Sports announcer and 13-time Emmy Award winner Dick Enberg was one of the speakers at the 21st Writer’s Symposium, held Feb 16. at Point Loma Nazarene University – and he truly caught his audience’s attention from the first minute. It is said about La Jolla resident Enberg that the best thing is he doesn’t know he is Dick Enberg. He is a truly humble man and doesn’t need any confirmation about the good he does – and the reason for that is that his father is Finnish. Part of Finnish identity involves humility and hard work and not expecting credits from anybody. Enberg says his father is the greatest man in his life. “He was a traditional man,” Enberg said,”and didn’t show love that often. However, I found from his house a collection of hundreds of tapes, and they were full of the games I had announced. He cared about my work and was interested of what I did.” Enberg notes that a good sports announcer always has to be a really good writer also, because every game is like a book. A good announcer, he says, always has to think about the storyline of the game, the drama, and has to introduce “the cast” in the field. “I have to help people to understand the importance of the game and appreciate the game,” he says. “I also want to have a guess beforehand: How will the game end?” Enberg truly enjoys his life with sports. He says he has been employed for 60 years but that he hasn’t worked one day in his life because it doesn’t feel like working. He used to be a teacher and he still feel announces the games like he was in a classroom. “Sometimes,” he says, “I feel like viewers at home probably didn’t get the idea and I want to say it differently so they get it.” As a young sport journalist, he wanted to interview Ted Williams, who wouldn’t normally give any interviews. Enberg studied the life of Williams, a San Diego native, and he found out that in 1941 Williams used to be pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. “I knew that it was going to be the hook to get an interview,” he says. “I approached him when he was coaching one time, and he didn’t even look at me. I asked if I could only ask about pitching, not about hitting, like almost everybody else. He gave me an interview and never forgot me.” Enberg is the television play-by-play for the San Diego Padres, but this season will be the last one he announces. Meanwhile, he wants this season to be his best. “I can’t fool myself,” he says, “and that’s why I want to be better in my job every year.” Info:
Dick Enberg, PhD, sport announcer, writer.
Started announcing games in late 1950s.
Has 13 Emmys.
Enberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 for his broadcasting excellence.
Was one of the speakers in  21st Writer’s Symposium in Point Loma Nazarene University Feb 16.