Former New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Frank Messer died in his sleep on Tuesday, November 13, after a long illness. Messer was 76.
A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Messer joined the Marine Corps and served the U.S. in the South Pacific during World War II. After a tour of duty that ended in 1946, Messer entered the field of broadcasting and later worked as a disc jockey for a country western radio station. His baseball career finally began in 1954, when he entered the broadcast booth for the Richmond Virginias, a minor league team in the Triple-A International League. During his tenure in Virginia, Messer won the state's "Sportscaster of the Year" Award three consecutive years (1961-63).
In 1964, Messer earned a promotion to the major leagues, joining the Orioles as one of their play-by-play broadcasters. He also dabbled in football, working radio broadcasts for the NFL's Baltimore Colts. In 1968, Messer switched affiliations when he joined the broadcasting crew of the Yankees, replacing former major league catcher Joe Garagiola. Messer teamed with Phil Rizzuto and Jerry Coleman-both former Yankee players-as the team's announcers.
The 1971 season marked a milestone change in the history of baseball broadcasting while also triggering what would become a lasting impact on Messer's legacy. Former major league star Bill White joined Messer and Rizzuto in the revamped Yankee broadcasting booth and became the first African American to broadcast a major league team's games at the local level. The trio of Messer, Rizzuto, and White would become synonymous with Yankee broadcasts over the next 14 seasons, splitting play-by-play and color duties on both radio and WPIX television. With Messer playing the role of straight man and offering smoothly efficient play-by-play, Rizzuto and White became free to take on more colorful-and often comedic-broadcast roles, while also providing the perspectives of former players. The trio became one of the most popular broadcast combinations of all-time, remaining a team until 1984, when Messer ended his long and successful tenure in New York.
In 1986, Messer resurfaced with another American League team when he signed on with the White Sox. Working alongside Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, Messer announced ChiSox games for two seasons before retiring from everyday broadcast duty. He remained active in the game by serving as master of ceremonies for the Yankees' annual Old-Timers' Day until the 2000 season, when his health prevented him from continuing his duties.
On Tuesday, Messer passed away at his home in Deerfield Beach, Florida. According to his ex-wife, Rebecca, Messer had been ill for some time. In addition to his ex-wife, Messer is survived by a son and two daughters.
Working amidst the popular three-man crew that announced Yankee games from 1971 to 1984, Frank Messer was probably the least favored amongst the pinstriped faithful. Yet, that's more of a tribute to the enormous popularity of Rizzuto and White than it is a blemish against the record of Messer.
While Rizzuto and White drew most of the attention-in part because they were former athletes with bigger names, and in part because of their tendency to throw comedic barbs toward each other-Messer provided the basics needed in a solid television or radio broadcast. He had a pleasant voice, a smooth play-by-play style, and a small ego, the latter enabling him to accommodate the colorful storytelling of Rizzuto and the insightful analysis of White.
Although Rizzuto and White provided the best listen of any of the three tandems the Yankees commonly used on TV, neither would have achieved star status in the Yankee broadcast booth without the freedom to maneuver in the other tandems-a freedom that Messer's understated style provided them. In addition, nine innings of Rizzuto and White would have produced overkill; Messer's presence for six innings gave the broadcast balance and clarity, while also making listeners appreciate the entertainment value of the more outgoing Rizzuto and White.
Messer also added a dignified presence to the Yankees' popular Old-Timers' Day events. A professional and articulate announcer, Messer elegantly performed his master-of-ceremonies duties in introducing Yankee greats during the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Although he didn't match Mel Allen (something that few could have done), he nonetheless excelled in a humble, simplified way, enabling him to blend in so well with the festivities of the day. A great as Old-Timers' Day remains, it's not quite the same without the presence of Frank Messer.
» Bruce Markusen, manager of program presentations at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, is the author of the new book, The Orlando Cepeda Story, published in September of 2001 by Arte Publico and Pinata Books. Markusen has also authored Baseball's Last Dynasty: Charlie Finley's Oakland A's, and Roberto Clemente: The Great One.
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Posted November 19, 2001.
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