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| Bob Prince | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bob Prince |
| Birth date | August 9, 1916 |
| Birth place | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Death date | January 10, 1985 |
| Death place | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Occupation | Sports broadcaster |
| Years active | 1948–1984 |
| Employer | Pittsburgh Pirates, KDKA (AM), KDKA-TV |
| Spouse | Patricia Prince |
Bob Prince
Bob Prince was an American sportscaster best known for his play-by-play work with the Pittsburgh Pirates during the mid-20th century. Renowned for his colorful commentary, signature catchphrases, and partnership with analyst Lanny Frattare predecessors and contemporaries like Mel Allen and Vin Scully, he became a cultural figure in Pittsburgh and in baseball broadcasting. Prince's career intersected with major events in Major League Baseball history, including multiple World Series appearances and the development of regional sports media.
Prince was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in a period shaped by the aftermath of the First World War and the lead-up to the Great Depression. He attended local schools in Los Angeles before moving east to pursue higher education; his early adult years included time at institutions linked to broadcasting and journalism training then prominent in the United States. During the Second World War era, many broadcasters gained experience through wartime reporting and technical work, and Prince's formative professional experiences reflected the broader media shifts driven by the Federal Communications Commission regulatory environment and the rise of commercial radio networks like NBC and CBS.
Prince began his broadcasting career in regional radio markets, working for local stations before joining the staff of flagship outlets associated with major sports franchises. His major breakthrough came when he became the lead voice for the Pittsburgh Pirates broadcasts on KDKA (AM) and later on television via KDKA-TV and regional broadcasters. Prince called games through the Pirates' 1960 World Series championship season and return trips to the Fall Classic, sharing the booth with analysts and engineers who were fixtures of mid-century baseball coverage. His tenure spanned eras defined by figures such as Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and managers like Danny Murtaugh, placing him at the center of roster changes, integration milestones, and media contract negotiations involving Major League Baseball Players Association developments. In later years Prince worked with syndicated networks and continued to appear on regional broadcasts and public appearances around Three Rivers Stadium and community events in Allegheny County.
Prince's on-air persona combined playfulness, candid opinion, and an ability to invent memorable phrases. He developed a lexicon that resonated with listeners across Pennsylvania and beyond, often invoking names of teammates, opponents, and ballpark landmarks. His improvisational approach echoed the storytelling traditions of broadcasters such as Red Barber and Harry Caray, while his use of colorful epithets and recurring lines made him a signature voice in sports radio. Prince favored informal banter that highlighted players like Bill Mazeroski and Maury Wills, and he regularly referenced local institutions, fans, and rival teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds in his descriptive narratives. The catchphrases became part of Pirates lore and were echoed in print coverage by outlets like the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Press.
Prince's career included both celebrated moments and public disputes. He was on the call for milestone events, including dramatic postseason series and record-setting performances by Pirates stars like Roberto Clemente and Vernon Law. Simultaneously, his candid opinions led to clashes with team management, broadcasters' unions, and media executives at stations such as KDKA (AM). Disagreements over contracts, censorship of on-air comments, and changing tastes in broadcasting precipitated shifts in his assignments and occasional suspensions. In the context of civil rights-era changes in roster composition and the evolving relationship between athletes and the press, Prince's remarks sometimes provoked criticism from civic leaders and national media, prompting debates that involved organizations like the National Association of Broadcasters.
Off the air, Prince maintained ties to the Pittsburgh community through charitable appearances, civic events, and family life. He was married to Patricia Prince and had children who participated in local civic and cultural institutions. His personal friendships included sports figures, civic leaders, and fellow broadcasters; he was known to socialize with athletes and media colleagues at venues in neighborhoods such as Oakland, Pittsburgh and the downtown cultural districts. Prince's health in later years reflected the strains of a long broadcasting career and the lifestyle of mid-century media personalities, culminating in his death in Pittsburgh in 1985.
Prince's influence on sports broadcasting is commemorated in multiple ways: his induction into regional and baseball-related halls, posthumous tributes by former colleagues and institutions, and the preservation of recordings in archival collections associated with entities like the Library of Congress and regional museums. The Pittsburgh Pirates organization and local media have honored his memory through ceremonies and retrospectives, and his stylistic impact is cited by subsequent generations of announcers including those who worked at outlets like ESPN and regional sports networks. Prince's catchphrases and memorable broadcasts remain part of the cultural history of Major League Baseball and of Pittsburgh's civic identity.
Category:American sports announcers Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters Category:People from Los Angeles, California