Jerry Doggett | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Jerome Howard Doggett (1916-09-14)September 14, 1916 Moberly, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | July 7, 1997(1997-07-07) (aged 80) Morgan Hill, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
| Occupation | Sports commentator |
| Years active | 1941–1987 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Genre | Play-by-play |
| Sport(s) | Baseball,football,basketball,golf |
Jerome Howard Doggett (September 14, 1916 – July 7, 1997) was an Americansportscaster who called games for theBrooklyn andLos Angeles Dodgers ofMajor League Baseball from 1956 to 1987.
Doggett was born inMoberly, Missouri, and began his announcing career atKFRO inLongview, Texas. In 1941, he moved toWRR before it became anFM station inDallas to begin a 15-year career as theplay-by-play baseball announcer for theDallas Rebels of theTexas League. He also called major-league games for theLiberty Broadcasting System as well asSouthern Methodist University basketball andSouthwest Conference college football through the 1940s and early '50s. In the 1960s he called games for theLos Angeles Blades of theWestern Hockey League. Nationally, he announced the1959 Ryder Cup and 1960–61NBA basketball games onNBC television, and the first1961 MLB All-Star Game onNBC Radio.[1]
In 1956,Walter O'Malley wrote a letter to another radio owner about Doggett's qualifications before hiring him for the Dodgers.[2] During his 32-year career with the Dodgers, Doggett playedsecond banana toVin Scully, who had been broadcasting Dodgers games since 1950. The two men were also joined byRoss Porter from 1977 to 1987.
Doggett died of natural causes at his home inMorgan Hill, California, at the age of 80.[3]
Doggett was named number 88 broadcaster inThe Voices of Summer byCurt Smith,[4] and was on the ballot for the 2007Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence.[5]
Doggett appears in theBatman episodes "A Death Worse Than Fate" (as The Announcer), and "The Clock King's Crazy Crimes" (as Fred Forbes). He also can be heard calling a Dodgers game in theQuincy, M.E. episode "Go Fight City Hall…to the Death".
The character ofJohn Doggett on the television seriesThe X-Files was named in homage of Jerry Doggett. The show's creator,Chris Carter, is a Dodgers fan and had previously named the show'sDana Scully character for Vin Scully.[6]