Athletics' Announcer Dick Callahan to sit Out 2020 Season over Health Concerns

Dick Callahan, who has been the public address announcer for Oakland Athletics games for the last decade and a half, had a health scare 10 days ago. In the age of the coronavirus pandemic, he's going to take the 2020 season off.

The fans who won’t be in the stands at the Oakland Coliseum for A’s home games this year won’t hear the resonant voice of public address announcer Dick Callahan, not even while watching from home.

Until 10 days ago, Callahan was planning on being in the stadium for his 16th season as the stadium voice of the A’s. But, as he told theathletic.com, the inability to climb 17 stairs at his daughter’s house on July 5 led to a trip to a hospital emergency room.

Fluid buildup in his legs and abdomen had to be treated immediately, and the man with more than 1,000 A's games on his resume is back at home now, recovering. And he's going to stay there, short term.

At 79, he’s in a high-risk group for COVID-19, and the recent health scare has left him with a weakened immune system. He doesn’t have the coronavirus, and he’d like to keep it that way. That led him to the decision to take the 2020 season off.

The A’s are likely to have someone in house fill the public address role for the 60-game season that begins July 24, although the first time a replacement will be needed is Monday, when the A’s host the Giants in an exhibition game.

And come next season, Callahan expects to be back. The team has reached out to say he’d be welcomed back in March, 2021.

“The A’s are always good to me. That organization has treated me fine for all the time I’ve been there,’’ Callahan told theathletic.com. “But they’re conscious of the medical implications to this if it were to get worse.”

Although he’s best known now for this work with the A’s, Callahan did PA work for the Golden State Warriors for almost two decades and a dozen years doing University of California football.

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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