Dick Enberg, a broadcasting legend whose career spanned decades and covered multiple sports, passed away Thursday morning at the age of 82.
Over the span of his career, Enberg made a memorable mark in several sports. He called a total of 10 Super Bowls, along with 28 Wimbledon tournaments, eight NCAA men’s basketball title games, and the 1982 World Series. Enberg’s last full-time broadcasting role came in baseball, as he served seven seasons as the television play-by-play voice of the San Diego Padres before retiring after the 2016 season.
The Padres, who have reportedly offered Enberg’s family the use of Petco Park for a celebration of life, issued a statement following his passing. More from The San Diego Union-Tribune:
“We are immensely saddened by the sudden and unexpected passing of legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg,” the Padres said in a statement released late Thursday night. “Dick was an institution in the industry for 60 years and we were lucky enough to have his iconic voice behind the microphone for Padres games for nearly a decade. On behalf of our entire organization, we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Barbara, and the entire Enberg family.”
The farm kid raised in rural Armada, Mich., also gained a fierce appreciation for the small guy, the underdog and especially education — sparking the Central Michigan graduate to fund an annual scholarship.
“I’m heartbroken,” former Padres broadcast booth partner Mark Grant said Thursday night. “It’s so sad. I thought Dick was the type of guy who was going to live until he was 100, going on the circuit, talking to everybody about baseball and football and tennis.”
Enberg — known for his signature call of “Oh, my!” — channeled his passion for sports and the people behind them into a new podcast called “Sound of Success,” interviewing stars such as Billie Jean King, Bill Walton, Johnny Bench and Steve Kerr.
Enberg was honored with the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award in 2015. Along with that distinction, Enberg received several other honors throughout the span of his career, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Rozelle Award and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Gowdy Award.
Image courtesy San Diego Padres.