Soccer Dad

Johnny Walker and the O's

Johnny Walker, a DJ who I used to listen to during the years of my misbegotten youth died recently. The Baltimore Sun's obituary mentions several of the highlights (and lowlights) of his career. But it misses a significant one.
According to the Baseball Almanac, the Orioles' attendance attendance shot up from an average of 13,065 to an average of 21,145 per game. That's an increase of 61%. (The increase from 1991, the last year in Memorial Stadium to 1992, the first year in Camden Yards was only 40%.)
What happened? 1979 was the year that Walker's station, WFBR, acquired the broadcasting rights of Orioles games from the titan of Baltimore radio, WBAL. WBAL, to its shame, used to use Orioles games simply as programming. They did little or nothing to promote the team. But in 1979 (I believe this also the year that Edward Bennet Williams acquired the team and that Jon Miller started calling the games) WFBR started promoting the team.
Johnny Walker (and/or his staff) put together game clips interspersed with game highlights. Nothing quite like hearing a John Lowenstein or Pat Kelly highlight sandwiched into BTO's "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
I went to a game against KC in 1979. The Orioles lost (7-5 I think) but when they rallied late in the game the upper deck of Memorial Stadim shook with people stomping and clapping. That was Oriole Magic. Something in short supply in recent years.
WFBR made Orioles' games into events. It made them exciting. The popularity the Orioles experienced for the next 20 years - until the frustration of the late 90's failures and the success of the Ravens started eroding the team's support - started with 1979. (There were dips even during the next 20 years, but the attendance trended upward during that time.) Johnny Walker and WFBR deserve no small part of the credit.