W.E. “DICK” RISENHOOVER - INDUCTEE #33
hall of fam fast fact:
Dick Risenhoover hit a jump shot at the buzzer in a bi-district playoff basketball game against Amarillo High as Childress defeated the Sandies in 1942.
W.E. "Dick" Risenhoover
Native of Childress, William Ervin “Dick” Risenhoover was tabbed to be the Texas Rangers’ initial play-by-play radio announcer in 1972.
Risenhoover was a basketball player at Childress High School and played summer baseball. Risenhoover attended the University of Texas as reserve outfielder on the 1950 national championship team.
He returned to Childress to coach basketball for 11 years and compiled a 175-66 record with six district titles.
In 1957, Risenhoover moved to Amarillo and landed the position of sports director of KGNC radio and developed a huge following. His real niche was with the minor league baseball Amarillo Gold Sox, Sonics, and later the Giants of the AA Texas League. Risenhoover was the voice of baseball in the summer for 13 seasons.
For five seasons, he was the voice of the Texas Rangers with his signature call of “Good-bye, baseball,’’ to indicate a Texas home run – a familiar ring to Metroplex baseball fans.
Risenhoover died of cancer at age 51 on baseball’s opening day in 1978.
