deck!"), both on WINS
radio.
’s no-hitter at Yankee Stadium
against the Red Sox, on July 4, 1983: As Righetti got Wade Boggs
to swing at strike three, Messer intoned:
According to the book Sports on New York Radio by Westwood One
media executive and former sportscaster David J. Halberstam
, the call should have been made by partner White, who was to call that half-inning as part of the in-game rotation of announcers between radio and SportsChannel TV
(now Fox Sports Net New York). While White did the whole game bouncing between WABC and SportsChannel, Messer and Rizzuto rotated between TV, radio and the Fan Appreciation Day giveaways on the field between innings.
But according to Messer, after White saw him return to the WABC radio booth (he helped White call the last half of the eighth inning), White insisted that Messer, the senior of the two, should call the ninth.
"It was a class act", Messer said of White's gesture.
were playing the Yankees at the Stadium. In the top of the ninth inning, George Brett
came up to bat against Rich (Goose) Gossage
, his old rival. Brett hit a two-run homer, putting the Royals up 5-4. After Brett rounded the bases, Yankees manager Billy Martin
(at the suggestion of his protege, third baseman Graig Nettles
) came out of the dugout and urged home-plate umpire Tim McClelland to measure the amount of pine tar
on Brett's bat, citing an obscure rule that stated the pine tar on a bat could extend no further than 18 inches. Brett's pine tar extended about 24 inches.
"I've never seen this," said sportscaster and ex-Yankee Bobby Murcer
on WPIX
as he watched McClelland measure the bat across the plate. "I never have either," said Messer. A few moments later, McClelland signalled Brett out.
The normally mild-mannered Brett charged out of the dugout, enraged, and was immediately ejected. An incredulous Messer:
The Royals protested the game, and their protest was upheld by American League President (and former Yankees chief executive) Lee MacPhail
, who ruled that the bat was not "altered to improve the distance factor", and that the rules only provided for removal of the bat from the game, and not calling the batter out.
The game was replayed, starting after Brett's homer. Billy Martin had one last trick up his sleeve, appealing the play before, saying the umpires had no way of knowing Brett had touched all the bases. The umpires produced affidavits saying he had. The game had virtually no effect on 1983's pennant race, but was in many ways the closing chapter on a heated rivalry.
becoming a fixture as play-by-play man and analyst for TV broadcasts), Messer worked for the Chicago White Sox
and called CBS Radio Network
Game of the Week broadcasts. He continued to emcee Old-Timer’s Day ceremonies through 1997. One of his most poignant jobs was introducing Mickey Mantle at the 1994 event, just after Mantle had completed treatment for alcoholism.
Even after John Sterling
and Michael Kay took over the introduction of players in the late 1990s, Messer was still the event "host" through 2000, greeting the Stadium fans before turning over the rest of the show to his successors.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportscaster that was best known for his 18 seasons announcing New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
baseball games, and as the recognizable emcee voice of various Yankee Stadium festivities during a three decade span.
Background
An Asheville, North CarolinaAsheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
native, Messer was a member of the Marines during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the South Pacific. After the war, he worked as a broadcaster in minor league baseball in the 1950s. He got his major-league break when he joined the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and worked alongside their noted longtime voice, Chuck Thompson
Chuck Thompson
Charles L. "Chuck" Thompson was an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles and the National Football League's Baltimore Colts...
. In 1966
1966 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Frank Robinson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at Busch Stadium: National League, 2–1 ; Brooks Robinson, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Ohio State...
, the year Bill O’Donnell also joined the broadcast crew, the O’s won their first world championship. Messer also called Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
football during the 1960s.
Messer’s next major-league break came after the 1967
1967 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox ; Bob Gibson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 11 at Anaheim Stadium: National League, 2-1 ; Tony Pérez, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Arizona State...
season, when Joe Garagiola left the Yankees broadcast crew to concentrate on the network jobs he also had at NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
and NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
. Messer took Garagiola’s place for 1968, working with ex-Yankees Jerry Coleman
Jerry Coleman
Gerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
and Phil Rizzuto
Phil Rizzuto
Philip Francis Rizzuto , nicknamed "The Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
. The Yankees’ longtime public-relations director Bob Fishel had urged team management to approve a traditional play-by-play sportscaster, which the Yanks had not had since the firing of Red Barber
Red Barber
Walter 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...
after the 1966 season.
Messer was eventually given the gig of emceeing the Old-Timer’s Day ceremonies by 1970 – an event in which he participated until the year before his death – and special events, beginning with the retirement of Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
’s Number 7 jersey in June 1969
1969 in baseball
-Expansion:Four expansion teams joined Major League Baseball for this season: the San Diego Padres, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Pilots, and the first MLB team in Canada, the Montreal Expos. To accommodate the additional teams, the two leagues were split into two divisions of East and West...
. Messer’s steadiness and dry wit blended well with Rizzuto’s enthusiasm. For many years, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
yearbooks would refer to Messer as "One of the real pros in the business."
The Yankee broadcast crew gained its best known incarnation in 1971
1971 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:National League: Pittsburgh PiratesAmerican League: Baltimore Orioles1971 World Series: Pittsburgh def. Baltimore , 4 games to 3.Inter-league playoff: Pittsburgh declined challenge by Tokyo Yomiuri Giants....
when Messer and Rizzuto were joined by former St. Louis 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...
infielder Bill White, a replacement for Bob Gamere
Bob Gamere
Bob Gamere is an American Sportscaster.-Career:A sports anchor on WNAC and announcer of Holy Cross football games, Gamere made his television play-by-play debut in 1970, succeeding Jerry Coleman as a broadcaster for the New York Yankees on WPIX...
(who’d been brought in when Coleman moved to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
after the 1969 season). Messer, White and Rizzuto called Yankee games together until the end of the 1985
1985 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals ; Bret Saberhagen, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: George Brett*National League Championship Series MVP: Ozzie Smith...
season.
Messer was acclaimed by critics and fans both for his straight-shooting play calling on radio and TV, and by the club for his effectiveness promoting team events. "We call Frank 'Old Reliable' up here, because we know when we're in trouble, he is here," Rizzuto said on the final 1973 Yankee broadcast before the renovation of the original Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
.
While Messer was relegated to radio for his final year, the trio still provided the second-longest three-man combination in New York sports history, behind the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
crew of Lindsey Nelson
Lindsey Nelson
Lindsey Nelson was an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of college football and New York Mets baseball.-Early life and career:...
, Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner
Ralph 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...
and Bob Murphy
Bob Murphy (announcer)
Robert Allan Murphy was an American sportscaster who spent 50 years doing play-by-play of Major League Baseball games on television and radio. The Oklahoman was best known for announcing the New York Mets, from their inception in 1962 until his retirement in 2003...
.
During that stretch, the trio was joined by Dom Valentino on radio for the 1975
1975 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox ; Pete Rose, MVP*All-Star Game, July 15 at County Stadium: National League, 6-3; Bill Madlock and Jon Matlack, MVPs-Other champions:...
season, Fran Healy
Fran Healy (baseball)
Francis Xavier Healy , is a former Major League Baseball catcher best known for his long tenure calling television broadcasts for the New York Mets on the MSG Network and Fox Sports Net New York....
on radio (and later, cable TV too) during the late 1970s and early 1980s, John Gordon
John Gordon (baseball)
John "Gordo" Gordon is a Major League Baseball radio broadcaster who is best known as the play by play announcer for the Minnesota Twins on the Twins Radio Network and their Metro Affiliate KSTP 1500 AM...
on radio from 1982 to 1985, Bobby Murcer on WPIX in 1983 and 1984, and by the ultimate Voice of the Yankees, Mel Allen
Mel Allen
Mel Allen was an American sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees. During the peak of his career in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Allen was arguably the most prominent member of his profession, his voice familiar to millions...
, on cable in the 1970s and 1980s.
WPIX and its usual Rizzuto-Messer-White broadcast trifecta carried the ALCS in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1981, providing New York viewers a local alternative to the nationally-broadcast telecasts.
One of his signature phrases at the end of his last inning before switching booths from radio to TV (or vice-versa) was "(Announcer) will carry you along the rest of the way. It’s been a pleasure." Another was his radio call of a home run from 1981
1981 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and Steve Yeager, co-MVPsNOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half...
onward, when the Yankees’ radio home was WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
: "A-B-C you later!"
Besides Mickey Mantle Day, Messer’s great Yankee moments included his 1978
1978 in baseball
-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Indios de Mayagüez *College World Series: USC*Japan Series: Yakult Swallows over Hankyu Braves *Little League World Series: Pin-Kuang, Pin-Tung, Taiwan-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player...
call of Bucky Dent
Bucky Dent
Russell Earl "Bucky" Dent , is a former American Major League Baseball player and manager. He earned two World Series rings as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees in and , and was voted the World Series MVP in 1978...
’s dramatic three-run homer in the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
Championship Game against the host Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
; and his 1980 call of Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
’s 400th home run ("There she goes! Might be upper deck!"), both on WINS
WINS (AM)
WINS , known on-air as "Ten-Ten Wins", is a radio station in New York City, owned by CBS Radio. WINS's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in the TriBeCa section of Manhattan, and transmitting towers in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.WINS is one of the nation's oldest...
radio.
A star-spangled Fourth
Messer's most famous call may have been his description on WABC of the final out of Dave RighettiDave Righetti
David Allan Righetti is a former left-handed pitcher for various Major League Baseball teams, primarily the New York Yankees. He is currently the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants and was the first player in history to both pitch a no-hitter and also lead the league in saves in his career...
’s no-hitter at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
against the Red Sox, on July 4, 1983: As Righetti got Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
to swing at strike three, Messer intoned:
According to the book Sports on New York Radio by Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
media executive and former sportscaster David J. Halberstam
David J. Halberstam
David J. Halberstam is the EVP/General Manager of Westwood One Sports. Previously, he was the play-by-play announcer for the Miami Heat and St...
, the call should have been made by partner White, who was to call that half-inning as part of the in-game rotation of announcers between radio and SportsChannel TV
SportsChannel America
SportsChannel America was a cable television network operated by Cablevision. It was the country's first regional sports network, and thus an important ancestor to many of the United States' regional sports outlets, especially Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. SportsChannel New York was the...
(now Fox Sports Net New York). While White did the whole game bouncing between WABC and SportsChannel, Messer and Rizzuto rotated between TV, radio and the Fan Appreciation Day giveaways on the field between innings.
But according to Messer, after White saw him return to the WABC radio booth (he helped White call the last half of the eighth inning), White insisted that Messer, the senior of the two, should call the ninth.
"It was a class act", Messer said of White's gesture.
A tar-spangled Sunday
Another Messer moment came less than three weeks later, on July 24, 1983. The Kansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
were playing the Yankees at the Stadium. In the top of the ninth inning, George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...
came up to bat against Rich (Goose) Gossage
Rich Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
, his old rival. Brett hit a two-run homer, putting the Royals up 5-4. After Brett rounded the bases, Yankees manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
(at the suggestion of his protege, third baseman Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
) came out of the dugout and urged home-plate umpire Tim McClelland to measure the amount of pine tar
Pine tar
Pine tar is a sticky material produced by the high temperature carbonization of pine wood in anoxic conditions . The wood is rapidly decomposed by applying heat and pressure in a closed container; the primary resulting products are charcoal and pine tar.Pine tar consists primarily of aromatic...
on Brett's bat, citing an obscure rule that stated the pine tar on a bat could extend no further than 18 inches. Brett's pine tar extended about 24 inches.
"I've never seen this," said sportscaster and ex-Yankee Bobby Murcer
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Ray Murcer was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for 17 seasons between 1965 and 1983, mostly with the New York Yankees, whom he later rejoined as a longtime broadcaster...
on WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
as he watched McClelland measure the bat across the plate. "I never have either," said Messer. A few moments later, McClelland signalled Brett out.
The normally mild-mannered Brett charged out of the dugout, enraged, and was immediately ejected. An incredulous Messer:
The Royals protested the game, and their protest was upheld by American League President (and former Yankees chief executive) Lee MacPhail
Lee MacPhail
Leland Stanford MacPhail, Jr. is an American retired front-office executive in Major League Baseball...
, who ruled that the bat was not "altered to improve the distance factor", and that the rules only provided for removal of the bat from the game, and not calling the batter out.
The game was replayed, starting after Brett's homer. Billy Martin had one last trick up his sleeve, appealing the play before, saying the umpires had no way of knowing Brett had touched all the bases. The umpires produced affidavits saying he had. The game had virtually no effect on 1983's pennant race, but was in many ways the closing chapter on a heated rivalry.
Later years
After the Yankees let Messer go following the 1985 season (with Bobby MurcerBobby Murcer
Bobby Ray Murcer was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for 17 seasons between 1965 and 1983, mostly with the New York Yankees, whom he later rejoined as a longtime broadcaster...
becoming a fixture as play-by-play man and analyst for TV broadcasts), Messer worked for the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and called CBS Radio Network
CBS Radio Network
The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
Game of the Week broadcasts. He continued to emcee Old-Timer’s Day ceremonies through 1997. One of his most poignant jobs was introducing Mickey Mantle at the 1994 event, just after Mantle had completed treatment for alcoholism.
Even after John Sterling
John Sterling (sportscaster)
John Sterling is an American sportscaster best known as the radio play-by-play announcer of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. He has announced every Yankees game since .-Early life:...
and Michael Kay took over the introduction of players in the late 1990s, Messer was still the event "host" through 2000, greeting the Stadium fans before turning over the rest of the show to his successors.