In the late 60s or early 70s, I did a story for NW Magazine on the Portland Beavers radio announcer. The team couldn't afford to take him on road games, so he recreated the games "live" in the studio. He did a one-man show, a theater performance, fascinating to watch.
He got a phone call after each half inning, telling him what each batter did. No balls and strikes. So he made the inning up, complete with sound effects.
He had a bat hanging from the ceiling, which he'd hit with a smaller bat. He had a ball and glove and would throw the ball into the glove in front of the mic and scream, Steeeerike one! He'd hit the bat, Foul into the stands!
He had recorded crowd sounds. I was impressed.
He had great war stories, like about the time his resource got drunk and stopped calling, so he improvised a very long rain delay.
Few were still doing this when I interviewed him. And nobody has for years. But what a treat to see this guy in action. A lost art indeed.
