1983 New York Yankees Broadcasters

"Frank Messer, Phil Rizzuto and Bill White share duties on a TV network headed by WPIX-TV (Channel 11), while Mel Allen and Fran Healy describe the action for SportsChannel cable. John Gordon joins Messer, Rizzuto and White on a radio network originating with WABC (770)."

-The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1983 Edition

"Yankee baseball will be broadcast for the 45th consecutive year in 1983. WPIX-TV will be the New York City television station for the 33rd straight season. WABC, 77 on the AM dial, is leading the Yankee radio network as the flagship station for the third straight year. A network covering 12 states also participates in the Yankees' TV and radio coverage.
SportsChannel is the Yankees' pay cable television carrier for the fifth consecutive season in the Tri-State area. Vene International Productions will broadcast Yankee games in Latin America for the 14th consecutive season."

-1983 New York Yankees Information Guide

"HOLY COW!" TUNE IN TO YANKEE BASEBALL
"Get ready, Yankee fans. Get ready to tune in your radios because cries of 'Holy Cow!' are about to fill the airwaves.
WABC-Talkradio 77, flagship station of the Yankees radio network, will again broadcast a full slate of games, home and away. Returning as the broadcast crew are Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, Frank Messer and John Gordon- as diverse and entertaining a quartet as you've ever heard.
'I never know what I'm gonna say before I say it,' says the Scooter. 'Words just come out. Sometimes, people tell me afterward what I said and I can't believe it!'
After broadcasting Yankee baseball for more than a quarter century, Rizzuto could be excused for drifting into non-baseball topics. But when he does, listen for White to set him back on track.
'Phil's one of the most easy-going people you'll ever see,' says White. 'But when there's action on the field, he's one of the best in the business. We have a lot of fun doing the games because it never gets boring in the booth.'
Messer concurs. 'The great thing about the Yankees is that there's always something to talk about,' he says. 'The fantastic winning tradition, the great players from the past, the crazy moments we all remember. It's not just one game we're talking about each night. We have our memories to talk about, too.'
Gordon, whom Rizzuto referred to last season as 'rookie,' enters his second Yankee season, enthusiastic as ever. 'Last year wasn't so good on the field,' he says, 'but I had the time of my life up in the booth.'
Rizzuto is in his 27th season as a Yankee broadcaster. Messer joined the Yankee crew in 1968 after four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. He also did Baltimore Colt football. White, the former first baseman with the Giants, Cardinals and Phillies (1956-69) who played in six All-Star Games and won seven Gold Gloves, is now in his 13th season with the Yankees. Gordon served as radio voice of the Columbus Clippers for four years and also worked on Oriole broadcasts.
All in all, there's nothing more entertaining than listening to the Yankees on the radio. Tune in and enjoy!"

-Yankees Magazine (April 28, 1983)

"If you can't make it to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees in person, rest assured you'll be able to catch the action on WPIX-Channel 11 and the Yankees television network. For the 33rd consecutive season, WPIX serves as the flagship station for the Yankees' TV network, which covers the Tri-State area and South Florida.
Handling the duties in the mobile truck, as always, is producer/director Don Carney, the pro's pro in bringing you all the action, personalities and drama of Yankee baseball.
'Every game has its own special challenge,' says Carney, WPIX's director of sports programming. 'We do the same basic shots, of course, but the action is always different. If you miss a play, it's gone forever, you can't get it back. That's why my crew works so well together. It's a team effort, a matter of making sure we put the best possible product on the air for our viewers.
'We can't help the Yankees win, but we can make the game as entertaining as possible for the fans at home.'
The WPIX broadcast crew brings years of radio-TV experience to the microphones, which also enhances the viewers' enjoyment. Phil Rizzuto, known to Yankees fans everywhere as 'Scooter,' keeps things lively, along with colleagues Bill White and Frank Messer. Rizzuto is in his 27th year on the Yankee airwaves, Messer is in his 16th and White is in his 13th.
So tune in, Yankee fans, and turn your dial to a winner- WPIX-Channel 11."

-Yankees Magazine (May 12, 1983)


BILL WHITE (WPIX, WABC)
"A true professional in every sense of the word, Bill White is entering his 13th season as a Yankee broadcaster. In a playing career that spanned 13 seasons, Bill was a six-time All-Star first baseman and the recipient of seven Gold Gloves.
Since joining the Yankees broadcast team in 1971, Bill White has successfully made the transition from one of baseball's best players to one of baseball's best play-by-play men."

-The New York Yankees Official 1983 Yearbook

"Bill White, former star first baseman with the Giants, Cardinals and Phillies (1956-69), who played in six All-Star Games and won seven Gold Gloves, is now in his 13th season with the Yankees."

-1983 New York Yankees Information Guide


FRANK MESSER (WPIX, WABC)
"In 1968, Frank Messer brought 14 years of broadcast experience to New York and joined the Yankee broadcast team of Phil Rizzuto and Jerry Coleman. Frank also brought his vast knowledge of the game and a candid approach that has earned him great respect among Yankee fans.
Now in his 16th season with the Yankees, Frank can also be heard on the Yankees Pre-Game Wrapup and Scoreboard shows."

-The New York Yankees Official 1983 Yearbook

"Frank Messer, one of the real pros in the business, is a 15-year veteran of Yankee baseball, joining the Yankee broadcast team in 1968 after four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. Frank also did Baltimore Colt football."

-1983 New York Yankees Information Guide


PHIL RIZZUTO (WPIX, WABC)
"Holy Cow! The Scooter is back for his 27th season behind the mike as a Yankee broadcaster ... and this Brooklyn native leaves no doubt that the Yankees are his team.
The greatest shortstop in Yankees history (deserving a place in Baseball's Hall of Fame), Phil Rizzuto played 13 seasons between 1941-1956 and was an integral part of 10 Yankee pennant winners and eight World Champions. In 1957, Phil joined Mel Allen and Red Barber in the broadcast booth, and to the delight of Yankee fans everywhere has called it home ever since."

-The New York Yankees Official 1983 Yearbook

"Phil Rizzuto, the greatest shortstop in Yankee history, is in his 27th season as a Yankee broadcaster. The 1950 American League MVP moved to the booth immediately following his playing career (1941-56) in 1957."

-1983 New York Yankees Information Guide


JOHN GORDON (WABC)
"Now in his second season as a Yankee radio broadcaster, John Gordon treats every game as a very special occasion, and with a large measure of enthusiastic vitality.
John joined the Yankees from Columbus, where he had been with the Clippers for several years. He's spent two decades behind the microphone in various other locales, both large and small, since following noted network broadcaster Dick Enberg at Indiana University.
Very quickly, John has gained the same loyalty among Yankee fans as Scooter, Frank Messer and Bill White ... between the four of them, Yankee radio broadcasts are always lively and exciting."

-The New York Yankees Official 1983 Yearbook

"John Gordon, who served as radio voice of the Columbus Clippers for four years and also worked on Baltimore Orioles broadcasts, is in his second year with the Yankees."

-1983 New York Yankees Information Guide


YANKEES ON CABLE: SPORTSCHANNEL BRINGS YOU THE YANKEES WITH MEL AND FRAN
"SportsChannel, the fast-growing pay-TV sports network, is televising Yankee baseball for the fifth straight season. Forty-five games, including home and away contests, will be made available to cable subscribers.
At present, SportsChannel boasts more than 270,000 paid subscribers in the metropolitan New York-New Jersey area- and a sizable number of those are confirmed Yankee fans.
'Voices' on SportsChannel's telecasts will be Mel Allen, whose name has long been synonymous with the Yankees, and former catcher Fran Healy, along with Phil Rizzuto, Bill White and Frank Messer.
'Fran and I have a lot of fun together doing these games,' says Allen. 'We try to entertain the listeners in addition to telling them what's going on down on the field. Once we get going, it's tough for us to stop. I hope the listeners get a kick out of us. We enjoy bringing Yankee baseball on SportsChannel because we have a lot more freedom to be ourselves.'
The behind-the-scenes technical crew for SportsChannel's Yankee broadcasts is the same for WPIX-TV- Don Carney serves as producer-director, assisted by Jim Hunter.
In addition to the Yankees and Mets, SportsChannel offers a number of New York area sporting events, including games of the NHL Islanders, NHL New Jersey Devils, NBA New Jersey Nets and thoroughbred from Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga race tracks. SportsChannel also produces periodic sports specials.
If you've been wondering where to turn your dial when WPIX-TV isn't carrying Yankee baseball, consult your local cable operator for information on how to hook into SportsChanel."

-Yankees Magazine (June 9, 1983)

1984 New York Yankees Broadcasters

"Frank Messer, Phil Rizzuto, Bill White and Bobby Murcer share duties on a TV network headed by WPIX-TV (Channel 11), while Mel Allen and Fran Healy join them in describing the action for SportsChannel cable. John Gordon works with Messer, Rizzuto and White on a radio network originating with WABC (770)."

-The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1984 Edition

"Yankee baseball will be broadcast for the 46th consecutive year in 1984. WPIX-TV will be the New York City television station for the 34th straight season. WABC, 77 on the AM dial, is leading the Yankee radio network as the flagship station for the fourth straight year. A network covering 12 states also participates in the Yankees' TV and radio coverage.
SportsChannel is the Yankees' pay cable television carrier for the sixth consecutive season in the Tri-State area. Vene International Productions will broadcast Yankee games in Latin America for the 15th straight season."

-1984 New York Yankees Information Guide


BILL WHITE (WPIX, WABC)
"In a playing career that spanned 13 seasons, Bill White was recognized as one of the finest players in the game. As he enters his 14th season as a Yankee broadcaster, Bill is receiving the same type of accolades for his sports reporting skills."

-The New York Yankees Official 1984 Yearbook

"Bill White, former star first baseman with the Giants, Cardinals and Phillies (1956-69), who played in six All-Star Games and won seven Gold Gloves, is now in his 14th season with the Yankees."

-1984 New York Yankees Information Guide


FRANK MESSER (WPIX, WABC)
"One of the real pros in the business, Frank Messer this year celebrates his 30th year in broadcasting and his 17th season at the Yankees mike.
Frank, who started his professional announcing career with the Richmond Virginians in 1954, keeps his listeners well informed with his extensive knowledge of the game."

-The New York Yankees Official 1984 Yearbook

"Frank Messer, one of the real pros in the business, is a 16-year veteran of Yankee baseball, joining the Yankee broadcast team in 1968 after four seasons with the Baltimore Colts."

-1984 New York Yankees Information Guide


PHIL RIZZUTO (WPIX, WABC)
"Don't look back, but it will be 28 years in the booth for the Scooter this season. It seems like only yesterday that Phil was the sparkplug of the Yankee attack.
But that's all in the past now, and the Scooter is currently doing what he does best, ensuring that Yankee baseball is fun for the fan."

-The New York Yankees Official 1984 Yearbook

"Phil Rizzuto, the greatest shortstop in Yankee history, is in his 28th season as a Yankee broadcaster. The 1950 American League MVP moved to the booth immediately following his playing career (1941-56) in 1957."

-1984 New York Yankees Information Guide


JOHN GORDON (WABC)
"There was no sophomore jinx for John Gordon last year. He continued his upbeat approach to Yankee broadcasts that made him such a favorite of listeners.
John works hard to come up with the behind-the-scenes information that makes his broadcasting enlightening as well as entertaining. This year, John will host the Yankees Magazine Pre-Game show before each Yankee broadcast."

-The New York Yankees Official 1984 Yearbook

"John Gordon, who served as radio voice of the Columbus Clippers for four years and also worked on Baltimore Orioles broadcasts, is in his third year with the Yankees."

-1984 New York Yankees Information Guide


BOBBY MURCER (WPIX, WABC)
"A fan favorite in the Yankee outfield for close to 15 years, Bobby Murcer retired as a player on June 20, 1983 and is now in his first full year as a Yankee broadcaster. Bobby will lend his insight to both radio and television broadcasts this season."

-The New York Yankees Official 1984 Yearbook


MEL ALLEN (SportsChannel)
"A living legend among broadcasters, Mel Allen returns for his sixth season with SportsChannel, the Yankees pay cable television carrier. The Voice of the Yankees from 1946 through 1964, Mel has long been recognized as one of the nation's top broadcasters. He is a member of Baseball's Hall of Fame."

-The New York Yankees Official 1984 Yearbook