Shelby Whitfield

Shelby Aldwin Whitfield

• School University of Texas
• High School Hereford High School
• Born April 13, 1935 in Frost, TX USA
• Died February 5, 2013 in Jackson, NJ USA

Biographical information

Shelby Whitfield was a play-by-play announcer, author and sports director for ABC Radio.

He attended the University of Texas, where he announced games and did play-by-play coverage for the minor league Plainview Ponies. He joined the Army in 1955 and became the sports director of American Forces Network within two years.

In 1969 and 1970, he served as play-by-play announcer for the Washington Senators.

After Senators owner Robert E. Short moved the team to Texas after the 1971 season, Whitfield wrote a book called Kiss It Goodbye, which was highly critical of the franchise and its management. The book helped prompt the Federal Communications Commission to investigate the ethics of sports broadcasting.

Following his tenure with the Senators, Whitfield worked for WWDC-AM in Washington, D.C., hosting the talk show "Sports Roundtable."

After serving as the Washington-based sports director of Associated Press Radio for seven years, he joined ABC Radio as its sports director.

In 1991, he collaborated with sports journalist Howard Cosell on a book called What's Wrong With Sports.

He died at the age of 77.

Further reading

• Washington Post article