Tom Rooney remembers working at Bard’s Dairyland on Pittsburgh’s North Side in the late 1960s, with the Penguins game on in the background.

“Ed Conway was the first Penguins announcer, and I’d be at Bard’s, serving customers and trying to figure out what was happening in the game at the same time.”

Rooney, 74, of Franklin Park has a host of fond memories listening to Pittsburgh’s abundance of notable sports broadcast journalists, and he’s hardly alone. Many older Pittsburgh sports fans can easily recall the most memorable moment they experienced listening to legendary Steelers radio announcer Myron Cope.

Rooney joined Monroeville author David Finoli and others in paying tribute to Pittsburgh sports announcers in the book “Behind the Mic,” which will be released in late March.

“I grew up listening to some of these guys, and you would hear the passion as they told stories and announced the game, said Finoli, 63, who grew in Greensburg. “I don’t know if another city can boast three phenomenal play-by-play (announcers) like Myron Cope, Bob Prince and Mike Lange.”

For older sports fans, local radio announcers were their primary means of experiencing their favorite sports teams.

“When I was younger, there were only a few Pirate games on TV during the year, so hearing Bob Prince describe things really made for a wonderful time,” Finoli said. “Going back and reminding yourself just how popular (former KDKA sportscaster) Bill Currie was is a great memory. Recalling some of those times was one of my favorite parts of working on the book.”

Rooney — a member of the same family which owns the Steelers — worked on several chapters of the book, profiling Pittsburgh sports journalists such as Joe Tucker, the first Steelers announcer, and Ray Goss, currently the longest-tenured NCAA announcer and the voice of Duquesne Dukes basketball for nearly the past six decades.

“They called Joe ‘The Screamer,’ a very excitable guy who loved that nickname,” Rooney said. “I had the chance to interview his grandson and nephew.”

Rooney, who also works with the Heinz History Center, said he has pitched the center’s staff on possibly adding a future wing dedicated to Pittsburgh’s media personalities.

Finoli said he is hoping the book — which is his 44th, nearly all centered around local Western Pennsylvania stories and personalities — can accomplish that in some ways.

“It’s a way to honor their contributions and sort of create a hall of fame for our local broadcasters,” he said.

“Behind the Mic” will be available through Finoli’s publishing company, 21-66books.com, as well as on Amazon.com.