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Ted Leitner – Sports Anchor and Commentator
September 9, 2021 at 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Controversial, outrageous and hilarious, Ted Leitner has been the enduring voice of San Diego’s sports scene since 1978.
In his signature free-form style, Leitner will regale San Diego Rotary with stories, memories and reflections on his 40-year career as the Padres radio voice.
Through the pandemic-shortened season of 2020, Ted Leitner spent 41 seasons as play-by-play voice of the Padres and 25 years as the radio voice of football and basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs.
Leitner also spent 25 years (1978-2002) as sports anchor and commentator on San Diego’s CBS 8 as well as serving as a popular talk-show host and sports humorist on KFMB-AM Radio.
Long a familiar fixture in San Diego, Leitner has MC’ed thousands of events, led by the Padres’ annual Opening Day ceremonies, the team’s Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, and “Jerry Coleman Day” in 2012, paying tribute to his longtime broadcast partner.
Notably, he also served as MC for the Petco Park memorial services devoted to Coleman (January 5, 2014) and later that year, for Tony Gwynn (June 16, 2014).
Prior to coming to San Diego in 1978, Leitner was a TV sports personality in Oklahoma City, Hartford, and Philadelphia.
In addition to the Padres and Aztecs, his play-by-play credits include the NFL’s San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles, the NBA’s San Diego Clippers, as well as the University of Oklahoma and the University of Connecticut.
On January 15, 2021, Leitner was officially appointed the Padres’ Team Ambassador by team owner-chairman Peter Seidler.
