After working for a radio station in Alabama, Passe was a baseball play-by-play announcer for the minor league Houston Buffaloes beginning in 1950. When Houston was awarded a major league franchise, the Houston Colt .45s (later renamed the Houston Astros), Passe was one of the team's broadcasters from 1962 to 1976.[1]
Biography
Passe had worked in radio in Birmingham since at least 1944.[2]Roy Hofheinz owned several radio stations in the American South, including the Birmingham station that employed Passe. In 1950, Hofheinz hired Passe to broadcast for the Houston Buffaloes, a minor league baseball team.[3]
When Houston received the expansion Colt .45s in 1962, Passe was one of the major league team's original broadcasters, joined by Gene Elston and Al Helfer.[4] While Helfer only spent one season in Houston, Passe was partnered with Gene Elston from 1962 to 1976.[5][6] In a 1971 Sports Illustrated article, Passe said that he preferred the rare televised game to his radio work, but he affirmed his love for broadcasting, saying, "When you love baseball the way I do and broadcast major league games from the great cities of the country—man, that's living."[7]
While Elston was calm and neutral in the broadcast booth, Passe impartially cheered on the Astros, even when the team was not having a good season.[8] After a nice Astros play, Passe was known to use colorful phrases such as "Now you're chunkin', in there, pardner!" and "Hot ziggety dog and good ole' sassafras tea!" During away games, the Astros Spanish-language broadcasts were not live, as broadcaster René Cárdenas simply listened to the English broadcasts and translated them. Cárdenas said that Passe spoke such non-standard English that his words often could not be intelligibly translated into Spanish.[9]
Passe did not miss a game during his tenure with the Astros. He remained on the Astros broadcasting team until 1976.[5] After leaving baseball, Passe was vice president of Osborne International, a freight company.[10] He died of cancer at his Houston home on July 15, 1997.[3][11] He was buried at Forest Park Westheimer in Houston.[12] Passe was posthumously inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.[13]
^Barron, David (September 5, 2015). "Longtime Astros broadcaster Elston dies at 93". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
^Kirshenbaum, Jerry (September 13, 1971). "And here, to bring you the play by play..." Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
^Bishop, Jim (July 20, 1997). "Announcer brought life to Astros' early games". The Victoria Advocate. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
^Jamail, Milton H. (2008). Venezuelan Bust, Baseball Boom: Andres Reiner and Scouting on the New Frontier. University of Nebraska Press. p. 49. ISBN978-0803217423. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
^"Osborne International, Inc". Port of Houston Magazine. Port of Houston Authority. January 1, 1981. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
^Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 577. ISBN9781476625997.
^Bailey, Chip (March 13, 2012). "Hot Ziggety Dog! Astros' fans have listened to some of the best". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
March 11, 2023
loel, passe, loel, elijah, passe, 1917, july, 1997, american, sports, broadcaster, bornloel, elijah, passe, 1917, 1917aldridge, alabamadiedjuly, 1997, 1997, aged, houston, texassports, commentary, careerteam, houston, colt, astros, 1962, genre, play, playsport. Loel Elijah Passe ˈ l oʊ e l ˈ p ae s May 29 1917 July 15 1997 was an American sports broadcaster Loel PasseBornLoel Elijah Passe 1917 05 29 May 29 1917Aldridge AlabamaDiedJuly 15 1997 1997 07 15 aged 80 Houston TexasSports commentary careerTeam s Houston Colt 45s Astros 1962 76 Genre s Play by playSportsMajor League BaseballAfter working for a radio station in Alabama Passe was a baseball play by play announcer for the minor league Houston Buffaloes beginning in 1950 When Houston was awarded a major league franchise the Houston Colt 45s later renamed the Houston Astros Passe was one of the team s broadcasters from 1962 to 1976 1 Biography EditPasse had worked in radio in Birmingham since at least 1944 2 Roy Hofheinz owned several radio stations in the American South including the Birmingham station that employed Passe In 1950 Hofheinz hired Passe to broadcast for the Houston Buffaloes a minor league baseball team 3 When Houston received the expansion Colt 45s in 1962 Passe was one of the major league team s original broadcasters joined by Gene Elston and Al Helfer 4 While Helfer only spent one season in Houston Passe was partnered with Gene Elston from 1962 to 1976 5 6 In a 1971 Sports Illustrated article Passe said that he preferred the rare televised game to his radio work but he affirmed his love for broadcasting saying When you love baseball the way I do and broadcast major league games from the great cities of the country man that s living 7 While Elston was calm and neutral in the broadcast booth Passe impartially cheered on the Astros even when the team was not having a good season 8 After a nice Astros play Passe was known to use colorful phrases such as Now you re chunkin in there pardner and Hot ziggety dog and good ole sassafras tea During away games the Astros Spanish language broadcasts were not live as broadcaster Rene Cardenas simply listened to the English broadcasts and translated them Cardenas said that Passe spoke such non standard English that his words often could not be intelligibly translated into Spanish 9 Passe did not miss a game during his tenure with the Astros He remained on the Astros broadcasting team until 1976 5 After leaving baseball Passe was vice president of Osborne International a freight company 10 He died of cancer at his Houston home on July 15 1997 3 11 He was buried at Forest Park Westheimer in Houston 12 Passe was posthumously inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame 13 References Edit Loel Passe 1917 1997 Find a Grave Memorial Billboard 1944 Music Year Book Nielsen Business Media Inc 1944 p 102 Retrieved September 29 2016 a b Loel Passe longtime Houston Astros broadcaster dies of cancer at 82 Associated Press July 16 1997 Light Jonathan Fraser 2005 The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball 2d ed McFarland p 768 ISBN 9780786420872 Retrieved September 29 2016 a b Shea Stuart 2015 Calling the Game Baseball Broadcasting from 1920 to the Present Society for American Baseball Research p 252 ISBN 9781933599410 Retrieved September 29 2016 Barron David September 5 2015 Longtime Astros broadcaster Elston dies at 93 Houston Chronicle Retrieved September 29 2016 Kirshenbaum Jerry September 13 1971 And here to bring you the play by play Sports Illustrated Retrieved September 29 2016 Bishop Jim July 20 1997 Announcer brought life to Astros early games The Victoria Advocate Retrieved September 29 2016 Jamail Milton H 2008 Venezuelan Bust Baseball Boom Andres Reiner and Scouting on the New Frontier University of Nebraska Press p 49 ISBN 978 0803217423 Retrieved 29 September 2016 Osborne International Inc Port of Houston Magazine Port of Houston Authority January 1 1981 Retrieved September 29 2016 Texas Almanac P Texas State Historical Association Retrieved September 29 2016 Wilson Scott 2016 Resting Places The Burial Sites of More Than 14 000 Famous Persons 3d ed McFarland p 577 ISBN 9781476625997 Bailey Chip March 13 2012 Hot Ziggety Dog Astros fans have listened to some of the best Houston Chronicle Retrieved September 29 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Loel Passe amp oldid 1133992999, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
