Inductees

His professional baseball career was launched in 1938, joining the Cardinal organization and playing for the triple-A club in Columbus, Ohio before graduating from high school. He made it to the major league with the Cardinals in 1942. His stint in St. Louis was cut short by military duty in World War II, serving over three years in the Navy. Blattner returned to baseball in 1946, playing for the New York Giants from 1946-’48. In 1949, he played for the Philadelphia Phillies.

He began broadcasting baseball in 1950. It was the start of a career that spanned 26 consecutive years of calling major league baseball play-by-play. Blattner teamed with Dizzy Dean, pioneering “Baseball’s Game of the Week” telecasts. For seven years, Blattner and Dean brought major league baseball to the entire country. He spent seven years as the voice of the California Angels and seven more years as the lead broadcaster for the Kansas City Royals.

For eight years, Blattner was the voice of the St. Louis Hawks, calling the first 800 games played in St. Louis by the Hawks. During those years with the Hawks, Blattner became the first radio/television spokesman for the NBA.