OHIO — For more than four decades he was known as The Voice of the Reds, and he brought passion, energy and storytelling to the airwaves unlike any other.

Marty Brennaman has become an icon in Cincinnati, and this weekend a bronze statue will be unveiled at Great American Ballpark to honor his legacy. 

What You Need To Know

A statue honoring Marty Brennaman is being unveiled at Great American Ballpark this weekend

Spectrum News 1 spoke with Brennaman about his love for the game

The statue unveiling and dedication is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with on-field ceremonies scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel have issued a proclamation declaring Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 as “Marty Brennaman Day” in Ohio.

Spectrum News 1 had the opportunity to speak with Brennaman about his love for the game and what it means to him to secure a lasting place in Cincinnati’s history.

For Marty Brennaman, every night brought unique challenges and served as a chance to see something new. 

“This is the hardest sport of all to do because nothing happens until the pitcher throws the ball and you can’t sit there for 25 seconds and not say anything,” Brennaman said.

It’s an art form he mastered, but believe it or not, in the beginning the Virginia native never aspired to be a big league baseball broadcaster.

Despite working Spring training games, nothing was like April 4, 1974.  

“Nothing down there in Florida prepared me for working game 1 with 55,000 people at Riverfront stadium. I was awed by the crowd,” he said.

The feeling stuck, and over the years he’s witnessed history from the broadcast booth. 

“I was blessed to have so many great events, and I was at the microphone,” Brennaman said. “Pete Rose’s record breaking hit, Tom Browning’s perfect game, back in ’79 the only new hitter that Tom Seaver ever pitched in his big league career, and he’s one of the great pitchers of all time.”

“His ability to tell the story, to describe the action on the field, is unparalleled. What he’s been able to do for Reds fans for 46 years, bringing the game to your living rooms, to your automobiles, your backyards, and just wherever you were you could feel part of the game. That’s what made him so special, and I think why people revere him so much,” said Reds Hall of Fame Executive Director Rick Walls. 

“I’m as equally stunned today as I was when Rick Walls told me back in March that the next one was going to be yours and we were going to dedicate it and unveil it on September the 6th of this year,” Brennaman said. “I’m still having a hard time coming to grips with it.”

Over the decades, he’s watched baseball change and the city that become home. 

“Once they determine that you’re one of them, they will go to bat for you, and they will love you, and they will do whatever they can for you, but you, in turn, need to show how you feel,” Brennaman said.

“In the community, he has been a great ambassador for this team, and for the club and raised money for so many worthy charities, whether it’s the Reds Hall of Fame or the Reds Community fund, he’s always been there,” Walls said. 

It’s not just about the 46 years behind the mic.  

“I can’t imagine living anywhere where I could have been happier than Cincinnati Ohio. I love this city with a passion and the people here. There’s nobody that’s had a better career with a greater outcome that I had in all the years I did Reds baseball in this city,” he said.

In his retirement at age 83, Brennaman enjoys spending time with his wife and seeing broadway shows and traveling. 

The statue unveiling and dedication is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, prior to the Reds vs. Mets game at Great American Ball Park.

On-field ceremonies are scheduled to start at 6 p.m.