Monte Moore
Encyclopedia
Monte Moore is a former radio and television broadcaster for the Kansas City Athletics and Oakland Athletics
baseball teams.
native, with a folksy, down-home style, Moore became the lead broadcaster for the Kansas City
A's in , when owner Charles O. Finley
inserted him to replace Merle Harmon
. Moore traveled west when the team moved to Oakland in , remaining the team's principal radio voice through the season, and its television voice until .
, Bob Elson
, Al Helfer
, Red Rush
and Jim Woods
, all of whom had achieved fame as major-league broadcasters elsewhere before joining the A’s, and Jon Miller
, who went on to success with the Orioles
and Giants
. Former major league players Curt Flood
, Reggie Jackson
, Harmon Killebrew
, and Jim Piersall served as A’s announcers at one time, as did former player and manager Bill Rigney
.
Perhaps his longest and most remembered pairing was with Ray Fosse
, who joined the A's television broadcasts on a part time basis in 1986. Fosse was the A's full time color analyst by 1988 and his pairing with Moore remained until Moore's retirement.
and José Canseco
.
against the Cincinnati Reds
(1972
), New York Mets
(1973
), and Los Angeles Dodgers
(1974
). Moore also served as an announcer on NBC's Saturday Game of the Week
broadcasts from 1978-80 and on the USA Network
's Thursday Game of the Week
broadcasts from 1979-83. He returned to the A's in to handle local TV play-by-play on a part-time basis with Ted Robinson
until , and full-time thereafter before retiring at the end of the season. Dick Stockton
replaced him to start the season.
, where he resides. Among those who came under his tutelage was current radio Voice of the USC
Trojans, Pete Arbogast, and Wayne Garcia, currently the lead news anchor for KPTV in Portland, Oregon. Pete roomed with and trained Garcia when the latter was still in high school.
Today, Moore frequently returns to Oakland for special occasions put on by the A's honoring the past, including jersey retirements, ceremonial first pitches, autograph signings and anniversary events. Moore has served as emcee for events commemorating the careers of Reggie Jackson
and Dennis Eckersley
and well as the anniversaries of A's World Series winning teams.
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
baseball teams.
Voice of the Athletics
An OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
native, with a folksy, down-home style, Moore became the lead broadcaster for the Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
A's in , when owner Charles O. Finley
Charles O. Finley
Charles Oscar Finley , nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968...
inserted him to replace Merle Harmon
Merle Harmon
Merle Reid Harmon was an American sportscaster who was the play-by-play voice for five Major League Baseball teams, two in the American Football League and the World Football League's only full season of nationally syndicated telecasts.-Early life and career:Born and raised in Salem, Illinois,...
. Moore traveled west when the team moved to Oakland in , remaining the team's principal radio voice through the season, and its television voice until .
Broadcast partners
During Moore’s tenure, he had a number of co-announcers with him in the booth, including Harry CarayHarry Caray
Harry Caray, born Harry Christopher Carabina, was an American baseball broadcaster on radio and television. He covered four Major League Baseball teams, beginning with a long tenure calling the games of the St...
, Bob Elson
Bob Elson
Robert A. Elson was a pioneering American sportscaster.-Early life and career:Born in Chicago, Elson got into broadcasting by accident. While vacationing in St. Louis in 1928, Elson was touring KWK when a receptionist saw him among 40 men in line for an audition and thought he was going for one...
, Al Helfer
Al Helfer
George Alvin Helfer was an American radio sportscaster.Nicknamed "Mr. Radio Baseball", Helfer worked six World Series, ten All-Star Games, and regular season broadcasts for several teams and the Mutual network...
, Red Rush
Red Rush
Wesley "Red" Rush II was an American sportscaster.A native of Long Beach, California, Rush attended the University of Southern California where he developed his interest in broadcasting. Rush did play-by-play for several Major League Baseball teams, including the Kansas City A's , Chicago White...
and Jim Woods
Jim Woods
James M. Woods was an American sportscaster, best known for his play-by-play work on Major League Baseball broadcasts.-Early life:...
, all of whom had achieved fame as major-league broadcasters elsewhere before joining the A’s, and Jon Miller
Jon Miller
Jon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
, who went on to success with the Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. Former major league players Curt Flood
Curt Flood
Curtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...
, Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
, Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
, and Jim Piersall served as A’s announcers at one time, as did former player and manager Bill Rigney
Bill Rigney
William Joseph Rigney was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. A native of Alameda, California, he batted and threw right-handed....
.
Perhaps his longest and most remembered pairing was with Ray Fosse
Ray Fosse
Raymond Earl Fosse is a former professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues. He was drafted in the first round of the 1965 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians. Fosse also holds the distinction of being the Indians' first ever draft pick, as 1965 was the first year of the...
, who joined the A's television broadcasts on a part time basis in 1986. Fosse was the A's full time color analyst by 1988 and his pairing with Moore remained until Moore's retirement.
Catchphrase
Moore is fondly remembered by A's fans for his "There She Goes..." and "Ringer Dinger" home run calls, which he uttered many a time while calling games during the early years of A's notables such as Mark McGwireMark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
and José Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
.
National broadcasting experience and return to Oakland
Moore was part of NBC's national broadcast team when the A's appeared in the World SeriesWorld Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
against the Cincinnati Reds
1972 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West title with a record of 95-59, 10½ games over the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1972 National League Championship Series, but lost to the Oakland Athletics in...
(1972
1972 World Series
The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with the A's winning in seven games. These two teams would meet again in the fall classic eighteen years later...
), New York Mets
1973 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the 12th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Manager Yogi Berra led the team to a National League East title with an 82–79 record, the National League pennant and a defeat at the hands of the Oakland Athletics in the World Series...
(1973
1973 World Series
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions....
), and Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1974
1974 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 12, 1974 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaReggie Jackson put the A's on the board first with a solo homer in the top of the second off 20-game winner Andy Messersmith...
). Moore also served as an announcer on NBC's Saturday Game of the Week
Major League Baseball Game of the Week
The Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
broadcasts from 1978-80 and on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
's Thursday Game of the Week
The USA Thursday Game of the Week
The USA Thursday Game of the Week is a former television program that broadcast Major League Baseball games on the USA Network.-Background:...
broadcasts from 1979-83. He returned to the A's in to handle local TV play-by-play on a part-time basis with Ted Robinson
Ted Robinson (sportscaster)
Theodore "Ted" Robinson is an American sportscaster. He is currently the radio play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco 49ers, having taken over for longtime 49ers announcer, Joe Starkey, following Starkey's retirement in 2009.-Early life:Ted Robinson grew up in Rockville Centre, New York and...
until , and full-time thereafter before retiring at the end of the season. Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton is an American sportscaster. He is currently employed by Fox Sports and Turner Sports as a football, baseball, and basketball play-by-play announcer.-Early life and career:...
replaced him to start the season.
Later career
Following his retirement from baseball broadcasting, Moore exercised his radio expertise in heading up a radio station, KTIP 1450 AM, in Porterville, CaliforniaPorterville, California
Porterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, United States. Porterville's population was 54,165 at the 2010 census. The city's population grew dramatically as the city annexed many properties and unincorporated areas in and around Porterville. Not included in the...
, where he resides. Among those who came under his tutelage was current radio Voice of the USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Trojans, Pete Arbogast, and Wayne Garcia, currently the lead news anchor for KPTV in Portland, Oregon. Pete roomed with and trained Garcia when the latter was still in high school.
Today, Moore frequently returns to Oakland for special occasions put on by the A's honoring the past, including jersey retirements, ceremonial first pitches, autograph signings and anniversary events. Moore has served as emcee for events commemorating the careers of Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
and Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley , nicknamed "Eck", is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of only two pitchers in Major League history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career .He...
and well as the anniversaries of A's World Series winning teams.