R.I.P.: “Caller Lew” Passes from St. Louis Sports Radio Scene

From Earl Austin for Stlamerican.com

Lewis Jones

The St. Louis sports community lost one of its favorite people last week when Lewis Jones passed away at the age of 78. 

In recent years, Lewis Jones had become quite the St. Louis sports celebrity. The irony was that he wasn’t an athlete, a coach or even a member of the local sports media. Lew was a man who spent much of his time calling local sports talk shows and voicing his opinions. 

If you listen to sports talk in St. Louis, you knew “Caller Lew.” Everyone did. He was a fixture on the sports radio airwaves for many years with his hard-hitting opinions about our local sports figures. 

Lew was very knowledgeable and quite provocative in his opinions. He did not hold back. Some of his favorite targets included former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, current Cardinals outfielder Matt Holiday and St. Louis Rams’ quarterback Sam Bradford. Whenever Lew called, it was must-listen radio. 

Whether you agreed or disagreed with Lew, everyone grew to love and respect him. So, when news of his death started to make its rounds around the sports talk shows, the sports radio-talk community was in a state of mourning for a week. 

Lew’s impact in local sports was clearly evident at his homegoing service last Friday at a packed West Side Missionary Baptist Church in North County. Many members of St. Louis’ sports talk fraternity were present, including Mike Claiborne, Charlie “Tuna” Edwards, Alvin Reid, Kevin Slaten and Evan McKovsky among many others. Long-time talk show host Richard “Onion” Horton was also present.

Read More Now.