Charley Steiner
The distinctive voice of ESPN's early rise who later became the radio chronicler of Dodgers baseball, blending newsman clarity with fan's passion.
Born 1949 (age 77)·American sportscaster and journalist·Birthday: July 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Charley Steiner's voice is a bridge between eras of sports broadcasting. He cut his teeth as a hard-news radio reporter, bringing that crisp, authoritative style to ESPN at its inception in 1979. For over two decades, he was a versatile face and voice of the network, anchoring 'SportsCenter' and covering everything from boxing to baseball with intelligent wit. In 2005, he pursued a purist's dream, leaving the highlight reel for the continuous narrative of baseball play-by-play with the New York Yankees and then the Los Angeles Dodgers. As the Dodgers' radio voice, paired with Rick Monday, Steiner combines a journalist's eye for detail with the seasoned pacing of a storyteller, painting audio pictures for a devoted coast-to-coast audience and cementing his place in the daily rhythm of the game.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Charley was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charley Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Charley's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was one of ESPN's first on-air anchors, joining in 1979 and becoming a mainstay on 'SportsCenter' for decades.
- Served as the radio play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees from 2002 to 2004.
- Has been the lead radio voice for the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2005, calling multiple World Series appearances.
- Received the prestigious Chris Schenkel Award from the National Football Foundation in 2015 for his broadcasting career.
Did You Know?
He graduated from Bradley University with a degree in journalism.
He worked as a news reporter and anchor for WIRE-AM in Indianapolis before joining ESPN.
He is known for his signature home run call, 'It's outta here!'
He wrote and performed a one-man stage show about legendary sportswriter Red Smith.
“I'm not a homer. I'm a fan of the game, and I'm a fan of good stories, and the Dodgers provide a lot of them.”
