BOSTON (WHDH) - The Boston Red Sox are mourning the loss of Fenway Park announcer and Red Sox Poet Laureate Dick Flavin, who died Wednesday at age 86.
Flavin was born on December 7, 1936 in Boston and grew up in Quincy, according to his obituary. He graduated from Stonehill College in Easton and worked as a press spokesman, speechwriter, and press secretary for several Democratic politicians before he turned to political reporting, first joining WNAC-TV in 1970 and moving to WBZ-TV in 1973, where he spent 14 years.
Flavin won several Emmy Awards and was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2011.
In 2001, Flavin drove former Red Sox players Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky from Massachusetts to Florida to visit Ted Williams. Flavin rewrote “Casey at the Bat,” turning it into “Teddy at the Bat” and tweaking the ending. When they arrived in Florida, Flavin recited the poem in front of the three baseball greats, and word got back to Boston. He was asked to reprise the recitation at Fenway Park during a Red Sox memorial for Williams and eventually went on to perform it all over the country.
Flavin was later named Poet Laureate of the Boston Red Sox and served as the day-game announcer at Fenway Park for five seasons beginning in 2013.
“Dick Flavin was a fixture on Boston TV, a familiar face and voice at Fenway, and our own beloved poet laureate,” the Red Sox Tweeted. “Our hearts are with the Flavin family. His words and warmth will always be part of the organization.”
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