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Monday, January 23, 2012

Former Phillies broadcaster Andy Musser dies

RIP, Andy Musser…Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster for over a quarter-century.

Former Phillies broadcaster Andy Musser died peacefully in his home in Wynnewood on Sunday, his family said.

Mr. Musser was 74. No cause of death was listed.

The native of Lemoyne, Pa., broadcast Phillies games for 26 years. At one time or another, Mr. Musser did play-by-play for every major sports team in Philadelphia except the Flyers.

A Syracuse graduate and Army veteran, he broadcast two World Series, two Super Bowls, two Masters Toumaments, and numerous football and basketball games on national networks.

After leaving the Phillies in 2001, Mr. Musser worked in private business. He is survived by Eun Joo, his wife of 50 years; two children: Allan of Roswell, Ga., and Luanne Zimmerman of Lower Gwynedd, Pa., and four grandchildren.

Repoz Posted: January 23, 2012 at 09:13 PM | 7 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: announcers, media, phillies

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1. AndrewJ Posted: January 23, 2012 at 09:24 PM (#4043715)

In the 1950s the Phils' radio/TV sponsor Atlantic Refining (now ARCO) sponsored a high school announcing competition. Musser won it.

The Kalas/Ashburn/Musser/Wheeler combo of the 1970s-1990s was as good a four-man broadcasting team as there's ever been in MLB history. Musser and Wheeler were overshadowed by the other two, but either of them could have been a lead broadcaster for at least a dozen other teams.

2. The cushions are crowded for Edmundo

Posted: January 23, 2012 at 11:37 PM (#4043825)

Andy Musser was a real professional. While he was very good at baseball, I liked him better as a basketball announcer.

He did have two quirks that drove me nuts though.
1. He didn't know that ironic and coincidental weren't synonyms. All coincident events were ironic to him.
2. He would spout contextless stats. Juan Samuel has stolen 7 bases in the last 11 games. So, is this the shortest span in which 7 bases were stolen? Is he in a SB slump? What is the point?

3. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: January 23, 2012 at 11:40 PM (#4043827)

Musser had a very varied career--with the Chicago Bulls in the early-mid 70s, then with the Knicks in the later 70s (when I was in NYC), then later in the Philadelphia area

4. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: January 23, 2012 at 11:41 PM (#4043829)

He did have two quirks that drove me nuts though.
1. He didn't know that ironic and coincidental weren't synonyms

Michael Kay learned at his feet

EDIT: and I agree with Edmundo--he was better at basketball than baseball

5. Chicago Joe

Posted: January 24, 2012 at 12:59 AM (#4043870)

as good a four-man broadcasting team as there's ever been in MLB history.

In the same booth? Seems like a lot.

6. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: January 24, 2012 at 10:57 AM (#4044027)

In the same booth? Seems like a lot

They'd rotate through the radio & TV booths predictably – when I was listening to nearly every game I knew the schedule pretty well. Ashburn IIRC would do a single inning alone on the radio, the 6th or 7th.

Musser was outstanding, and got along very well with all the others. Kalas and Ashburn would rag on Chris Wheeler quite a bit, as less knowledgeable and (again IIRC) an employee at the time of the team rather than the station. Now he is the only one left, sadly enough.

7. Jesse Barfield's Right Arm Posted: January 24, 2012 at 12:33 PM (#4044143)

The old Phillies system of Prism/29/SportsChannel was complicated, but awesome because it broke up the announcers. You'd get the Harry/Whitey/Wheels lineup on Prism (plus Schmidt for a year or so), but SportsChannel would be 9 innings of Musser and Kent Tekulve. SC clearly was not going for the young or hip crowd with this duo, but as a kid I loved them. Funny looking and defiantly uncool;perfect for baseball. RIP Andy.

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Former Phillies broadcaster Andy Musser dies

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