Sports broadcaster Rory Markas dead at 54

Play-by-play sportscaster Rory Markas, 54, was found dead in his home on Monday.

Markas, who spent eight seasons with the Angels, was found at his home in Palmdale, CA. Reports indicate paramedics were present at Markas’ home and that the veteran broadcaster may have suffered from a heart attack. Markus had surgery in 2008 for a blood clot on his brain, but cause of death has not yet been determined.

Fans and colleagues have been memorializing Markus in the press and through comments on blogs and news sites:

“A couple of years ago I was listening to an after-the-Angels-game broadcast where callers are invited to call the radio station. Rory was hosting that night and a man called in and complimented Rory on how well he called the Angels game that night as well as many others. The man said he could “see” the game and the plays in his mind because Rory was so vivid with his descriptions. It turned out that the caller was blind.

“Many times I would listen to Rory’s broadcasts with my eyes closed, and the caller was right….you could “see” the game by just his words. No radio broadcaster has ever done that for me.”

Markas is survived by two brothers and his mother.

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