Another of the Midwest guys that Charles O. Finley brought to Oakland to call A's play-by-play -- Al Helfer, Harry Caray, Bob Elson and Jim Woods among them -- as a reminder of his youthful days growing up in Indiana.
Wesley "Red" Rush II, however, was a Southern California kid, born and raised in Long Beach. He attended USC hoping to become an attorney, but ended being a radio play-by-play man for Loyola, Northwestern and DePaul universities and the Minneapolis Lakers before they moved to L.A.
He had one season (1965) with the A's in Kansas City, then two stints (1971 and 1979-80) with the team in Oakland. Among the most colorful announcers we've ever enjoyed around here -- and, unfortunately, the prototype for every cookie-cutter, cliche-addled sports anchor on ESPN Sports Center today.
Red had been living in Moraga and was battling Alzheimer's. Lenhockey knew "The Old Redhead," and I'm sure will have much to add.