Van Patrick

[9606 Prest]

Does anyone remember Van Patrick? He broadcast Detroit Tiger games and Detroit Lion games years ago! Who were his partners in the broadcast booth and what years did he cover the sports?

[Wingnatic]

Here's alittle info and I do remember Van

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Patrick

[65memories]

In baseball, the "Ol' Announcer's" partners were former players Dizzy Trout, Mel Ott and George Kell. In football, his partner was Bob Reynolds. Van did Tigers, Lions and Notre Dame. Great play by play announcer..."Ball's on the 42 yard line...er...lets call it the 45." and It's spotted, it's booted, it's up and...it's good!"

[Ray1936]

Along those lines, anyone remember Al Nagler, the Wings radio announcer back in the fifties?

[the rock]

Add former player Harry Heilmann doing the Tiger broadcasts, who started every game, rain or shine with "It's a beautiful day at Briggs Stadium." And he also did the away game "ticker-tape" broadcasts from the basement of the TeleNews Theater on Woodward.

[eno]

He was my fave sports announcer when I was a kid. My favorite Van Patrick line is him calling a long pass by the quarterback as "throwing the home-run ball". It took a while for me to warm up to Ernie Harwell when he replaced him. That's how good Van Patrick was.

[slick]

Van Patrick quote
"The New York football Giants"

[Lowell]

My first introduction to the Tigers was the voice of Van Patrick on WJR which easily reached little Perry MI. He could make the games exciting and my lifelong love of the game and our Tigers began.

[mikefmich]

Patrick was the guy for both the Tigers & Lions in my earliest listening years. When they first hired Kell, I wanted Patrick back. Kids....what did I know. :P

[mikefmich]

My first introduction to the Tigers was the voice of Van Patrick on WJR which easily reached little Perry MI. He could make the games exciting and my lifelong love of the game and our Tigers began.

Wow....you grew up in Perry? I'm related to half the cem. there.