Jerry Coleman, the former New York Yankees second baseman and MVP of the 1950 World Series, who found a second and more lasting career as a broadcaster, first for the Yankees and later as the voice of the San Diego Padres, passed away Sunday from complications following a fall. He was 89.
Coleman also served as a Marine pilot, flying in the Pacific during World War II; his baseball career was interrupted when he was recalled to fly during the Korean War.
Coleman also served as a Marine pilot, flying in the Pacific during World War II; his baseball career was interrupted when he was recalled to fly during the Korean War.
- KC's View:
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I have distinct memories of Coleman's broadcasting days with the Yankees, listening to him rotate between the radio and TV booths along with Mel Allen, Red Barber, and Phil Rizzuto. I was only a kid, and as often as not I was listening to games under the sheets on a transistor radio … and those experiences had a kind of purity to them. Today, kids access the games on their computers, while being able to simultaneously play games, look up stats, and chat with their friends. Which is all good, and I wouldn't give up the technology for anything, but there's something about that memory, and the sustained clarity of those voices in my mind, that makes me smile.
