Background
Whitfield was born in Frost, Texas.
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Shelby Whitfield
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Education
He attended the University of Texas, where he announced games and did play-by-play coverage for the Plainview Ponies, a minor league team based in Plainview, Texas.
Career
He joined the Army in 1955 and became the sports director of American Forces Network within two years. Whitfield was a play-by-play announcer for the Washington Senators in 1969 and 1970. After Senators owner Robert East. Short moved the team to Texas after the 1971 season, to become the Texas Rangers, Whitfield wrote a book called, which was highly critical of the franchise and its management.
The book helped prompt the Federal Communications Commission to investigate the ethics of sports broadcasting.
Following his tenure with the Senators, Whitfield worked for WWDC-Department of Administration and Management, hosting the talk show "Sports Roundtable."
In 1974, he joined Associated Press Radio, where he served as the sports director for seven years. Following his tenure there, he joined American Broadcasting Company Radio as its sports director in 1981.
In that role, he oversaw coverage of multiple notable sporting events, including the Olympics. In 1991, he collaborated with sports journalist and announcer Howard Cosell on a book called What"s Wrong With Sports.
He retired in 1997. He died in Jackson, New Jersey at the age of 77 from complications from diabetes.
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Born
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Died
February 5, 2013 (aged 77)