Get well soon PA announcer Carl Grapentine

Submitted by Waxing Gibbous on

First game I can remember that Carl Grapentine wasn't behind the stadium mic for the MMB. A friend in the press box told me he has a non-life threatening illness that prevented him from traveling from Chicago this week. Hope he makes a speedy and full recovery and is back where he belongs for Wisconsin. He added to his duties as the MMB announcer when he took over the play-by-play announcing for Howard King several years ago.

If the play-by-play voice sounded familiar to you today, it was Bobb Vergiels who is the PA announcer for the Detroit Tigers. Kept waiting for him to announce that Curtis Granderson was taking over in centerfield.

Mr. Robot

November 6th, 2010 at 10:38 PM ^

Missed you out there today. I started quoting your pregame stuff right before it was suppose to happen ("Good afternoon, and welcome to...") just like I always do and then all of a sudden I got BOOMNOTGRAPENTINED and was left wondering what the world was coming to.

PitchAndCatch

November 6th, 2010 at 10:39 PM ^

really unfortunate.  i've always hoped that we could find a guy that sounds just like Carl when his time comes God-forbid.  I wasn't at the game today, but hearing anything different would be real weird.

at least they didn't let the MBball play-by-play guy call it.  "Broekhuizen for a thhhhrreeeee POINTERRRR!" (while rolling his tongue on the "three")

jmblue

November 6th, 2010 at 11:13 PM ^

i've always hoped that we could find a guy that sounds just like Carl when his time comes God-forbid.

The cool thing is that we basically did that a few years ago when Howard King retired and Grapentine (who used to only be the MMB announcer) replaced him.  A lot of people didn't even notice we changed PA guys. 

WolverineHistorian

November 6th, 2010 at 10:55 PM ^

Nobody can replace Carl.  Hopefully he'll be back soon.  I went to a game in 2004 that Carl missed because of a minor stroke.  I believe he's only missed 3 games in the last 37 years.  The only other game he missed was because of the birth of his first child back in the 1980's. 

JeremyB

November 6th, 2010 at 10:57 PM ^

For what it's worth, Carl had a heart attack and was absent for the first several games of the 2005 season. Ironically, not two weeks prior to the start of the season, he gave an inspirational speech to the MMB in which he bragged about never having missed a game in nearly 30 years.

Even on TV, it's not the same without him. Get well soon Carl!