Even though he only had one good pitch (a fastball), the New York Mets signed him to a minor league contract after he graduated from high school.
[1] But in 1969,[2] Brenner hurt his arm while playing in the Florida Instructional League, and the Mets sold him to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Tebbetts replied, "Horse-spit pitcher"—and Brenner knew his time in the big leagues was finished.
[1] After living there only a short time, he returned to Philadelphia and joined radio station WFIL, where he worked for two years as a news reporter and in promotions.
He often called the scoreboard the "boreboard", and made jokes about himself, sports teams, and athletes on the air (much to management's discomfort).
In one well-known incident, KYW introduced a flashy, high-technology set that resembled the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.
[4] The station had hired Mike Wolfe as the weeknight sportscaster,[5] while weekend duties were held by Klaus Wagner.
Wolfe adopted a very macho and aggressive style on the air, including an unbuttoned dress shirt and a "take it or shove it" attitude towards fans and athletes that grated on many viewers.
When evening news ratings began to decline, the station dismissed Wolfe with nine months left in his contract.
"[6] One of his signature bits included the "Weenie of the Week", in which he poked fun at bombastic professional athletes or unsportsmanlike behavior.
[7] In November 1987, Washington Redskins football players Clarence Verdin and Ricky Sanders performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Madison Square Garden (forgetting the words and singing off-key) on Veterans Day; Brenner mixed footage of their performance with footage of actress Pia Zadora similarly mangling the national anthem at a National Basketball Association game.
[8] Jibes at athletes, sports team owners, and others were common during Brenner's career, and yet he was so respected and well-liked that few people ever became angry with him.
[3] Another of Brenner's gimmicks was his Friday night "mystery picker"—a local or national celebrity who would be asked to pick winners of various athletic contests.
[4][7] Among the "mystery pickers" were CBS News co-anchor Connie Chung, former Washington Redskins quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, CBS News anchor Dan Rather, comedian Paul Reubens, Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien, actor William Shatner, singing group The Temptations, and local nun Sister Marie Louise Kirkland.
[6] Sister Marie Louise turned out to be a phenomenally good sports prognosticator, and Brenner's repeated use of her became an international story.
[6] Viewers also enjoyed Brenner's banter with WTOP-TV news anchor Gordon Peterson, an authoritative figure in a three-piece suit with much on-air gravitas.
Brenner often ribbed Peterson for his lifelong support of the also-ran Boston Red Sox major league baseball team.
The long-term contract was believed by The Washington Post to be a record for both the high level of pay and benefits as well as the long number of years it covered.
[12] Two blood vessels in his head had ruptured and he had numbness on his left side, slight slurring of speech, and double vision.
[14] But on November 17, 1991, The Washington Post reported that Brenner's doctor, Arthur I. Kobrine, confirmed the broadcaster had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.
[13] On Friday, January 10, 1992, Brenner's physical condition declined rapidly and he was taken to George Washington University Hospital.
[2] Brenner died at 7:58 a.m. on Tuesday, January 14, 1992 (just 12 days after his 44th birthday) at George Washington University Hospital.
"[1] Former President Ronald Reagan also issued a statement, in which he said, "Today the entire Washington community mourns the loss of Glenn Brenner, a dear friend to all of us who knew him.
"[23] The Washington, D.C. chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences named its Glenn Brenner Award for Excellence in Sportscasting after him.