SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - Longtime Padres play-by-play announcer and former KFMB Stations sports anchor Ted Leitner will be leaving the broadcast booth to fight kidney cancer.
Leitner announced on his Twitter account that he has cancer, "and will be off the Padres broadcast indefinitely after Wednesday’s game."
He thanked his fans for their support over the years.
According to MLB.com, Leitner is scheduled for surgery on Thursday to remove a cancerous kidney.
The Padres organization released a statement from executive chairman Ron Fowler and managing partner Peter Seidler:
We wish our dear friend Ted Leitner a speedy recovery from surgery," "While we'll miss hearing his voice in the booth over the next few weeks, we know he'll be back healthy and stronger than ever. Our thoughts and prayers are with him during this time.
Leitner, 71, has been the voice of the Padres for almost four decades and also announced games for the San Diego State Aztecs. He spent 25 years (1978-2002) as a sports anchor and a radio host for KFMB Stations.
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