RIP Gene Elston

When I got interested in baseball in the late 60's, being by then old enough (8 years) to play in a league, I really went baseball crazy, learning the game and the major league stars. And my team was the Houston Astros-- a team later written about in Jim Bouton's Ball Four. But I didn't know anything about the sex, drugs, fighting, and mockery at that time. But I could cheat on my bedtime listening to their games with my transistor radio, and the lead announcer was Gene Elston. He was very smooth steady, well-prepared, and objective. I liked him a lot, though I also liked his partner who balanced Elston's qualities by being a good ol' boy "homer," Loel Passe.

I just learned Gene Elston died yesterday, Sept. 5 at age 93. It's hard to say 'I'll miss him' when I stopped listening to him in the 70's and he hasn't worked as an announcer (of which I'm aware) since the 90's. But I am glad he was healthy enough to receive in person the Ford Frick Award-- the Baseball Hall of Fame yearly honor for broadcasters-- in 2006.

Here's to Gene Elston and those fun days of innocent excietemenT!