Angels Play-By-Play Announcer Rory Markas Passes Away At Age 54

Markas Passes Away At Home In California

Angels play-by-play announcer RORY MARKAS died Monday at the age of 54 at his home in Palmdale, California, according to Greg Beacham of the NORTH COUNTY TIMES. Angels VP/Communications TIM MEAD said that the "cause of death was not immediately available," though Markas "had surgery for a blood clot on his brain in late 2008." Markas, who spent the past eight seasons with the Angels, last month was "named the Angels' lead television broadcaster for the upcoming season after primarily working on radio with TERRY SMITH since 2002." Markas also was in his 12th season as the radio play-by-play voice of USC's men's basketball team and a reporter and sportscaster for KTTV-Fox. Markas' career also "included a four-season stint with the Clippers in the 1990s" (NORTH COUNTY TIMES, 1/6). Mead said, "I just talked to Rory. He was fine. There were no signs anything was wrong. ... Whatever hit him, hit him quick and hard. ... The reaction is shock, disbelief" (L.A. TIMES, 1/6). Mead said Markas was a "very egoless person." Mead: "He didn't dress fancy. He had this great job, broadcasting the Angels, but he was a guy you could have a beer with, have lunch with. He was a friend." ESPNLOSANGELES.com's Mark Saxon wrote Mead was "one of baseball's underrated voices" (ESPNLOSANGELES.com, 1/5).

FILLING THE VOID: Mead said that it is "'too soon' to think about how the Angels will replace Markas on their broadcast team for 2010." In California, Bill Plunkett notes former Angels TV play-by-play announcer STEVE PHYSIOC will "handle play-by-play for Wednesday's USC basketball broadcast at Stanford," and then USC football radio announcer PETE ARBOGAST "will take over for the rest of the season beginning Saturday at Cal." USC "will determine a permanent replacement before next basketball season" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 1/6). In L.A., Diane Pucin writes of the Angels, "It's horribly sad to ask so soon and yet it's being asked. Who succeeds Markas?" Pucin: "Would the Angels and FS West want to grab the familiar and bring back Physioc? Or is it too weird to rehire a man so recently deemed expendable?" Physioc "didn't burn any bridges" -- when his termination was announced in November, Physioc "thanked the Angels and owner ARTE MORENO." But if Physioc was "considered fifth-best last fall, would that work now?" Pucin: "Probably not" (L.A. TIMES, 1/6).