Smith-Cotton Graduate and Houston Astros’ Broadcaster to Retire

Former Sedalia resident and Smith-Cotton and Mizzou graduate, Bill Brown, is set to broadcast his last game on the Houston Astros' television network. A significant era in Houston Astros history ends on Wednesday, September 28, as he retires from a long run as a television announcer. The man known as “Brownie,” handled play-by-play duties for 30 years. In his interview the 69 year old Brown said it was just time to step down.

Brown landed his first broadcasting job in Sedalia. He graduated from the University of Missouri, entered the military and was a sportscaster for the Armed forces Vietnam Network in Saigon in 1970-71.

He later joined WLWT-TV in Cincinnati. In 1976 he was named TV play-by=play announcer for the Reds, through 1982.  He joined the Astros in February 1987.

He was a 2004 inductee into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2011 was added to Minute Maid Park’s Media Wall of Honor. Brown received a community service award from the Texas Italian-American Sports Foundation, as well as the 2012 Fred Hartman Award for Long and Meritorious service from the Houston media.

Brown graduated from Smith-Cotton in 1965. He even married another Sedalian, Dianne Dugan, and comes back to Sedalia to visit friends and family.