A few more articles and memories…
Fans, friends, players recall his diverse interests – by Susan Slusser
The good friend I never really knew – by Robert Buan
The man behind the mike – by Ray Ratto
Baseball shone its light upon me in 1986. I remember sitting in my room at night, listening to the games and keeping score in my own peculiar way. I could visualize the game with each word delivered by Bill King. He was the voice who guided me through the game, its players, its rules, its nuances.
I didn’t realize until recently how truly wonderful Bill King was as an announcer. It wasn’t just the way he called the game, it was the way he presented the game to us. If you were a fan of the visiting team, you were treated to an balanced kind of broadcast. Both teams got equal time and attention. There was no “And the good guys are coming up to bat” or anything like that. He was more than the home team broadcaster. He was the baseball broadcaster.
Most of the A’s broadcasters are the same way (to me), but Bill King was the best of them. I don’t want to turn on my radio and not hear his voice giving me the play by play. I don’t know how I’ll feel at that moment next spring. Probably still just a little sad.
