Dave Van Horne | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Van Horne in 2011 | |
| Born | David Van Horne (1939-08-25)August 25, 1939 (age 86) Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Awards | Montreal Expos Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award (2011) |
Baseball player Baseball career | |
| Member of the Canadian | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2014 |
David Van Horne (born August 25, 1939) is an American formerMajor League Baseball broadcaster whose big-league announcing career lasted for 53 seasons. He was honoured at theNational Baseball Hall of Fame as winner of theFord C. Frick Award in 2011.
Van Horne was the leadplay-by-play announcer for theMiami Marlins Radio Network from 2001 through 2021; prior to that, he spent 32 years of his broadcasting career with theMontreal Expos, 14 of those years partnered withDuke Snider. In2003, he described games of theWorld Series-championFlorida Marlins.
Van Horne attended and graduated fromWilson Area High School inEaston, Pennsylvania in 1957. Van Horne entered the drama department at theRichmond Professional Institute inRichmond, Virginia.
While attending Richmond Professional Institute, he began hosting aTop 40 program at a local radio station, which led to his dropping out of school and starting a full-time broadcasting career inRoanoke, where he began calling high school football and basketball. This led in turn to Van Horne calling baseball for theRichmond Braves, theClass AAA affiliate of theAtlanta Braves, beginning in 1966. He was hired by theMontreal Expos[1] for their inaugural season in1969.[2]
Van Horne broadcast the Expos first home game on April 14, 1969, and their ninth game on April 17, whenBill Stoneman pitched a no-hitter against thePhiladelphia Phillies.[3] Across his tenure, he also got to callWillie Mays' 3,000th hit,Pete Rose's 4,000th hit, and two additional no-hitters (another by Stoneman in 1972, andCharlie Lea's in 1980).[4]
Van Horne is well known for his "El Presidente, El Perfecto!" call, made whenMontreal Expos pitcherDennis Martínez completedhisperfect game against theLos Angeles Dodgers on July 28, 1991. With the Expos, his sign-in phrase "Thanks Duke and hi again, everybody. Glad to have you aboard for today's game...", and home run call "up, up and away" projected his enthusiasm and excitement.
In 2000, as theExpos had not secured an English radio or television contract, Van Horne broadcast the season over the Internet.[5]With the Expos broadcast situation still unsettled for the2001 season, Van Horne left at the end of 2000 to broadcast for the Marlins.
Beginning in2001, Van Horne broadcast games for the Marlins. During his time in Florida, he called the2003 World Series championship.
Van Horne broadcast the lastExpos home game in Montreal from theMarlins' broadcast booth on September 29, 2004—a 9–1 win for Florida. After the game was over, Van Horne joined theExpos television crew for a special post-game show.[6]
By the 2020s, Van Horne had his schedule reduced substantially[7] on the order of the radio station.[8] After calling 54 games in 2021, he was offered a 20-game schedule for the 2022 season.[9] In January 2022, Van Horne rejected the offer and instead officially announced his retirement from broadcasting.[10][11]
Van Horne was named the 1996 recipient of the Jack Graney Award by theCanadian Baseball Hall of Fame for "A lifetime of media achievement". He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on June 21, 2014, along with former Montreal Expos general managerMurray Cook and third basemanTim Wallach.
Van Horne is the 2011 recipient of theFord C. Frick Award from theNational Baseball Hall of Fame.[12]He received the award on July 23, 2011 inCooperstown, New York.[13]
Van Horne is married to his wife Josée, with whom he has six children: David, Jim, Jeff, Dewayne, Jon, and Madison.[14]