Bob Carpenter’s Retirement Celebration + ‘See You Later’ Day | Full Event

Bob Carpenter’s Retirement Celebration + ‘See You Later’ Day | Full Event

And now we go live to the press conference room with the host of the ceremony, Dan Kulko. Good afternoon everybody. Welcome inside inside Nationals Park. Mother Nature not really complying with us today, but that’s all right. We’re going to make this work. I’m Dan Kolko and on behalf of Mark and Judy Learner and the entire Learner family, the Washington Nationals organization and Nationals fans with us here at the ballpark, inside the park in their seats and on the concourse and watching at home. It’s my pleasure to welcome you all to See You Later Day, a special celebration for our friend and colleague Bob Carpenter. Bob, as you’re joined by your lovely wife Debbie and your entire family behind you, it’s our honor to celebrate you and reflect on your career in broadcasting that has spanned more than 40 years, including 20 right here with us. Your love of the game is contagious, your calls are memorable, and your scorebooks are legendary. Personally, I want to thank you for your friendship, your support, and for being the same guy every day that you walk into the booth. Let’s learn a bit more now about our friend and colleague Bob Carpenter and his incredible career. We’ve got monitors left and right. I’m Bob Carpenter with Bo Cook and Lee Corso on week 13 of the college football season. Here with a preview of tonight’s game, Bob Carpenter. Thank you, gentlemen. And here before kickoff, it’s Colorado with a chance to win the national championship tonight. Bob Carpenter, Jeff Brantley. Welcome to our holiday continuation of Major League Baseball. Kholes drives it to center. Hits it well. Heading for the grass. Home run. Mer has a no hitter. Zimmerman center field. That ball is out of here. See you later. Good afternoon, gentlemen. Bob Carpenter had a whole career before his 20 years here with the Nationals. Began in 1976, calling baseball for the AAA Tulsa Oilers, and he got his big league break in 1984 to call Cardinals baseball on television. There isn’t a major sport that Bob hasn’t called playbyplay for. college football, college basketball, US Open tennis, the Masters working the Butler cabin. Bob has had a truly remarkable career. My dad and I seen some video of him doing Cardinals games. We just felt immediately that he was the kind of broadcaster who the fans would really enjoy hearing. Brian Zimmerman high-fly ball home run. See you later. So if you’re scoring 36 on that fieldielder’s choice, Bob’s scorebooks are a big part of who he is as a broadcaster. Here’s a scorecard from your first big league win. Oh, thank you. Five innings a hit, no runs, two walks, four, 81 pitches, 44 strikes. He meticulously crafts every scorebook and then posts them online after the game so that fans can share that whole process with him. I remember my dad taking me to the ballpark and you could get a scorecard and a pencil and you could keep score the game. And then when I got a chance to start doing it as part of my job, people started noticing my scorebook and my scorecards. You know, a lot of fans gave me suggestions on things to do. So, in a certain sense, we all kind of learn how to do it together. Swing and a miss. Yeah, you’ll take the strike out there. He was like a player when it came to routine because I think the more consistent you are, the more comfortable you are in in doing what you have for the game. James Wood high in the air, deep center. you wider. Cool part of being a team broadcaster is that you’re part of the soundtrack to so many moments that happen on the field. And Bob, having broadcast the last 20 years of Nationals baseball, has been here for pretty much every regular season moment that we’ve had in Nat’s history and has his voice attached to those moments. It was the last out of Jordan Zimmerman’s no hitter. The Nets were going to the playoffs. They’d already clinched the division and the Marlins never got a hit. And then on the very last play, Christian Yelich hits a drive to left center. There’s moments where broadcasters bring everything out and it was that it was calling the play and letting it eat because the place was just insane. [Applause] And the ball driven to left center. Susa. He’s got it. He’s got it. It’s a no hitter for Jordan Zimmerman. We’ve had a lot of great moments, but when you boil it down to one moment that just completely floored me, it was that moment at the end of the 14 season. You know, you walk around NAS Park and you see how people Bob and so you just want to be a part of it and enjoy the ride with them. Yeah, they don’t need a seventh inning stretch. They’ve been on their feet almost every top of an inning tonight. Bob’s a great storyteller, a great jokester. For him to have a 42-year career, you give of yourself and be yourself. So, the fans feel like they get to know Bob with the way he gives of his personality on the air. He treats everybody the same with respect, and that’s a worthy legacy for him to leave. He showed up to the ballpark every day with a smile on his face. Bob was the same guy every single day, and that’s what made him so easy to work with. Hopefully when they think of me, they’ll think of somebody they invited into their home as a friend because I consider our fans my friends. That’s the way I would like people to think of me. Uh once I’m not looking down from this lofty perch anymore. See you later. And Brady House for his fourth of the year. And now he’s at home. Pretty [Music] good stuff. Now, please help me welcome former Washington Nationals player and Massen television analyst, Bob’s partner in the booth, Kevin Franson. Yeah. Uh, I was told to say thank you, Dan. So, check. Uh, Bob, believe it or not, I don’t have anything written down. Um, again. Again, that’s a fact. It was the Bob roast. I thought that’s what we were going to go with. And I understand with how you were holding your hands up there, that’s why you became a broadcaster. Okay. Uh, it’s been a pleasure to be your partner sitting to your right. always your right at every ballpark that we’ve been. I don’t know. I don’t know your left side. It is literally the right side of you every time. I think something that uh not a lot of Nats fans do know, and there are some that do, it’s Bob meets you around the Navy Yard or I don’t know, even the ballpark. You may just end up right in the booth. He invited so many people into like our world and I felt like that’s a huge part of it because he wanted you the fan to be a part of it. It there’s always one time that like comes you know it could be considered a sad day in Nat’s history but it was a great day. Juan Sto got traded and right before the game he goes look the fans need us today. this is a big day for the organization that we miss, you know, that connector, the last connecting piece to the World Series championship team. And I sat there for a second. I was like, “Wow, that’s that’s heavy.” And we ended the the broadcast and he said, “Well, we need an Emmy for that one. We’re still waiting, Bob. We are still waiting.” You are a tremendous friend. You’ve been there through some rough times for myself personally with my losing my dad and at times it was a fight for me with you because of that because I missed them. You guys are the same age, but it also brought out the best. And it has been an absolute pleasure. And especially, you know, this last year watching you, your whole family, James and Ben, like right there, that lights it up every single time. And I can’t wait for you to enjoy every bit of it with them, with Deb. Sorry. Every day. I know. But you’re beloved around here and we love you and we’ll miss you, but we won’t. We got all the free golf we want still, so it’s all good. Fans, please direct your attention to the video board for a special message from Nationals managing principal owner, Mark Lerner. Bob, 20 years ago, you came to Washington DC wearing Cardinal, but we are very happy you’re retiring in Nationals Red. You have called some of the biggest moments in our franchise history. And those highlights, backed by your signature calls, will be replayed for years to come. And there it goes, right center. See you later. Zimmerman walks off the nets with a 2-1 win. Your love and passion for our sport, our players, our city, and our fans have been evident in every single broadcast. That is why on behalf of myself, Judy, the entire learner family, and the Nationals, I am very pleased to unveil your name under the TV booth in recognition of your time here in Washington. Bob, congratulations on your retirement and thank you for your years of service to the Nationals. We know it’s not goodbye, it’s just see you later. Bob Carpenter, welcome to retirement. This is your old retirement buddy, Lee Corso. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all the help you gave me during my early years at ESPN. I am eternally grateful. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Good luck in your retirement. I want to wish the very best congratulations to my good friend Bob Carpenter, somebody who I worked with back in the day in St. Louis, somebody my dad worked with from both of the Bucks, Jack and Joe. Congratulations, Bob. It’s been an unbelievable career. Uh you’re a wonderful, wonderful friend and somebody who uh I looked up to and was so nice to me when I started uh when I was about four years old in this business. So, I hope when I say this, it’s true. I hope to see you later. Congrats, buddy. All right, it’s Johnny Holiday. Of all my years in broadcasting, probably one of the highlights of my career is working with Bob Carpenter. As the host of our Nats pre and postgame show for 13 years, Mr. Carpenter, I had a chance to interact with you, to see how you did games, to see how you brought all the excitement to baseball fans of this area. You were truly the voice of the Washington Nationals. No question about that. Now, you’re going to retire. Uh-huh. Sure. I think, you know, we’re all going to miss you. But, you know, I will see you later. All the best, Bob. We love you. What’s going on, my good friend Bob Carpenter? want you to know I’ve had a blast working with you this series in Miami. Just wanted to quickly say good luck in retirement. You are a true pro. And I got one thing left to say to you. See you later. Good luck, brother. Hi Bob. Congratulations on your retirement and more importantly, congratulations on a great career. And all of us here in your hometown of St. Lewis are proud to have had you lend your voice to Cardinals baseball. Have a great rest of the season and we’ll see you later. Bob Desi here. Just out here on my front porch rocking chair thinking about the life that you’re headed into. It’s not so bad. I hope nothing but the best for you. Thanks for all the memories you gave me and my family. We love you. See you later. All right, Cart. Before we say goodbye, we’re going to say see you later. I realize that’s going to happen, but we’re all going to miss you. Uh really enjoyed being around you over the years. You’re one of my favorite people of all time. Mostly because you drive us back to the hotel after the games in Washington, which is awesome. We get to go, but I wish you very well, my friend, and I hope we will stay in touch for years to come. Thank you so much for your friendship. Hey, Bob. It’s Gary Cohen and Ron Darling at City Field. 42 years, man. It feels like you’re just getting started. You’re the youngest old guy I’ve ever met. Well, I was just thinking that uh you’re one of the best that ever did it. You did it with such grace and class. And for me, I would have never been able to do it if it wasn’t for you. You’re the best, Bob. This is not goodbye. This is just a see you later. Congratulations, partner. See you later. See you later. Love you, Bob. See you later. See you later. See you later. See you later. See you later. On the first T sometime in the future. It’s not a goodbye. It’s a see you later. Some real heavyweights in there. Bob, that was impressive. Fans, it’s the moment we’ve been waiting for. Please direct your attention to the broadcast level behind home plate where we will officially unveil Bob’s name under the Nationals TV broadcast booth. Looks pretty good, Bob. Right. That they did. Joining us now is a man who had his own little retirement ceremony a few years back. Please welcome employee number 11, Ryan Zimmerman. Thanks, Dan. Bob, I’m excited to be here today to help you celebrate your retirement. Welcome to uh the retirement club. We’ll have to play some golf and you can work on that. You’ll have plenty of time now. I need tennis. Yeah, I don’t know. First matches won on the first hole, they say. So, but uh it’s been an honor to join you and Franny in the booth a few times. It’s been fun to learn and you know, as a player, you kind of think you know what goes on up there, but uh it’s a little bit different once you get up there. But we’ve we’ve had a blast. It’s been so much fun for me to learn from you and Franny’s has taught me a couple things too, but mostly you. Um, but on behalf of the learner family and the national organization, we have some gifts for you to take with you today. So, if Dan and Kevin can come up here and give me a hand. I think we have a few cool things to give you. Oh, damn. All right. Nice little jersey for you to put up there. And then we have uh one other thing over here. That is really cool. What’s it say, Ryan? 200 2006 to 2025. See you later. It’s very nice. But, uh, like I said, it’s been a pleasure. I think all of us feel the same about you, your family, and what you’ve done for this organization. So, thanks for everything. And, uh, everyone, let’s give a warm welcome to the man of the hour, Mr. Bob Carpenter. Nice try. Well, I think we’ve worn out to see you later, don’t you? Um, it’s hard for me to express what I’m feeling right now. Um, as you all know with Charlie and Dave and Franny and Dan and me, Zim’s still getting there. Our announcers are never short on words, but it’s it’s a moment that I’ve thought about, wondered what it would be like. I I guess the only Hi, everybody over in the club, by the way. Good to see you guys. Um, yeah, I thought about what what this would be like. And I’m I’m okay with this not being on the field. This is kind of more intimate. I can see all your faces and everything. And uh it’s it’s just so gratifying. And um I want to thank the learner family. Hi, Mara, Deborah, Ed, Judy, and Mark. Um, we found out on a road trip to Phoenix a long, long time ago as we were sitting around the pool with your great friends, Stuart and, uh, Kathy, that we were all the same age. We were all born in the not you guys, but we were all born in the in the same year. Uh, Kathy Miller and I actually had the same birthday, the same day. And uh I I just feel like uh it’s something that I never envisioned that I would actually be friends with the people who owned my Major League Baseball team. Uh but to be able to say that and to be on the golf course a time or two with you, Mark, it’s just been fantastic. Uh Allan and Roxan, the Gotautlees. Um I will never forget Allan you coming upstairs uh during Winterfest. I think it was around 19 18 maybe. and you had heard me doing some Q&A with the fans and I said that these 13 years had been the greatest years of my broadcast career and uh and you came up and gave me a big hug and said that meant a lot to you and we both had tears in our eyes and I’m like uh you know this is really special and I really want to thank Mark and Allan because we we started having these conversations about five years ago about how I was going to handle all of this and you let me and her reduce my schedule. You let us go out on our own terms and that is something for which we will be eternally grateful. Thank you so much. I want to salute the entire organization, all of our players from this guy who I got to see his entire career. I used to tell Ryan I was going to retire when he did. Well, then he retired too early so I couldn’t. But Ryan, to see your entire career uh was just amazing. and uh all the players and the coaches, all of the guys we’ve been friends with over the years. Um for Dan and Franny, my my good buddies and and my broadcast partners along the way. There have been a few Tom Pure, the late Don Sutton, Rob Dibble, Ray Knight, FP Santangelo, and again Franny. Uh with some Justin Maxwell and Daniel Murphy and uh Dinard Span and some other guys sprinkled in. It’s it’s just been so much fun. I ushered at the ballpark in St. Lewis all through high school and college. Uh we were paid $12 a game. And uh it was there when I fell in love with baseball after my sister got a job with the Cardinals in 1967. And uh I I hope they can hear me out in the ballpark. I know what it’s like to be a stadium employee as an usher and helping people find their way to their seats. Back in the day, there were some Cub fans who were kind of obnoxious. I would send them all the way around the stadium because it was a circle before they could find their seats. But I just uh for those of you in the ballpark who might be listening, uh if you can give a little shout out to our ballpark employees, they’re here every day for us. I I feel like I’m one of them and I appreciate everything that they do. Uh my most thanks goes to our Nationals fans and as the announcer would say, more on that in a moment. My family is here. Uh my sister Mary who came from Greece to be here. Uh my sister Judy and her husband John not able to make it from St. Louis, but Judy was my mentor. Uh 52 years for the Cardinals and taught myself and Harilyn. I saw you sneak in Herilyn. There you are. Uh a great Nationals lady for many years. She was our she was our mentor in so many ways. Uh my sister Kathy here from the Dallas area. Her daughter Mary Ellen, my niece. My daughter Katie, I call Katie my uh my baseball kid. She used to sit next to me when she was seven, eight years old in the broadcast booth and not move a muscle for three hours. My daughter Allison, who was the wiggly one, she had to get out of the booth and her husband Ryan and our two uh grandsons, James and Ben. And uh to be able to have family here is unbelievable. Uh mostly there was a young lady who grew up in Las Vegas who I met and uh she we met through some mutual friends in Tulsa and uh she met a street kid who was trying to make it as a young broadcaster. She loved him. She encouraged him. She chipped away at a lot of the uh rough edges. Taught him how to treat people, love people, and help people. Would you uh recognize my wife Debbie? She really along with any god-given talent I might have, she is the reason uh that I’m standing here right now. She’s the love of my life. My friends out in the ballpark, you are the love of my baseball life. our Nets fans. I got here 20 years ago and it took a while for you to get used to me being from the Midwest and quite honestly it got took a little while for me to get used to you as well, but we uh we’ve become to at least to me to feel like we’re close baseball friends and I hope the feeling is mutual. It better be since you’ve invited me into your home so many times throughout the years. My goal as we signed off after every game was to make you glad and proud that you’re a Nats baseball fan, win or lose. We’ve had our ups and downs. We’ve been through a lot together. There’s one thing we will always share and those are the memories we experienced together because baseball is a game of memories. We had the heartbreaking playoff series in 12,4 16 and 17. But then, you know, and Charlie told me about this, people were coming through the turn styles in ’05 for the first game. They had tears in their eyes. DC had been without baseball for more than three decades. And then we open a new ballpark two years later and this guy hits a walk-off homer to send the Braves. See youa. And Ryan, uh, you know, he had already established his reputation as Mr. Walkoff. Then we had Bryce. Then we had Jordan in his no hitter. Then we had Max, two no hitters in the 20 uh strikeout game in 16. Suzuki’s walk-off homer when Kirk broke the hearts of the Mets who had just broken our hearts in the top of the ninth inning. And then on to the playoffs when Juan cleared the bases to win the wild card game. When Howie hit the grand slam to beat the Dodgers, when the Nets swept the Cardinals to win the pennant. When Ryan hit our first World Series home run. When Howie hit the fair pole to beat the Astros, Dave on the call on radio. And then when Steven, Max, Patrick, and Anie Ball were unstoppable. You don’t need last names, do you? Shawn, Daniel, and the bullpen immovable. Steven voted MVP in the Nat danced on the field in Houston as World Series champions. It was indeed improbable what happened in 2019. I also want to recognize in the third row here, my Massen guys. Uh so good to see all of you. Thanks for making the trip down from Baltimore. uh Masson has been so good to Debbie and I for 20 years and uh and also our former executive producer Chris Glass instrumental in some of my early days here. Finally, those are the images. Ball players, home runs, great players I will never forget. But my highest honor has been spending time with our Nats fans from our lofty booth 288 ft above here. living and dying with you as our nationals have battled to the last out. Thank you for these memories. If this is goodbye, I will miss you all so much. But maybe it’s not goodbye. Maybe it’s simply Can you say it with me? See you later. Thank you all for coming here today. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate Bob and all of uh the moments that he has given all of us and hopefully mother nature will uh allow us to play another ball game today with Bob’s voice on our call. Another round of applause for Bob Carpenter.

The full retirement ceremony for Bob Carpenter from ‘See You Later’ Day at Nationals Park on Saturday, September 27, 2025.
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