Ron Fairly
Encyclopedia
Ronald Ray Fairly is a former Major League Baseball
player and broadcaster
. He either played in or broadcast over 7,000 major league games from through .
at the University of Southern California
, and he made the most of it. He hit .348 with team highs of nine home run
s and 67 RBI
while lettering as a sophomore center fielder
on the 1958 Trojan baseball team which won USC's second College World Series
championship. There he was a teammate of future baseball executive and General Manager Pat Gillick
. An All-District 8 selection that season, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers
as an amateur free agent. After two brief minor league
stops, he made the big club late in September 1958.
as well as all three outfield
positions, being best suited for right field. His talents were overshadowed by a notorious lack of speed. He is one of very few players to play 1000 games or more in both the outfield and the infield.
Fairly hit two home runs in the 1965 World Series
when the Dodgers defeated the Minnesota Twins
.
In 21-season career, Fairly played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
(1958–69), Montreal Expos
(1969–74), St. Louis Cardinals
(1975–76), Oakland Athletics
(1976), Toronto Blue Jays
(1977) and California Angels
(1978). He was named to two All-Star Games
: as an Expo in 1973 and as a Blue Jay in 1977. Fairly is the only player to be named an All-Star with both Canada
-based Major League teams.
A career .266 hitter with 215 home runs and 1044 RBI in 2442 games, Fairly was selected an All-Star
in and . He also played in four World Series. He retired at age of 40 after the season.
in Los Angeles
and later joined Bob Starr in the California Angels
radio/television booth. In , Fairly moved up the coast and could be heard on KNBR
as the voice of the San Francisco Giants
. In , he went further north as a broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners
, where he stayed through the season. Fairly served primarily as a color commentator
, but occasionally stepped in to do play-by-play as well.
In 1997, Fairly was selected to the USC's Athletic Hall of Fame, joining former Trojans Marcus Allen
, Buster Crabbe
, Charles Dumas
, Frank Gifford
, Ronnie Lott
, Fred Lynn
, Tom Seaver
and O.J. Simpson, et al.
On September 21, 2006, the Mariners announced that Ron Fairly had decided to retire from his post as team broadcaster after 14 seasons, ending a 27-year career in Major League broadcasting. Coupled with 21 years as a player, Fairly spent 48 years in the Major Leagues.
From June 15 to June 17, 2007, Fairly briefly came out of retirement to work as a television analyst for the Mariners during a three-game interleague series against the Houston Astros
, in Houston, due to broadcaster Mike Blowers
being on vacation.
From July 15 to July 18, 2010, Fairly broadcast the Mariners' four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels with Rick Rizzs
on KIRO 710 to fill in for Dave Niehaus
, who was on vacation.
In 2011 Fairly returned once more to the Mariners' radio booth, as one of a rotating group of guest announcers filling in on the broadcasts following Niehaus' death after the 2010 season.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player and broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
. He either played in or broadcast over 7,000 major league games from through .
College career
Fairly played varsity baseball for Rod DedeauxRod Dedeaux
Raoul Martial "Rod" Dedeaux was an American college baseball coach who compiled what is arguably the greatest record of any coach in the sport's amateur history....
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, and he made the most of it. He hit .348 with team highs of nine home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 67 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
while lettering as a sophomore center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
on the 1958 Trojan baseball team which won USC's second College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
championship. There he was a teammate of future baseball executive and General Manager Pat Gillick
Pat Gillick
Lawrence Patrick David Gillick is a retired American professional baseball executive. He was the general manager of four Major League Baseball teams, and guided two teams to three World Series championships in his career: in 1992 and 1993 titles with the Toronto Blue Jays, and a 2008 title with...
. An All-District 8 selection that season, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
as an amateur free agent. After two brief minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
stops, he made the big club late in September 1958.
Professional career
A competitive player and highly disciplined hitter, Fairly had a short and compact swing with occasional power to all fields. With his glove, he was a competent first basemanFirst baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
as well as all three outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
positions, being best suited for right field. His talents were overshadowed by a notorious lack of speed. He is one of very few players to play 1000 games or more in both the outfield and the infield.
Fairly hit two home runs in the 1965 World Series
1965 World Series
The 1965 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the American League champion Minnesota Twins, who had won their first pennant since 1933 when the team was known as the Washington Senators...
when the Dodgers defeated the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
In 21-season career, Fairly played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1958–69), Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(1969–74), St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1975–76), Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(1976), Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
(1977) and California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
(1978). He was named to two All-Star Games
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
: as an Expo in 1973 and as a Blue Jay in 1977. Fairly is the only player to be named an All-Star with both Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-based Major League teams.
A career .266 hitter with 215 home runs and 1044 RBI in 2442 games, Fairly was selected an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in and . He also played in four World Series. He retired at age of 40 after the season.
Broadcaster
After his playing days, Fairly began his broadcasting career in at KTLAKTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and later joined Bob Starr in the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
radio/television booth. In , Fairly moved up the coast and could be heard on KNBR
KNBR
KNBR, The Sports Leader, is the on-air branding used by two AM radio stations in the San Francisco, California, area broadcasting a sports radio format, owned by Cumulus Media....
as the voice of the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. In , he went further north as a broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, where he stayed through the season. Fairly served primarily as a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
, but occasionally stepped in to do play-by-play as well.
In 1997, Fairly was selected to the USC's Athletic Hall of Fame, joining former Trojans Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
, Buster Crabbe
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
, Charles Dumas
Charles Dumas
Charles Everett Dumas was an American high jumper, the 1956 Olympic champion, and the first person to clear 7 ft....
, Frank Gifford
Frank Gifford
Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
, Ronnie Lott
Ronnie Lott
Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players...
, Fred Lynn
Fred Lynn
Fredric Michael "Fred" Lynn is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres .Fred Lynn was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in and to the College Baseball Hall of Fame...
, Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
and O.J. Simpson, et al.
On September 21, 2006, the Mariners announced that Ron Fairly had decided to retire from his post as team broadcaster after 14 seasons, ending a 27-year career in Major League broadcasting. Coupled with 21 years as a player, Fairly spent 48 years in the Major Leagues.
From June 15 to June 17, 2007, Fairly briefly came out of retirement to work as a television analyst for the Mariners during a three-game interleague series against the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, in Houston, due to broadcaster Mike Blowers
Mike Blowers
Michael Roy Blowers is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and first baseman. He is an alumnus of Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington, Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington...
being on vacation.
From July 15 to July 18, 2010, Fairly broadcast the Mariners' four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels with Rick Rizzs
Rick Rizzs
Rick Rizzs is an American sportscaster and is the lead radio voice for Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners.-Early life and career:Rizzs is a 1975 graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. From 1975 to 1980, he handled baseball play-by-play duties at the double-A level for...
on KIRO 710 to fill in for Dave Niehaus
Dave Niehaus
David Arnold Niehaus was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with the Ford C. Frick Award, the...
, who was on vacation.
In 2011 Fairly returned once more to the Mariners' radio booth, as one of a rotating group of guest announcers filling in on the broadcasts following Niehaus' death after the 2010 season.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
External links
- Baseball Library.com - Ron Fairly
- USC Athletic Hall of Fame inductees (1994-2005) - Ron Fairly - 1997
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Fairly to retire from Mariners booth - 22-Sep-2006