Meyers Rebounds, Looks for a Wider Broadcasting Role

A year ago, there was joy in the life of Ann Meyers. On March 10, she had given birth to Drew Ann, the first daughter and third child for her and husband Don Drysdale.

A week later, she was off to work the first two rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for CBS. Two weeks after that, she announced the women’s Final Four.

Spring was in the air and the start of the baseball season was just around the corner. And coming up in May would be the four-time UCLA All-American’s induction into basketball’s Hall of Fame.

Meyers’ schedule with CBS is the same this year--she worked the early rounds of the men’s tournament and this weekend will be at the women’s Final Four, calling Saturday’s semifinals and Sunday’s championship game with Tim Ryan.

But last year’s joy has been replaced by sorrow.

“This has been a tough time for me, a very tough time,” she said before leaving for the women’s tournament at Richmond, Va. “We would have been in Vero Beach and looking forward to the baseball season.”

Drysdale, the Hall of Fame Dodger pitcher who became a Dodger broadcaster, died of a heart attack last July 3 in Montreal. He was 20 days from his 57th birthday.

July 23 is also the birthday of his and Meyers’ first son, D.J. (Don Jr.), who is now 6. Darren, who has an Aug. 23 birthday, is 4.

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The family still lives in Rancho Mirage, but Meyers has their house up for sale.

“It’s more house than we need,” she said.

Meyers said she and the kids might move to Orange County. One of 11 children, she grew up in La Habra.

“I don’t know where we will end up, but I know I’ve got to sell this house,” she said. “It’s become a white elephant. It’s eating us up.”

She and Don also had rented a house in Pasadena, but Meyers let that go.

She has had to hire people to help with the kids, but has also gotten a lot of support from her and Drysdale’s families. Drysdale’s 34-year-old daughter, Kelly, has been staying with Meyers and her children for the last month.

After the women’s Final Four, Meyers will take a couple of months off, although she will be making appearances at such affairs as the John Wooden Award dinner next Friday at the Biltmore Hotel.

Then it will be back to pursuing her broadcasting career.

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Meyers said the death of Drysdale, whom she called “the best person in my life,” has made her realize what is really important, and that is family and friends.

But she is also determined to get more work in broadcasting.

“I’m not the type of person to be a 24-hour mom,” she said. “I wouldn’t like that, and neither would the kids.

“I’m a broadcaster, and have been for 15 years. People will sometimes ask if I’m interested in coaching, and I say, ‘No, I’m a broadcaster.’ ”

And over the years she has developed into a good one.

CBS might have driven viewers nuts with some inappropriate cutaways the last couple of weeks, but Meyers, in her short stint on the men’s tournament, was solid.

She was the commentator on UCLA men’s basketball for KMPC until budget cutbacks cost her the job a few years ago. The station went with only a play-by-play announcer for one season before Marques Johnson was hired.

Meyers has had some disappointments in her career, and was always glad that her husband was there for support and consolation.

“I remember last March, he held me and said, ‘Sometimes you have no control over being hired or not being hired in this business, and you just have to deal with the politics.’ ”

One problem for Meyers, she says, is that she has been pigeon-holed as only a basketball commentator.

“I’ve also done softball and volleyball and other sports,” she said. “I think I’m capable of doing anything in broadcasting.”

And with a family to support, she might start seeing more job opportunities.

“I think before, people looked at Don and me as very comfortable, and thought that I didn’t really need the work,” she said. “Now they want to help.”

She is also grateful for the support of the Dodgers and Drysdale’s many friends who have helped her through difficult times.

“Ross (Porter) and Vin (Scully), Peter O’Malley and the whole Dodger family have been so supportive,” she said.

So have people such as Sandy Koufax, Pee Wee Reese, Jim Fregosi, and many more who have called to see how Meyers is doing.

And the answer seems to be, she’s doing about as well as can be expected.