MINNETONKA, Minn., April 2 (UPI) -- Minnesota Twins radio broadcaster Herb Carneal has died of congestive heart failure in his Minnetonka, Minn., home. He was 83.
Carneal, who had spent six weeks in the hospital during the winter, died Sunday, one day before he was scheduled to announce the team's opener against Baltimore, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Monday.
"It's hard for me to say exactly what I thought about Herb Carneal," said retired Twins great Harmon Killebrew. "He was a wonderful man. He was not only a great announcer but a real professional. He was just a wonderful human being. We're going to miss him terribly."
"This is a sad day for the Minnesota Twins organization and millions of baseball fans across the Upper Midwest," Twins President Dave St. Peter said in a statement.
"Herb Carneal's voice was the signature element of Twins baseball for multiple generations of fans. Clearly he was one of the most beloved figures in Minnesota sports history. The Minnesota Twins will proudly dedicate the 2007 season to the memory of Herb Carneal."
Carneal is survived by his daughter, Terri, and a grandson.
