Grobstein was 69 and had been a Chicago radio sportscaster for more than 50 years.
Les Grobstein was found dead at his home on Sunday afternoon after apparently falling ill from work on Wednesday.
A Chicago native, Grobstein most recently worked at 670 The Score in Chicago, but his first job as a sportscaster came at Northwestern University for the Northwestern Wildcat men’s basketball team.
He commentated his first game on December 29, 1970, and moved on to play-by-play sportscaster at Chicago Sting. Grobstein worked for the radio station for the first two years of its existence.
His career took him to greater heights and he eventually worked for bigger radio stations including WLS Radio, CBS Radio and The Score. He also worked as a reporter for Sportsphone Chicago for two years in 1977.
His prolific career saw him work with other sportscasters, including Larry Lujack and Steve Dahl, who had often commented on Grobstein’s passion for sports, saying it was potentially too much.
Grobstein’s passion for sports began at age 7 when he attended a Cubs vs. Phillies baseball game at Wrigley Field in 1959.
He attended the major league baseball game with his grandfather and by the age of ten he was a sports enthusiast in his own right.
“He would go to games with a little tape recorder and make his own game,” Grobstein’s childhood friend Paul Vladen said in a 1997 interview with Chicago Reader.
“He always noted the scores – he always does. And he keeps those scorecards. It has hundreds and hundreds of scorecards. He made special tapes for his friends – we called them the Grobbo tapes – which were updates on what was happening in the sport. ”
His passion far exceeded those of his colleagues Grobstein told Chicago Reader at the time. That’s what got him on the air.
“I went everywhere – I mean everywhere,” Grobstein had said. He covered the 1977 New York blackout by being in the right place at the right time.
His achievement was a direct result of covering the Indians vs. Boston game and then driving all night to reach New York in time to cover the Cubs vs. Mets game.
After the match, he rushed to Belmont Racecourse to cover a horse race, then drove to Shea Stadium where the blackout took place.
“They put me on air immediately,” he said. “I was the guy who broke this story.”
His colleague Danny Parkins commemorated Grobstein’s career in an article on Monday morning and said he had been a “legend”.
“The Grobber was a true Chicago radio legend. More than 50 years of antenna. FIFTY. The Score is one of the last places to have live, local sports radio overnight and there was no one better suited than Les. Condolences to his partner Kathy and his son Scott. RIP.
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