Ned Martin

Edwin "Ned" Martin III (August 9, 1923 – July 23, 2002) was an American sportscaster, known primarily as a play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1992.

Ned Martin
Ned Martin on "Yaz Day" at Fenway Park, October 1, 1983.
Born
Edwin Martin III

(1923-08-09)August 9, 1923
Wayne, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJuly 23, 2002(2002-07-23) (aged 78)
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma materDuke University
Sports commentary career
Team(s)Boston Red Sox (1961–92)
Genre(s)Play-by-play
SportsMajor League Baseball

Broadcasting career

Martin, a graduate of Duke University,[1] began his broadcasting career covering the minor league Charleston Senators for WCHS (AM) in West Virginia in 1956.[1][2]

Boston Red Sox

Martin called Boston Red Sox games on both WHDH radio and WHDH-TV from 1961 to 1971, on WHDH radio only from 1972 to 1975, on WMEX/WITS from 1976 to 1978, on WSBK-TV from 1979 to 1987, and on New England Sports Network cable from 1985 to 1992.[3] His broadcast partners over the years included Curt Gowdy, Art Gleeson, Mel Parnell, Ken Coleman, Johnny Pesky, John MacLean, Dave Martin (no relation), Jim Woods, Ken Harrelson, Bob Montgomery, and Jerry Remy.[3]

During that time, he called the entire career of Hall-of-Famer Carl Yastrzemski, and was behind the microphone for some of baseball's most memorable moments, including the final win of the Red Sox "Impossible Dream" season of 1967,[4] Carlton Fisk's game-winning home run off the foul pole in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series,[4] Yastrzemski's 400th home run and 3000th base hit in 1979, and Roger Clemens' first 20-strikeout game on April 29, 1986. Martin was known for his erudition and literary references during broadcasts (quotations from Shakespeare were not uncommon) and for his signature exclamation, "Mercy!", after an exciting play.[4]

Martin may hold the distinction of having seen more Red Sox games in person than any other person, having spent 32 entire seasons with the club's broadcast team calling games on TV and on the radio, which meant he saw more than 5,130 regular and postseason Red Sox games.

Legacy

Martin was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000.[5] On November 1, 2019, Martin was named as a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award as part of 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting.[6]

Other assignments

Martin also was a football announcer, covering the American Football League's Boston Patriots in 1965,[7] as well as college football games for Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth.[8]

Nationally, Martin helped broadcast the 1975 World Series on NBC television,[8] four American League playoffs on CBS Radio,[1] and the 1977 Sun Bowl (January) on CBS Radio.[9]

Death

Ned Martin attended a memorial service for Hall of Fame slugger Ted Williams at Boston's Fenway Park on July 22, 2002, and was returning to his home in Clarksville, Virginia, the following day when he was stricken with a massive coronary on a shuttle bus at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and died there.[4]

Quotes

The pitch is looped toward shortstop. Petrocelli's back. He's got it! The Red Sox win! And there's pandemonium on the field! Listen! – Ned Martin on WHDH radio, calling the final out of the final game of the Red Sox' "Impossible Dream" season at Fenway Park, October 1, 1967, with Jim Lonborg pitching for the Red Sox, and batter Rich Rollins of the Minnesota Twins popping up to Rico Petrocelli to end the game.

The 1-0 delivery to Fisk. He swings...long drive, left field...if it stays fair, it's gone...HOME RUN! The Red Sox win! And the series is tied, three games apiece! – Martin on NBC Radio, calling Carlton Fisk's 12th inning game-winning home run at Fenway Park, October 21, 1975, off Pat Darcy of the Cincinnati Reds. (Audio)

Long drive, right field...way back...near the wall...and there it is! Home run number 400, Carl Yastrzemski! Now...listen and watch! – Martin on WSBK-TV, calling Carl Yastrzemski's 400th home run at Fenway Park, July 24, 1979, off Mike Morgan of the Oakland Athletics.

There goes a ground ball...base hit! Number 3000...Yastrzemski's got it! And all hell breaks loose at Fenway Park! – Martin on WSBK-TV, calling Yastrzemski's 3000th base hit at Fenway Park, September 12, 1979, off Jim Beattie of the New York Yankees.

A new record! Clemens has set a major league record for strikeouts in a game...20! – Martin on NESN, calling Roger Clemens' record-setting 20th strikeout in one game at Fenway Park, April 29, 1986, against Phil Bradley of the Seattle Mariners.

References
  1. Lindsay, Jay (July 25, 2002). "Have 'mercy'—Ned Martin dies at 78". Bennington Banner. Bennington, Vermont. p. 12. Retrieved November 16, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  2. "Charleston Senators Baseball (advertisement)". Charleston Daily Mail. Charleston, West Virginia. June 10, 1956. p. 41. Retrieved November 16, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. "Red Sox Broadcasters since 1926". redsoxdiehard.com.
  4. Goldberg, Jeff (July 24, 2002). "Martin, Voice Of Sox, Dies". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. C1. Retrieved November 16, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Red Sox Hall of Fame". MLB.com. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  6. Finn, Chad (November 16, 2019). "Is this the year Ned Martin is honored with the Ford C. Frick Award?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  7. "Patriots Games on WEEI". The Boston Globe. August 8, 1965. p. 24. Retrieved November 16, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  8. "Ned Martin". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey. AP. July 29, 2002. p. 11. Retrieved November 16, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  9. Craig, Jack (December 31, 1976). "Oh Sugar—Ch. 5 fouls up on Bowl". The Boston Globe. p. 18. Retrieved November 16, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
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