That sucks.

It does. Dan, I think you and I must be roughly the same age and, if so, Chuck's voice is just one of those huge parts of your life. I'm from a big family and most summer nights after dinner my Mom and whoever was assigned that night would be washing the dishes in the kitchen with the radio playing Chuck, while the rest of us would be playing wiffle ball in the backyard. Dad pitched and by the 3rd inning half the neighborhood would be playing, as we cheered the O's to many wins.

I didn't have a chance to listen much to Chuck Thompson, but what I did hear was pure gold. You could tell after listening to him for 10 minutes that he was one of the great ones. I hadn't realized that he had retired after the 2000 season.

RIP.

I think you and I must be roughly the same age and, if so, Chuck's voice is just one of those huge parts of your life.

Boy, are YOU in for a surprise. Dan's a young'n, IIRC.

Dan and I have known each other through asbbo for what, a decade? and maybe his knowledge of Oriole history has misled me. But, basically anyone who listened to the Orioles on the radio from 1962 to 1987 would fall into the right age group. So, I'll count as roughly the same age, anyone who's over age 25.

Yes, Chuck Thompson was one of my favorites. Listening to him broadcast those early '70s Orioles teams must have been the ultimate baseball experience of the time. In the late '90s he broadcast some home games for the O's after a several-year hiatus, and he was as clear and smooth as ever. One of the NFL Films documentaries about the 1958 Championship Game uses Thompson's radio calls from his capacity as voice of the Colts, and it's always a joy to watch as well.

DAMN!!!!

Orioles fans have been spoiled for so long having broadcasters like Chuck Thompson, Bill O'Donnell and Jon Miller. The years (1980 - 1985) that I had the wherewithal to go to Memorial Stadium, I always tried to take my (broken dial but already pretuned to WBAL) radio just to hear the guys in the booth. The games never seemed the same if I happened to forget it. Of course in the seventies, TV games were such a rarity in the DC - NoVa area that radio was really the only way to catch the games. Jon Miller is (and always has been) a great pbp man, but when I think of those times, it's the voice of Chuck Thompson I hear in my mind.

DAMN!!!!

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trevise

I have a Chuck Thompson bobblehead doll that was given away during an O's-Twins game 2 years ago.

I liked the way he did voiceovers of Colt highlight films, and of course Oriole games when my brother would search the AM dial at night. He was a "voice of sports" to me, like Ray Scott, Dan Kelly, Lindsey Nelson, Johnny Most and Bob Murphy. RIP Chuck, and thank you.

And with that another piece of my childhood disappears.

"Go to War Miss Agnes"

I realize this is a baseball site, but I still associate Thompson's voice with the 1950s & 60s NFL when he did the Colts.

(Them were the days)

Bangkok9, I did not know you lived in the B'more area as a child.

I lived in Baltimore in 1979 when it was a magical season for the Birds of Baltimore until the last three games of the world series. Attendance that year really boomed as people finally realized what a treasure they had in the Orioles (and Bob Irsay was getting people upset with his constant trips to other cities to look for a new home for the Colts).Chuck Thompson was a huge part of the team's success..although didn't he do a radio spot a few years ago identifying Art Ditmar as the man who threw the home run pitch to Bill Mazeroski??

shoomee, if you remember 1979, you might remember this. My brother sent me a note reminding me of a doubleheader the O's played that year against the Tigers, when they won both in their last at-bats. I looked it up on retrosheet for the details. Murray three run dinger in the ninth wins game one, and a Crowley pinch hit in the 8th plates Lowenstein to win the nightcap. I still remember listening to Chuck call that one.

I'll second trevise's observation that Orioles fans were spoiled for so long by having such great announcers, and you can even extend it back further, to the days of Bob Murphy and Herb Carneal.

Great as Thompson was as an O's announcer, I always thought he was an even better football play-by-play man, up there with Marty Glickman at the top of the heap. It must have been horrible for him these past few years with his progressive loss of eyesight, and I'm glad that he didn't have to suffer for long in this final condition. A great announcer and a fine man.

...and you can even extend it back further, to the days of Bob Murphy and Herb Carneal.

Yeah... Okay Andy, that just shows you've celebrated a few more birthdays (or anniversaries) than I have. ;-) ... Besides, my father wouldn't let me become an Orioles fan until Short absconded with the Senators in 1971.

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trevise :-) ...

Hell, I remember Arch MacDonald and his classic signature call, to wit...

"Here it comes....AND THERE IT GOES!!!....foul, over the screen...."

well, gotowarmissagnes, sort of..actually my main memory was Steve Stone..a free agent signing in an era when the Orioles lost Jackson, Grich, Grimsley and Garland. Stone was the object of mild ridicule for having a bonus clause if he won the Cy Young. He was essentially a 13 game winner. But it seemed to me he was "one mistake" pitcher..in a 3-1 game would walk a batter just missing an d then hang a curve for a homerun. I thought if he could just make that 3rd strike, he could be a good pitcher. He was, for one year later.
Since I was in the Coast Guard at the time what I remember was Coast Guard Day against the California Angels of Anaheim. The Commandant was coming to the ballpark and stopping off to eat at the officer's club in CG Yard in Curtiss Bay. Besides spending 2 days just cleaning everything for him, I was detailed to raise his banner at the flagpole. I waited 90 minutes for him, was relieved for chow and then see him drive in on the way to the galley, not getting to raise his banner.
Speaking of Terry Crowley, I remember the previous two years living in Rochester, NY..home of the Orioles AAA farm team. I believe in 1977 Ted Cox was voted Player of the Year and a Rochester reporter wrote it should be Crowley..Cox was a heavily hyped young player later traded to Cleveland for Dennis Eckersley..The Gerbil thought Cox's bat speed was too slow to be successful.

we love you Chuck, thanks for the great memories.

Bangkok9, I did not know you lived in the B'more area as a child.

Indeed I did. Left the area for good around '86.
The beer was no longer cold by that point in time.

Speaking of Terry Crowley, I remember the previous two years living in Rochester, NY..home of the Orioles AAA farm team. I believe in 1977 Ted Cox was voted Player of the Year and a Rochester reporter wrote it should be Crowley..Cox was a heavily hyped young player later traded to Cleveland for Dennis Eckersley..The Gerbil thought Cox's bat speed was too slow to be successful.

Cox came up to the Sox that year on Brooks Robinson Day in Baltimore, and went 5 for 5 in his debut. Unfortunately, those 5 hits represented 3% of his career total.

I remember that Tiger series so well. Something really happened that weekend. Up until that time, it was pretty unheard of for 45,000 people to show up at Memorial Stadium for a regular season baseball game unless it was opening day or a special occasion. Chuck kept commenting during the broadcast how large, enthusiastic and loud the crowd was. Baltimore switched gears that weekend from being Coltsville to Orioletown. Yes, Bob Irsay had a little to do with that too.

There were times that year in that old ballpark, and in later ones, where the chants led by Wild Bill Hagy could rival any at a college football game.

His voice was a welcome part of family evenings in my house for alot of years. God bless you Chuck. Thanks for the memories. Rest in peace.

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shoomee, if you remember 1979, you might remember this. My brother sent me a note reminding me of a doubleheader the O's played that year against the Tigers, when they won both in their last at-bats. I looked it up on retrosheet for the details. Murray three run dinger in the ninth wins game one, and a Crowley pinch hit in the 8th plates Lowenstein to win the nightcap. I still remember listening to Chuck call that one.

I had also forgotten that the big Saturday doubleheader was preceeded by a Friday night game in which Decinces hit a two run homer in the ninth to win it. So, it was 3 consecutive games in which the O's won in their last at bat. And, I think you are right, dcwrestlefan, that does seem to me to be when the Orioles surpassed the Colts in many people's hearts.