Pirates announcer Lanny Frattare retires after 33 years..

No link yet, just got a release from the Pirates.
Good luck to one of the old school guys - there aren't enough of them anymore.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08275/916581-100.stm

 

One of the more comforting voices in baseball. I'll miss it.

 

Yar.

 

a little too much of a homer for my tastes, but then again, to do pirates' games for the last 15 years, you've needed to drink lots of the kevin mcclatchy/bob nutting kool-aid.

 

Must've been a bummer for him - some good teams early, highlighted by the We are Family team, and then pure garbage for how many years now?

 

We wish you well, Lanny, although we do dread the thought of more Greg Brown, aka Guy Smiley:

http://mondesishouse.blogspot.com/2008/07/pittsburgh-pirates-movie-iii.html

 

Don't know the guy, but anyone who's freed from 162 games with the Pirates has to be feeling mighty good.

 

there ... was ... nooooooooooooooooo doubt about it.

 

Good evening friends and welcome to another night of Pirates baseball. . .

Look, I'm not going to act like he was Vin Scully, but Lanny was steady for this young PIrates fan growqing up in the burgh. True he lost a little off his fastball, and there are some who thought he never had a fastball, but he brought excitement to my life in the early 90's from the radio, and I, for one, will miss his call on the XM dial. Good luck Lanny.

 

His arrogance and ego couldn't be seen past by a lot of people.

 

Damn, I knew somebody would have beat me to it. Given the team's fortunes since 1993, I always found ironic humor in that line.

 

I grew up with Lanny, through every 12-1 loss and Tike Redman start, but was never a huge fan.

Whether it be all the small talk with Steve Blass or wishing Alice Smith a happy 92nd birthday, he spent entirely too much time NOT talking about the game. During quite a few radio broadcasts this season, I often had to sit through an entire inning just to get the score.

He did, though, provide one of my journalistic highlights (or lowlights) during a Pirate Caravan a few years back. Instead of simply asking what the Pirates would do in free agency, my inner fanboi, if only for a moment, reared its ugly head and asked Lanny if the team planned to go "dumpster diving this offseason." While he probably wanted to punch me in the face, he continued with the interview and gave me some good stuff to work with.

For that, and for somehow not making me want to jump ship and become an Indians fan, I thank you, Mr. Frattare.