The legendary voice of the New York Mets, Howie Rose, will retire at the end of this season, he and the team announced Thursday.
Rose, a native of Bayside, Queens, will still be the master of ceremonies for any Mets on-field special events at Citi Field, including Opening Day, Mets Hall of Fame induction day and number retirements, the team said in a news release.
“Having grown up in Shea Stadium’s upper deck in the 1960s and early 1970s, my long career as a Mets broadcaster has been the epitome of ‘Living the Dream,’” Rose said in the statement.
Rose has spent nearly 40 years calling Mets games — he’s been part of the team’s radio or TV broadcasts since 1987 — and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2023. This season will mark his 52nd year in broadcasting; he got his start in 1975 when he became one of the original voices of SportsPhone.
The 72-year-old has had a decorated career as a voice in New York, most notably with the Mets, but he has also been in the booth to call Rangers and Islanders games. His radio call of Stéphane Matteau’s goal in Game 7 of the 1994 conference finals that put the Rangers into the Stanley Cup Final is one of the greatest in sports broadcasting history, with Rose memorably repeating, “Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!”
Rose revealed in February 2023 that two years earlier, he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer. He has continued broadcasting but has reduced the number of road games he calls. Rose is scheduled to call all 81 home games this season and three Subway Series matchups in the Bronx, but no other road games.
“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,” said Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen in the statement. “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.”
He will retire among the all-time greats in Mets broadcasting history, including Bob Murphy, Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner, Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling.