Courtesy San Francisco Examiner

(January 15, 2009) Wresley "Red" Rush II, a colorful broadcaster who did play-by-play for the A's and other Bay Area teams and also had a prosperous run in the Midwest, died Sunday in Moraga after a long bout with Alzheimer's. He was 81.

Mr. Rush, who was hired and fired three times by A's owner Charlie Finley, called games for the Kansas City A's in 1965 and Oakland A's in 1971 and 1979-80. He also had stints with the Warriors, Cal and USF.

"I did stats for my dad, and it was mind-boggling how accurate he was. He was creative. He was bubbly," said his son, Casey. "More important than announcing, he had a heart bigger than our national debt. A lot of people told me he was like a second father to them."

In the Midwest, Mr. Rush broadcast baseball games for the Chicago White Sox (1967 to 1970) and St. Louis Cardinals (1984), was the voice of the Loyola-Chicago basketball team that won the 1963 NCAA title, called Northwestern football and DePaul basketball, and the Minneapolis Lakers before they moved to Los Angeles.

A native of Long Beach, Mr. Rush went to Long Beach Poly High, Long Beach City College and USC.

"He was studying to be a lawyer," Casey Rush said. "He went to a (Harlem) Globetrotters game, and the PA guy showed up drunk. My dad was sitting in the front row. They were wondering who would do the PA, and my dad said, 'I'll do it.' My dad did it and fell in love with it. The following week, he changed his major."

Mr. Rush used folksy descriptions to call basketball games. On free throws, he'd say, "He eyes it, he tries it, he buys it." On baskets, it was "swisheroo ... that's two."

He loved race tracks, card games and coin tricks - he'd dare someone to snatch a quarter from his open hand, but rarely let it happen. When the role was reversed, he was quick to grab the quarter from the other person's hand.

"If you knew him, you'd probably owe him a cigar. He'd win it," said his daughter, Kathy Babcock. "He had a big smile and a firm handshake and looked like a mayor. He was everybody's best friend."

Longtime friend John Hillyer, former San Francisco Examiner sportswriter, covered the White Sox and A's while Mr. Rush worked for those teams.

"A terrific guy who made everyone feel welcome," Hillyer said. "He had a gee-whizzy style and made up his own cliches. I think it probably went over better in the Midwest. We're a little more sophisticated here, but he was honest and a great salesman. He knew his job was to create enthusiasm and sell the team. He was very good at that."

Mr. Rush, who served in the Navy in World War II, is survived by his wife Nancy of Orinda; children Casey of San Ramon and Kathy Babcock of Lafayette; and three grandchildren, Mike and Megan Babcock and Kaley Rush.

A private service for the family was planned for today. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Mr. Rush's memory to the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation, 11620 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 270, Los Angeles, CA 90025.