03/19/26 01:22:00
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03/19 13:20 CDT Longtime Mets broadcaster Howie Rose says he's retiring after
this season
Longtime Mets broadcaster Howie Rose says he's retiring after this season
NEW YORK (AP) --- Longtime New York Mets broadcaster Howie Rose announced
Thursday he is planning to retire at the end of the season after spending four
decades with the organization.
The 72-year-old Rose began his Mets broadcasting career in 1987 and has served
as the team's lead play-by-play radio voice since 2006.
"I'm just feeling amazing when I think back to being a kid in the upper deck at
Shea Stadium, knowing that there was no way I was ever going to get down to the
field as a player," Rose said during an online news conference. "That I could
move, I guess it was two levels down from the upper deck to where the broadcast
booths were, that was just fine. And the fact that I've been able to achieve
that and stay there for so long is something that I'm not even sure I've come
to grips with yet."
Rose explained his retirement decision by saying "I just felt it was time."
Rose noted that while he maintains a home in New York he spends most of his
time in Florida. He also talked about wanting to spend more quality time with
his family.
"My wife and daughters, Alyssa and Chelsea, have sacrificed so much for so
long," Rose said. "I'm 72 now, so effectively I'll be retiring at 73. To me,
that's just enough. If I've lost a tick or two off my fastball, I've learned to
sort of compensate for that, but I don't want to hang around too long, to where
things become noticeable that they're not what they were.
"I don't want to be one of those guys where people say, ?What's he still doing
on the air? Doesn't he have any other interests?' I've got some other
interests, and I'll pursue them at the end of this season."
In a video the Mets released on their social media channels, Rose said he plans
to work all the Mets' home games as well as their three-game series at the New
York Yankees this year plus all postseason games.
Rose began his Mets broadcasting career in 1987 as a pregame and postgame host
who occasionally handled play by play. He transitioned to television in 1996 as
the Mets' lead announcer and stayed in that role through 2003. Rose returned to
the radio booth in 2004, initially working with Gary Cohen and then taking over
as the Mets' lead radio voice.
He was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2023.
"For nearly four decades, Howie Rose's voice has been synonymous with New York
Mets baseball," Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. "His
passion for the Mets has carried across the airwaves and into the homes and
hearts of fans everywhere, bringing the franchise's most memorable moments to
life. Generations of Mets fans have grown up listening to Howie call the game
with authenticity, energy, and a deep appreciation for what this team means to
our community.
"We are grateful for the relationship we've built with Howie and for the
dedication he has shown to the organization and our fans since 1987. We
congratulate Howie on an extraordinary career and wish him the very best as he
begins this next chapter with his wife, Barbara, and their daughters, Alyssa
and Chelsea."
Rose also served as the play-by-play broadcaster for New York Rangers games on
WFAN from 1989-95 and as the play-by-play announcer for the New York Islanders
on Fox Sports New York from 1995-2016.
The Mets said Rose will continue to serve as the master of ceremonies for Mets
on-field special events at Citi Field including Opening Day, Mets Hall of Fame
induction day, and number retirements.
"I'm not planning on making a clean break," Rose said in the video the Mets put
on their social media channels. "Hopefully I'll be involved now and then in
some still-to-be-determined capacity. Because for me, letting go of the Mets
isn't hard --- it's impossible."
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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