Nellie King: Difference between revisions
Bongomatic (talk | contribs) m rm inapplicable template (see template instructions) |
|||
| Line 43: | Line 43: | ||
King continued to do freelance broadcasting work and was employed by various radio stations, including KDKA, [[WWSW]], WEEP, [[WTAE]], and WEDO. He also served as color analyst on radio broadcasts of [[Carnegie-Mellon University|Carnegie-Mellon]] football. |
King continued to do freelance broadcasting work and was employed by various radio stations, including KDKA, [[WWSW]], WEEP, [[WTAE]], and WEDO. He also served as color analyst on radio broadcasts of [[Carnegie-Mellon University|Carnegie-Mellon]] football. |
||
He returned to the Pirates' broadcast booth as a guest commentator for a game in the final season at [[Three Rivers Stadium]] on October 1st 2000. In 2009, he published a |
He returned to the Pirates' broadcast booth as a guest commentator for a game in the final season at [[Three Rivers Stadium]] on October 1st 2000. In 2009, he published a book titled ''Happiness is like a Cur Dog: The Thirty-Year Journey of a Major League Baseball Pitcher and Broadcaster''. On August 11, 2010 King died after a battle with [[colon cancer]] and [[pneumonia]].<ref>http://wduqnews.blogspot.com/2010/08/nellie-king-remembered-as-selfless.html Nellie King Remembered as a Selfless, Terrific Guy</ref> |
||
==Personal information== |
==Personal information== |
||
Revision as of 02:40, 12 August 2010
| Nellie King | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| debut | |
| April 15,, 1954, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last appearance | |
| September 15,, 1957, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Career statistics | |
| ERA | 3.58 |
| Innings Pitched | 173.1 |
| Strikeouts | 72 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| None | |
Nelson Joseph "Nellie" King (March 15, 1928 – August 11, 2010[1]) was an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and later a member of the Pirates' radio announcing team with Bob Prince.
Early life
King attended Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Baseball career
King played in the National League from 1952 until 1957 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished his career with a 7-5 record and appeared in 95 games, many in a relief role. He was originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1946, however he was traded to the Pirates in 1948 in an unknown transaction.
Broadcasting career
After selling municipal bonds following his retirement from baseball, King moved into sports broadcasting in 1959 for radio stations in Greensburg and Latrobe, both small cities outside of Pittsburgh. He was hired as the third member of the Pirates broadcasting team for the 1967 season, joining Bob Prince and Jim Woods. He replaced Don Hoak who had moved back onto the field as a major league coach. Woods left the Pirates after the 1969 season and was replaced by Gene Osborn. When Osborn was fired after one year, the Pirates went with a two-man team, Prince and King.
The broadcasting duo remained in place way until 1975, when Prince and King were told their contracts would not be renewed. Prince had issues with management at KDKA, which held the broadcast rights. King was swept out in the station's desire to start with a completely new team. The Pirates offered King a job heading the team's speakers bureau, but he declined. He was hired as sports information director at Duquesne University, and started a career that lasted more than 20 years at the university. He also served as color commentator on Duquesne basketball broadcasts and coached the golf team from 1988 until 2004.[2]
King continued to do freelance broadcasting work and was employed by various radio stations, including KDKA, WWSW, WEEP, WTAE, and WEDO. He also served as color analyst on radio broadcasts of Carnegie-Mellon football.
He returned to the Pirates' broadcast booth as a guest commentator for a game in the final season at Three Rivers Stadium on October 1st 2000. In 2009, he published a book titled Happiness is like a Cur Dog: The Thirty-Year Journey of a Major League Baseball Pitcher and Broadcaster. On August 11, 2010 King died after a battle with colon cancer and pneumonia.[3]
Personal information
King and his wife Bernadette have three daughters and two grandchildren.
Statistics
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 6", Weight 185 lb.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
References
- ^ Dunlap, Colin. "Former Pirates pitcher/broadcaster Nellie King dies", The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 11, 2010.
- ^ Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh. "Pirates pitcher/broadcaster Nellie King dies at 82", The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 11, 2010.
- ^ http://wduqnews.blogspot.com/2010/08/nellie-king-remembered-as-selfless.html Nellie King Remembered as a Selfless, Terrific Guy