Bob Casey

Robert John Casey (April 11, 1925 – March 27, 2005) was an American public address announcer for the Minnesota Twins from their founding until his death. He was the announcer for 4,500 sporting events during his career.

Casey was a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress turret gunner during World War II. He started sports announcing with the Minneapolis Lakers and Minneapolis Millers before the Twins moved to Minnesota in 1961. Over 44 seasons, Casey announced more than 3,000 Twins games, plus more than 1,000 other sporting events. He was known for his playful commentary, intentional and unintentional gaffes, and announcement of "Noooooooooooooo smoking!" in the Metrodome. He entered the Twins' Hall of Fame in 2003.

Early and personal life Robert John Casey was born on April 11, 1925. Serving in the United States Air Force during World War II as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress turret gunner, he was wounded in combat and received a Purple Heart.

Casey had a wife, Rosemary, and three sons, Mike, Tom, and Joe.

Career Casey got his start in announcing when Sid Hartman, a childhood friend, invited him to fill in for Halsey Hall for a Minneapolis Lakers game in 1947. In 1951, Casey also began to serve as the announcer of the AAA minor league Minneapolis Millers, a position he held for 10 years. Moreover, Casey's career included announcement engagements for Minnesota Vikings.

In 1961, Casey began his work as the in-stadium public address announcer at the Metropolitan Stadium for the Minnesota Twins at their inaugural game. Casey's voice became an iconic part of the Minnesota baseball experience, known for his style and signature player introductions. Only missing "a handful of Twins games" during his tenure with the team, Casey was well known for having a raspy voice and distinctive style of delivery. Casey was described as a "quirky curmudgeon", and was affectionately called "angry" by Jon Miller. He would introduce star Kirby Puckett as "Kir-BEEEEEEEEEE PUCK-it!", remind fans there was "noooooooooooooo smoking" at the Metrodome, and that "if you must smoke, go back to [whatever city the opposing team was from]", and not to "throw anything, or anybody, onto the field".

Casey was also known for his occasional butchering of player names and calls on the field, both accidentally and on purpose, naming Dustan Mohr as Dustin Hoffman, Omar Vizquel as Ozzie Virgil, and Adam Kennedy as "Pat". While announcing a Minnesota Vikings game, he called a 15-yard penalty against the New York Giants for having an "illegitimate" player on the field. Casey had said Kirby Puckett and Alex Rodriguez were his favorite players, and had even asked Alex to help him take a ceremonial first pitch that June.

Kent Hrbek, Tony Oliva, Dan Gladden, and Jack Morris served as pallbearers for Casey at his March 30, 2005, funeral at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis. He is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. April 8, 2005, was declared to be "Robert J. 'Bob' Casey Day" by Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty. April 8 was the Twins home opener vs. the White Sox, and was dedicated as a tribute to Casey. There was an on-field tribute before the game, and members of the Casey family shared PA duties during the game.

From the founding of the Twins until his death, Casey was the only public address announcer in the team's history. He had planned to retire after the 2005 season.