Gaelic Angels

Rory Markas Wall of Fame Induction

Comments (0) By DAVE WIELENGA Thursday, Aug 17 2006

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You're never going to confuse Angels radio announcer Rory Markas with Dick Enberg . . . well, not unless you're really drunk—which is to say: here's your chance!

Markas, who's been doing play-by-play on broadcasts of Angels games since 2002—the year the team won its only World Series—will be inducted into the Guinness Irish "Wall of Fame" at Muldoon's Dublin Pub & Celtic Bar Saturday. He'll join an interesting list of previous honorees, from Senator John Kerry, author Ray Bradbury and the late Lakers announcer, Chick Hearn, to such entertainers as Tom Berenger, Maureen McGovern and John Mahoney.

Markas is a pretty good announcer. He maintains a persistent good nature as he describes the action in vivid detail, and his enthusiasm can ignite into excitement appropriately without exploding into hyperbole.

At his best, in fact, Markas can get you thinking about the Angels' greatest announcer ever. That, of course, would be Dick Enberg, who called games from 1969 to 1978, when the Angels were crappy and cursed, and again in 1985, when the Angels were . . . still cursed. It's not Markas' fault if thinking about that makes you cry.

So come on out to Markas' short induction ceremony. Stick around for a courtyard concert by the Irish party band—a laugh-till-ya-cry-or-vice-versa outfit called the American Wake. Hoist a few. Get up the nerve to ask Markas to let go with his signature call, "Just another Halo victory!" Maybe become insensitive enough to ask him to try out a couple of Enberg's famous calls ("Touch 'em all!" "The Halo shines tonight!" "Oh, my!"). Then, inevitably break down into inconsolable sobs.

Guinness Irish "Wall of Fame" Induction Ceremony, Muldoon's Bar, 202 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, (949) 640-4110; www.muldoonspub.com. Sat., 1 p.m.