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Walter Lanier "Red" Barber (February 17, 1908 - October 22, 1992) was an American sportscaster. He was born in Columbus, Mississippi.
Barber was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, broadcasting for the Cincinnati Reds from 1934-1938. In 1939, he became principal announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers, a position he held until 1953, when he was hired by the New York Yankees.
At Brooklyn, Barber became an institution, widely admired for his folksy style of play-by-play and his signature expressions. One of these, "(Sittin' in) the catbird seat"--used when a player or team was performing exceptionally well--became the title of a well-known story by James Thurber. In 1939, Barber broadcast the first major-league game on television.
After his dimissal by the Yankees in 1966, Barber retired from baseball broadcasting. He wrote several books, including his autobiography, Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat; contributed to occasional sports documentary programs on radio and television; and from 1981 to his death made regular contributions to National Public Radio's Morning Edition program.
In 1978, Barber joined former colleague Mel Allen to receive the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1995.
External links
- Red Barber (http://www.cjjohns.com/radios/barber.html)
- Baseball Hall of Fame (http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/frick_bios/barber_red.htm)
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