Al Trautwig, longtime MSG Networks sportscaster, dies at 68
Al Trautwig, the longtime sportscaster who covered the New York Knicks and New York Rangers on MSG Networks, has died of complications from cancer. He was 68.
A Long Island-native, Trautwig was one of the most recognizable sports broadcasters in New York. He won 28 New York Emmy Awards, four national Emmys and one New York State Sportscaster of the Year Award.
His voice graced the national and world stages, too, where he covered 16 Olympic games for NBC, ABC and CBS. He also worked the Indianapolis 500, the Tour de France and the U.S. Open tennis tournament.
A New Yorker through and through
Trautwig was part of MSG pre- and postgame broadcasts of the Knicks, Rangers and Yankees. For many fans watching games on TV in New York, Trautwig's voice was often the first they heard. With a natural storytelling style, he used his pregame introductions to make big games at Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium feel even bigger, while rarely needing to raise the level of his voice.
"MSG Networks is truly saddened by the news of Al Trautwig's passing. Al was a staple on MSG Networks' Knicks, Rangers and Yankees coverage for more than 30 years, and his passion for the teams he covered was undeniable. He leaves behind one of the great legacies in New York sports broadcasting history. Our thoughts and prayers are with Al's family and friends," the network said in a statement to CBS News New York.
MSG Networks studio analyst Alan Hahn, who called Trautwig a friend, mentor and a career resource of support, said the accomplished sportscaster "was a skilled host who knew how to make every game feel like something you don't want to miss."
"We lost a legendary voice in sports. But we lost a lot more than that," Hahn wrote in a series of social media posts. "Al Trautwig had an amazing voice and knew how to use it the way a tenor could bring depth and intensity to a song. ... He loved sports and had incredible versatility from baseball to basketball and hockey. And that's not even counting his incredible work at the Olympics."
He was a New Yorker through and through.