Twins Announcer Bob Casey Has Died

Bob Casey, the only public address announcer the Twins have ever had, is reported to have died! Yesterday he had been administered his last rites, confirmed by his son Mike Saturday. Casey, who would of turned 80 on April 11, was battling liver cancer and pneumonia. Doctors have told the family that chemotherapy treatments would not cure the problem, and the family has spent recent weeks trying to make him as comfortable as possible, Mike Casey said. Bob Casey was staying at the Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center. "It's unfortunate, but what do you do once the cancer gets into the liver?" Mike Casey said. Casey, who began announcing for the Twins in 1961 after the team moved to Minnesota from Washington, D.C., planed to retire this year after 44 seasons and more than 3,000 games. He wanted to make it official in June when the Yankees visit the Twins. Casey was hospitalized during the offseason after doctors found a large tumor in his liver. He had lost 37 pounds at one point. "He was released from the hospital in mid-January, rehabbed and made some progress," Mike Casey said. "He went on antibiotics and was cleared to go to spring training." Casey even made an appearance during TwinsFest in late January, where he was surprised to see a large get-well card signed by fans. He said in an interview that his goal for the season was to be able to announce part-time or only a handful of innings each game. He arrived at spring training on March 7 but got caught in a rainstorm and left Fort Myers on March 10. He then was taken back to the hospital because of pneumonia. Mike Casey said Saturday that his father's liver basically has shut down. Rev. Eugene Tiffany of St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis visited him Friday and administered last rites. Members of the Twins organization had learned of Casey's deteriorating condition over recent days. "We knew that Casey had a rough winter," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "All of our thoughts and prayers are with him. He has been a part of this organization -- and the Twin Cities -- for a long time." "He's one of the icons of the franchise," Twins President Dave St. Peter said. Bob Casey