Frank Messer, known for his clear, simple announcing style of New York Yankee game broadcasts for 16 seasons, died Nov. 13 after a long illness at his home in Deerfield Beach, Fla. He was 76.

Flying was Frank Albert Messer’s passion and, as a military pilot, family members said he approached wartime and Cold War missions with an optimism that saw him through even the most perilous ...