Writing obituaries sucks. Writing them about people that you knew and admired makes it even worse. The baseball broadcasting community suffered a tremendous loss last weekend with the passing of Rays’ play-by-play man Dave Wills. He was only 58 years old. It’s hard to fathom that his booming voice will not be heard any longer on WDAE when the Rays are playing.
Many Rays fans have Wills’ call of the final out from Game 7 of the 2008 American League Championship Series running through their minds constantly. Boston’s Jed Lowrie grounded into a forceout to Akinori Iwamura:
“Swing and a ground ball to second. This should do it. Aki has it, takes it to second himself. This improbable season has another chapter to it! The Rays are going to the World Series!”
Dave Wills on WDAE 10/19/2008
Wills called some of the most memorable moments in Rays history, including the team’s runs to the World Series in ‘08 and 2020. He also created a few instantly recognizable calls, including his bellowing, “Rays win! Rays win! Rays win!” and “Heeeeee struck him out!” after every K by a Rays pitcher.
Dave Wills was a member of the Tampa Bay radio broadcast since 2005. He experienced the ups and downs of the franchise along with its fan base.
That matters.
He became one with the team’s fans. They remembered him from the start of his career in Florida, grinding out losses with them and then celebrating wins. There were more losses than triumphs in those early days, but Wills stayed true to what he was doing. In a sense, he pulled the fans along with him when fortunes turned for the franchise. Fans don’t forget these things.
Melded within that approach, one of the other marks of a great ‘local’ broadcaster, is telling it like it is. Being honest without crossing a line. Wills was able to do that with ease.
Darrin Jackson, was along for the ride when Wills was doing pre and postgame work with the White Sox on radio. It was a post Wills held for 11 years before heading to Tampa. Jackson saw first-hand how honest Wills was with the audience.
“Man, he was as big as life. Dave was always a legend in the city of Chicago,” Jackson said to MLB.com. “And he was a good man for the game of baseball. If you had Dave as part of any organization, you’ve got yourself a true warrior going to war with you guys and for you guys.”
That’s the other part of making your mark, being relatable. Showing a commitment to your community, the fans, being accessible and being yourself also helps. Wills checked all the boxes.
“Dave meant so much to so many people and certainly is going to be very missed,” Rays Manager Kevin Cash told MLB.com. “But we can choose to think about all the good times we had with him, all the laughs, and what he meant to this organization top to bottom.”
Cash went on to say he was “spoiled” that he got to talk with Wills every day during the season.
“We do our interview, and it is literally seven minutes of interview and probably 15, 20 minutes of cutting up, laughing or sharing frustrations together. We ride the ups and downs of the season together.”
Wills also played the part of a great partner in the booth. He was paired with Andy Freed since the beginning of his career in Tampa. The two hit it off immediately. Chemistry in the booth is so important and when you think about it, during the season, you spend more time with that person than you do with your family.
Freed said he and Wills bonded tremendously over 18-plus years together. “(Legendary broadcaster) Jon Miller would say that, as a broadcaster, you want to be good company, that you’re with people all the time in their cars, in their houses, when they’re doing yard work,” Freed told the Tampa Bay Times. “And Dave himself is very good company.”
“He could make you laugh. At least me; he could make me laugh until I fell off my chair. But he also could be a great sounding board when things weren’t going well. And he was a very, very good listener.” Freed said. “He really enjoyed meeting people and being the center of attention when it came to the Rays.”
I met Dave many years ago when we were both working in Chicago. Wills and I were always considered ‘nemeses’’ in a playful way. While he was doing White Sox pregame and postgame, I was doing the same with the rival Cubs. Wills did college basketball games for UIC, as I was working for crosstown rival Loyola. It was something we’d joke about.
I didn’t know him well, but the times we conversed I always felt that he was authentic. I recall asking him for advice a few times, especially after I got my first full-time play-by-play gig with the Padres. He was also someone I reached out to after my time in San Diego came to an end. I always appreciated his willingness to give me a few minutes of his time.
I hate when a person passes away without knowing how they touched people. Not realizing how fans and colleagues actually felt about them. In the case of Dave Wills, I think he knew. Why? Because his interactions with people, whether they were fans, co-workers or fellow broadcasters, or strangers were so genuine. There was no way these individuals didn’t express their feelings about him right to his face.
My condolences to his family, friends, fellow broadcasters and fans alike. Yes, the game will go on, and so will the radio broadcast, but it won’t ever be the same. Memories can be a blessing, so hold onto the thoughts of those good times and fantastic games Wills called. He will be sincerely missed.
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
