Bob Wolff | |
|---|---|
 Wolff picturedc. 1941 at Duke University | |
| Born | Robert Alfred Wolff (1920-11-29)November 29, 1920 |
| Died | July 15, 2017(2017-07-15) (aged 96) South Nyack, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Duke University |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Years active | 1939–2017 |
| Spouse | Jane Louise Hoy (m. 1945)[1] |
| Children | Three (includingRick Wolff) |
Robert Alfred Wolff[2] (November 29, 1920 – July 15, 2017) was an American radio and television sportscaster.
He began his professional career in 1939 on CBS in Durham, North Carolina while attending Duke University. He was the radio and TV voice of theWashington Senators from1947 to1960, continuing with the team when they relocated and became the Minnesota Twins in1961. In 1962, he joinedNBC-TV.
In his later years, Wolff was seen and heard onNews 12 Long Island, onMSG Network programming, and doing sports interviews on the Steiner Sports'Memories of the Game show on theYES Network.
Wolff was born in New York City; he was the son of Estelle (Cohn), a homemaker, and Richard Wolff, a professional engineer.[3] He was a graduate ofDuke University withPhi Beta Kappa andOmicron Delta Kappa honors. Wolff served in theU.S. Navy as a supply officer in the Pacific duringWorld War II, ending his service as a lieutenant.[4]
He was a longtime resident ofSouth Nyack, New York. His sonRick Wolff was an author, radio host forWFAN, and former baseball player and coach.[5]
Bob Wolff was the longest-running sports broadcaster in television and radio history.[3] He is a recipient of theFord C. Frick Award from theBaseball Hall of Fame and theCurt Gowdy Media Award from theBasketball Hall of Fame. Wolff has also been honored with induction intoMadison Square Garden's Walk of Fame, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame,Sigma Nu fraternity Hall of Fame, and many others.
Wolff was a professional broadcaster for nine decades. Seen and heard on twoESPN TV specials in 2008, he had been on theMadison Square Garden Network since 1954 and on Cablevision's News 12 Long Island since 1986.
Wolff became the pioneer TV voice of the Washington Senators in1947 and moved with the team to Minnesota in1961. In 1962 he joinedNBC as the play-by-play man on the TV BaseballGame-of-the-Week, where he worked until 1965.
Also heard onMutual'sGame-of-the-Day, Wolff was selected to be a World Series broadcaster in1956 and that year calledDon Larsen's perfect game across the country on the Mutual Broadcast System and around the world on the Armed Forces radio. He also was onNBC Radio for the World Series in1958 and1961.
Wolff was seen and heard doing play-by-play on all the major TV networks. Another of his classic broadcasts was theNY Giants /Baltimore Colts1958 NFL Championship Game called, "The Greatest Game Ever Played". On the collegiate scene, he broadcast theRose Bowl, Sugar Bowl,Gator Bowl, and many others. Wolff was the television play-by-play voice of theDetroit Pistons for multiple seasons.
Wolff was also an announcer for theWestminster Kennel Club Dog Show,[6] theNational Horse Show, the Garden's college and pro basketball and hockey games, men and women's tennis, track and boxing events as well as gymnastics and bowling. He did soccer games for the oldTampa Bay Rowdies.
Wolff became known regionally as television's play-by-play voice for eight teams in five different sports – theNew York Knicks andDetroit Pistons of theNBA as well as theNew York Rangers of theNHL, theWashington Senators/Minnesota Twins ofMLB, theBaltimore Colts,Washington Redskins andCleveland Browns of theNFL, and soccer'sTampa Bay Rowdies of the initialNorth American Soccer League.
He was one of the very few American play-by-play announcers to have covered each of the four major team sports leagues as well as soccer, withDale Arnold being another, having called games of all of Boston's major sports teams: the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, and Revolution.
For many years Wolff was the play-by-play telecaster for all events originating fromMadison Square Garden.
His broadcast partner with the Knicks for many years wasCal Ramsey.
In addition to broadcastingDon Larsen's perfect World Series game and the Colts' first overtime championship title win over the New York Giants, Wolff calledJackie Robinson's last major league hit that won Game 6 of the1956 World Series. He was also the TV voice of the New York Knicks' only two championships, in1970 and in1973.
Wolff died on July 15, 2017, at his home inSouth Nyack, New York, at the age of 96.[3]
| Preceded by | Lead play-by-play announcer,Major League Baseball on NBC 1962–1964 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by First | Stanley Cup FinalsAmerican network television play-by-play announcer (withNBC'sWin Elliot) 1966 | Succeeded by |
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