Robert F. Prince (July 1, 1916 - June 10, 1985) 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 Pittsburgh icon. July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... American Sportscasters A sportscaster, sports announcer, or sports commentator is a type of journalist on radio or television who specializes in reporting or commenting on sports events. ... Major league affiliations National League (1887–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 4, 8, 9, 20, 21, 33, 40, 42 Name Pittsburgh Pirates (1891–present) Pittsburgh Innocents (1890) Pittsburg Alleghenies (1882–1889) (Also referred to as Infants in 1890) Ballpark PNC Park (2001–present) Three Rivers... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

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. Mike Lange is the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Penguins. ... Myron Cope (born January 23, 1929 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), whose given name is Myron Sydney Kopelman, is an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sports broadcaster. ...

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. This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January-June January 23 - Ralph Kiner is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ... Bill Mazeroskis famous game-winning home run at Forbes Field to win the 1960 World Series The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) and New York Yankees (AL). ... The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the manager (the managers from the previous years... NBC (a former acronym for National Broadcasting Company) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ...

The Prince who would be king

Prince was born in Los Angeles. 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, Pennsylvania. An athlete himself, he lettered in swimming at the University of Pittsburgh. Prince joined Rosey Rowswell in the Pirates' broadcast booth as a commentator in 1948, and he was promoted to the top spot shortly after Rowswell’s death in February, 1955. Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Alternate meanings: West Point (disambiguation). ... Schenley High School is a public school in North Oakland, the cultural and educational center of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It is one of four International Baccalaureate high schools in Pennsylvania. ... Nickname: Motto: Benigno Numine (With the Benevolent Deity) Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States Commonwealth Pennsylvania County Allegheny Founded November 25, 1758 Incorporated April 22, 1794 (borough)   March 18, 1816 (city) Government  - Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area  - City 151. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related, doctoral/research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1948 throughout the world. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As a result of his unmistakable voice, fertile baseball mind and everyman 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. KDKA AM is a U.S. class A clear channel AM radio station located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that operates on 1020 kHz. ...

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. Fortunately for Prince and Pirates fans, the pool was full of water.

Many veteran observers believe Prince did his best work while paired with longtime sidekick Jim "The Possum" Woods 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 "The Gunner" because of his stacatto style.

To be sure, no one bled black and gold like Prince did before or since. For instance, when the Pirates were in need of a long ball late in the game, he might proclaim in reference to their pinch hitter, "The Buccos wanna go way out yonder with Jesse Gonder!" At the same time, however, Prince wasn't such a homer that he failed to show respect to opponents and the game alike. Like the vast majority of broadcasters at the time, he rarely second-guessed players or managers.

In 1966, Prince concocted a good-luck charm known as the Green Weenie, a plastic rattle in the shape of an oversized green hot dog that Pirates fans used to jinx opponents. ("Never underestimate the power of the Green Weenie," he liked to assure listeners). The Green Weenie was a sports gimmick co-created by Bob Prince (1916 - 1985), a legendary broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and Pirate trainer Danny Whelan. ...

Later career

Soon after KDKA exchanged hands from Atlantic Richfield to Westinghouse Broadcasting in 1969, Prince had numerous conflicts with new ownership, not the least of which was over the dismissal of Woods from the broadcast team. Finally, in 1975, Prince and sidekick Nellie King were fired, a decision that Pirates fans did not take well to say the least. Incensed at the unceremonious dumping of their longtime voice, hundreds of supporters held a downtown rally. Several Pirates players also went to bat for him, but Prince was not rehired despite their efforts.

After his time with the Pirates, Prince had stints calling Houston Astros baseball, Pittsburgh Penguins hockey and ABC's Monday Night Baseball. However, Pittsburgh was clearly the place for Prince, as he never realized his previous popularity elsewhere. He was removed from the primary Monday night broadcast team during his first season and dropped after its conclusion. He also was released by the Astros after a one-year stay. Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 40, 42, 49 Name Houston Astros (1965–present) Houston Colt . ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... The American Broadcasting Company ( oftenly known as ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Prince battled depression in his post-Pirates days while he 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 and called Pirates games for a cable station in the early 1980s. By then, much like Pirates baseball itself, Prince was no longer the force that he had been for all or part of three decades.

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. He died five weeks later. May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 7 - Outfielder Lou Brock and knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... An innings, or inning, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably baseball and cricket – during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... Oral cancer is any cancerous tissue growth located in the mouth. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Prince was posthumously awarded the Ford C. Frick Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in 1986. 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. A posthumous recognition is a ceremonial award given after the recipient has passed away. ... The Ford C. Frick Award is an award bestowed annually by the Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 62 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 8 - Willie McCovey is the only player elected this year to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, and becomes the 16th player elected in his first year of eligibility. ...

Gunnerisms

Prince used dozens of pet words and phrases that were often imitated but never duplicated in his profession. The short list:

• "A bloop and a blast": A base hit and a home run, usually late in the game when the Bucs were down by a run.
• "A bug on a rug": On Astroturf, a ground ball that was scooting between all the fielders on the defensive team, often skipping/rolling all the way to the outfield wall.
• "A dying quail": a bloop base hit.
• "Can o' corn": a routine fly ball.
• "Foul by a gnat's eyelash" and "Close as fuzz on a tick's ear": Usually meant as the difference between a ball being fair or foul or a player being safe or out.
• "Good night, Mary Edgerley, wherever you are": his trademark farewell, although the identity of said person was never disclosed. Prince admitted the phrase was a variation of comedian Jimmy Durante's nightly good-bye to an unseen Mrs. Calabash on his television show.
• "Hoover": A double play in which the Pirates would remove a runner(s) from the bases.
• "Kiss it good-bye!" or "You can kiss this baby good-bye!": legendary home run call and current broadcast standard.
• "Radio ball": A fastball thrown so hard it “could be heard but not seen.”
• "Pull out the plug, mother!" See "Hoover."
• "Soup cooler": A pitch delivered high and inside.
• "Spread some chicken on the Hill with Will": Denotes a home run hit by Pirates slugger Willie Stargell 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.
• "The alabaster plaster": The rock-hard infield surface at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field.
• "The bases are F.O.B.": The bases are loaded (“Full of Bucs,” probably borrowed from Red Barber's "Full of Brooklyns").
• "The House of Thrills": Forbes Field itself.
• "'Tweener": a hit to the outfield wall between left field and center field or between right field and center field.
• "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.

In addition, Prince created colorful nicknames for numerous Pirates players, a list that included: Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from an article revision dated 2006-02-04, and may not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... “Inka Dinka Doo” redirects here. ... Mark McGwire swinging for the fences. ... Wilver Dornel Willie Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001), nicknamed Pops in the later years of his career, was a professional baseball player who played his entire Major League career (1962-1982) with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an outfielder and first baseman. ... Forbes Field was a Major League Baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood (or University District) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... Walter Lanier Red Barber (February 17, 1908 - October 22, 1992) was an American sportscaster. ...

• Nelson Briles: "The Rainmaker"
• Roberto Clemente: "Arriba" and "The Great One"
• Donn Clendenon: "Clink"
• Gene Clines: "Li'l Angry"
• Roy Face: "The Baron (of the Bullpen)"
• Dick Groat: "Double Dozen"
• Harvey Haddix: "The Kitten" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com)
• Richie Hebner: "Puck" (Hebner played hockey as a kid in the Boston area).
• Don Hoak: "The Tiger" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com)
• Ralph Kiner: "The Alhambra Kid"
• Bruce Kison: "The Whip"
• Vern Law: "The Deacon" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com)
• Bill Mazeroski: "Maz" and "The Glove"
• Al Oliver: "Scoop"
• Dave Parker "The Cobra"
• Manny Sanguillen: "The Road Runner"
• Bob Skinner: "The Dog" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com)
• Willie Stargell: "Pops" and "Willie the Starg"
• Bill Virdon: "The Quail" (reference: 1960 World Series Game 7 broadcast mp3 available at MLB.com)

Nelson Kelley Briles (August 5, 1943 - February 13, 2005) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. ... Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Major League Baseball right fielder and right-handed batter. ... Donn Alvin Clendenon (July 15, 1935 – September 17, 2005) was a first baseman in Major League Baseball. ...   Eugene Anthony (Gene) Clines (born October 6, 1946 in San Pablo, California) is currently the hitting coach of the Chicago Cubs. ... Elroy Leon Face (born February 20, 1928 in Stephentown, New York) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1953, 1955-68), Detroit Tigers (1968) and Montreal Expos (1969). ... Richard Morrow Groat (born November 4, 1930 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania) is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1952, 1955-62), St. ... Pitcher Harvey Haddix on a 1963 Topps Baseball Card Harvey Haddix, Jr. ... Richard Joseph Hebner (born November 26, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 18-year career from 1968 to 1985. ... Donald Albert (Don) Hoak (born February 5, 1928 in Roulette, Pennsylvania - died October 9, 1969 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was a Major League Baseball player. ... Ralph McPherran Kiner (born October 27, 1922) is an American former Major League Baseball player and current announcer. ...   Bruce Eugene Kison (born February 18, 1950 in Pasco, Washington) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971-1979), California Angels (1980-1984) and Boston Red Sox (1985). ... Vernon Sanders Law (Born March 12, 1930 in Meridian, Idaho) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. ... William Stanley Mazeroski (born September 5, 1936 in Wheeling, West Virginia), nicknamed Maz, and also called simply The Glove by radio broadcaster Bob Prince, is a former Major League Baseball player. ... Albert Oliver, Jr. ... The name Dave Parker may refer to several notable individuals: Dave Parker, American baseball player Dave Parker, Canadian jazz musician with The Shuffle Demons Dave Parker, Samoan singer. ... Manuel De Jesus Sanguillen Magan, better known as Manny Sanguillen or Sangy (born March 21, 1944 in Colon, Panama), is a former catcher in Major League Baseball. ... Robert Ralph Skinner (born October 3, 1931, La Jolla, California) is a scout for the Houston Astros and a former outfielder-first baseman, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball who has spent over 50 years in the game. ... Wilver Dornel Willie Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001), nicknamed Pops in the later years of his career, was a professional baseball player who played his entire Major League career (1962-1982) with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an outfielder and first baseman. ... William Charles Virdon (born June 9, 1931) is a retired American baseball player, manager and coach. ...

External links

• Bob Prince bio by James Forr
• Baseball Hall of Fame - Frick Award recipient
• Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Bio Project