For those who didn’t hear about it when the news broke late Thursday evening, they undoubtedly woke up to the shocking news that Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Enberg had died of an apparent heart attack that he suffered at his La Jolla, California home on Thursday morning.

With the tragic news, Twitter quickly exploded with various reports of the passing of the 82-year-old Mount Clemens, Michigan native. Those reports included condolences to Enberg’s family and friends and were soon replaced by endless tweets from the many whose lives were touched by the man known for coining the popular catchphrases “Oh my!” and “Touch ’em all.”

Having been involved in ‘The biz’ for more than 59 years, it comes as no surprise that many of those tweets included the fact that so many had listened to the extremely popular broadcaster during their childhood. But what is most amazing is just how many generations of childhood that encompasses.

Although SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo grew up listening to Dick Enberg in the 70’s, many sports fans grew up listening to him in the 50’s and 60’s.

Although I did not know Enberg personally, our paths would often cross in the Dodger Stadium press box prior to his retirement as the San Diego Padres television play-by-play man in 2016. But even though he never knew me by name, he never … never failed to say hello and he always … always had a perpetual smile on his face. And as you would expect, he and fellow Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully were very close friends.

“To me, Dick Enberg was the greatest all-around sportscaster who ever lived and will never be emulated. He was a very dear friend of mine. He had my respect, admiration and my friendship. He will be sorely missed.” – Vin Scully (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

Perhaps one of the biggest questions being floated around on the day after his passing is why on earth did it take until 2015 for Enberg, a broadcasting legend of every major sport, to be enshrined in the sacred Halls of Cooperstown when it should have happened decades earlier? But alas, it finally did happen on July 25, 2015 during Hall of Fame Weekend.

To be brutally honest, waiting until 2015 to enshrine legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg into the Hall of Fame as its Ford C. Frick award winner is an atrocity. (Photo credit – Ben Platt)

Just how incredible was Dick Enberg’s 59-year career? Check this out:

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia – Click on image to enlarge)

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Dick Enberg. He will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him.