Markas, who spent eight years with the Angels and was recently promoted to the team's lead television play-by-play job, also served as the play-by-play voice for the
Markas, who survived a near-fatal blood clot in his
News of Markas' death sent another shock wave through an Angels organization that in 2009 suffered the tragic losses of 22-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart, who was killed in an April car crash, and 86-year-old scout Preston Gomez, who died last January after being struck by a truck in March 2008.
"It's almost like, this can't be happening again," said Tim Mead, the Angels' vice president of communications, who had spoken with Markas by phone Monday afternoon.
"You remember talking to Nick the night before he died. I just talked to Rory. He was fine. There were no signs anything was wrong. . . . Whatever hit him, hit him quick and hard. . . . The reaction is shock, disbelief."
Markas punctuated every Angels win with his signature, high-pitched, "Just another Halo victory!" He was completing his first year in the team's radio booth in October 2002 when
"Erstad says he's got it!" Markas boomed. "Erstad makes the catch! The
Terry Smith, the team's radio voice since 2002, was at Markas' side for that call, just as he was for hundreds of games in the last eight years.
"I'm going to miss him immensely," Smith said. "It probably will sink in even more once
Smith nearly lost his broadcast partner 14 months ago when Markas, between two stand-up news segments he was doing in Lancaster for a
Two days later, a blood clot was surgically removed from his brain. Markas was hospitalized for 10 days, mostly in intensive care, and missed seven weeks of work but was back in the Angels' broadcast booth -- at full strength -- for the start of the 2009 season.
"I've been told your brain is your computer," Markas told The Times during his recovery. "My computer crashed, and I have to give it a little time to reboot."
Markas, born Dec. 20, 1955, in the San Fernando Valley, said he and his father used to sit on folding chairs on their driveway at night listening to Angels games -- and broadcaster
Markas graduated from Chatsworth High School, Los Angeles Valley College and
His experience as a baseball broadcaster included stints as a play-by-play man for the
He was honored with several broadcasting awards, including four Golden Mike Awards for radio reporting, two Associated Press Sportscasting awards, and the 2008 radio play-by-play award from the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Assn.
Markas was also very active in community efforts, and often asked for promotional items and Angels gear he could give to kids when making appearances at elementary schools, Mead said.
"As genuine as he was behind the mike," Mead said, "that's the type of person he was when he was away from this place."
Markas was not married and did not have any children. He is survived by his mother, Billie, and brothers Gary and Troy.
Services are pending.
mike.digiovanna
@latimes.com
