Former voice of 'This Week in Baseball, who grew up in Gainesville, dies

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The son of a late Gainesville minister, who inherited his father's booming voice and used it to make a name for himself in the sports world, has died.

Warner Fusselle was the voice of the minor league Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League and was a former voice of "This Week in Baseball," a weekly televised wrap-up of major league baseball.

Fusselle was the only person to call play-by-play action for the Cyclones, a team that was formed in 2001. According to a posting on the Cyclones' website, Fusselle, like Red Barber, Ernie Harwell, and Mel Allen, "brought a distinct southern style to New York baseball," and his "iconic voice became a fixture in the homes of fans throughout the Big Apple."

Fusselle died Sunday night from an apparent heart attack, just a week before what would have been his 12th Opening Day as the radio play-by-play voice of the Cyclones, and his 35th Opening Day in baseball. He was 68.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of Warner's passing," said Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen. "There is no one who knew more