Wyn Delano
WMAL.com
1,936 Games. Straight.
That is only one part of the legacy of local sports institution Ron Weber who, starting in 1974, was the voice of the Washington Capitals for 23 seasons – without missing a single game.
Weber is one of nine people being inducted into the D.C. hall of fame, overlooking the left field concourse at Nationals Park.
The 2017 class includes national stars such as Olympic Gold Medalist Katie Ledecky and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, as well as respected local sportswriters, broadcasters, and athletes.
Webber, contemplating the level of talent that will join him on that left field wall, simply said, “Its a real honor.”
Webber grew up listening to the Washington Senators as a 12 to 15 year old where he would “secretly turn on my radio in my bedroom and listen to games when I was supposed to go to bed.”
“Others have told me they did the same thing hearing my voice when I was doing hockey back in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s,” Webber recalls, laughing.
It’s fitting that Webber will have his place at Nationals Park, as his first love was baseball.
“Arch McDonald and Bob Wolfe were the voices of the Washington Senators in the late 1940’s and they planted the seed. At first I thought, ‘Oh I’d never be good enough’ or ‘there’s too many people that would like a job like that, I’d never be lucky enough’ – and indeed I didn’t land the baseball job that was my first inclination, but I got the hockey position.” he explained.
Webber, now 82, has three children and 5 grandchildren, and is keenly aware of the legacy that this recognition will hopefully provide:
“That wall, hopefully, will still be there after I’m gone. Maybe [my children] can point to their kids some day and say, ‘hey, that’s your great-grandpa up there.”
The induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, July 9th before the Braves play the Nationals.
The full list of this year’s inductees is below:
Juan Dixon – member of the University of Maryland men’s basketball team
Brenda Frese – head coach of the University of Maryland women’s basketball team
Glenn Harris – longtime host of NewsChannel 8’s “SportsTalk”
Tony Kornheiser – Washington Post sportswriter, radio host, ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” co-host
Katie Ledecky – two-time Olympian and five-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming
Tom McMillen – member of the University of Maryland men’s basketball team and Washington Bullets
Mike Nelms – kick return specialist for the Washington Redskins
Paul Tagliabue – Commissioner of the National Football League from 1989-2006
Ron Weber – radio broadcaster for the Washington Capitals
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