Bill King’s radio calls are nothing short of legendary. Every one of those classic Raiders games in their glory days of the 70’s and 80’s, Bill King was on the airwaves making it that much more special.
King also was the voice of the Oakland A’s back in those days. For 25 years he was the voice of the A’s as they too celebrated some glory years. Today the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame announced they will honor the late announcer in Cooperstown.
Raiders owner Mark Davis grew up listening to Bill King call games for the A’s and Raiders. He had this to say about King’s receiving the award.
"Listening to Bill King was like watching the game on the radio," said Davis. "I once complimented him on his basketball commentary and how he was able to do it so well despite how fast the action is. He said, 'Mark, basketball is actually the easiest sport to call. Baseball is the toughest because of all the dead time you have to fill.' We are very happy for Bill and his family for being honored with the Ford Frick Award."
King first called games for the Warriors when they relocated to the Bay Area from Philadelphia in 1962. Four years later, in 1966, he became the voice of the Raiders and remained so for 26 years until 1992. He even commuted to Los Angeles for ten years after the team relocated.
Arguably King’s most iconic Raiders call was in the Holy Roller. It’s certainly my favorite.
After his time calling Raiders games, King remained the voice of the A’s until his passing in 2005 at the age of 78.
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