Several years ago the late Earl Brannan ? a prominent name in local baseball circles ? called me and asked if I?d like to have lunch with Cal Ermer. Ermer, a local guy who had a one-game playing career with the Senators in 1947, and managed the 1967-68 Twins, was being inducted into the Patterson High School Hall of Fame.
His old neighborhood pals were going to attend the ceremony at the school, and host a luncheon in his honor afterward. I was only too happy to be invited.
I met Earl and company at the school, wherein I noticed that, in addition to Ermer, Orioles? announcer Fred Manfra was also being inducted. Fred was standing with his family in the school lobby, and rushed over to greet me.
He thanked me profusely for coming, saying how much it meant to him to have a colleague from the press box take the time to show up at an event away from the ballpark. He was so clearly sincere, all I could do was mumble something along the lines of “Uh, gee, I wouldn?t have missed it?”
Inasmuch as I ended up there that day by accident, I?m using this forum today to: 1. apologize to Fred for giving him the wrong impression and 2. bless Earl for inviting me.
Sure, I had lunch with Cal Ermer and had a great time hearing about the old days and getting lots of insight on minor league baseball in the 1940s and 1950s. I?m always happy to add to the knowledge base. In retrospect, though, being present for Fred?s induction is a much bigger deal today.
When you think about the great voices who have announced Orioles? baseball over the past half-century, specific names come to mind: Ernie Harwell. Chuck Thompson. Bill O?Donnell. Jon Miller.
Yet, as great and as popular as those guys were in describing the play-by-play, not one of them was a local product.
You can?t get any more local than Fred Manfra. He doesn?t need a book to know who Chuck Diering or George Zuverink or Al Pilarcik were ? those names are as familiar to him as any current player, maybe more so. There?s no false enthusiasm on Fred?s plate; his allegiance to the Orioles is beyond question, yet he?s able to maintain a degree of objectivity.
You won?t hear Fred blame the umpiring for an Orioles? loss.
This year, with the rights shifting to WHFS, the radio broadcast team is down to two: Fred and Joe Angel. Both men have impressive resumes as number two guys in the booth, but I?m going to assume that designation is no longer in effect. Now it?s 1 and 1A.
Royals? announcer Denny Mathews will be presented the Ford Frick Award in Cooperstown this summer. Mathews got the job in his 20?s, when the Royals were born in 1969. He started as a number 2 guy, and later assumed the top spot. Fred was, admittedly, a few years past his 20?s when he came home for the Orioles? job.
It?s not likely he?ll hold it for 30+ years, and there?s only one Frick Award annually. Honors and plaudits should be enjoyed by the living, so Fred Manfra is already a Hall of Famer in my book, and I?m gladI made it to those festivities all those years ago.
Phil Wood has covered sports in the Washington-Baltimore market for more than 30 years. You can reach him at [email protected].
