Longtime New York Mets broadcaster Howie Rose announced on Thursday that the 2026 MLB season will be his final one behind the microphone.
“Now trust me, I did not arrive at this decision to retire easily,” Rose said in a message posted on social media. “I’ve been going back and forth in my mind about it for the last few years. But the simple reality is that I’m 72 years old and my wife Barbara, who has sacrificed so much, for so long deserves to have her husband around a little more often — whether she likes it or not.”
Rose, who has called Mets games in various capacities since 1995, has cut back on his schedule over the past few seasons due to health issues related to a 2021 bladder cancer diagnosis. This season, he said he will call all 81 Mets home games, plus their three away games against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
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Should the Mets make the playoffs, Rose said he will call every home and away game for as far as the team goes. He noted that he embraces his annual role as on-field MC for Opening Day and would like to end his career doing similar duty during a World Series parade at City Hall in New York City.
Rose began his broadcasting career in 1975 and has also been known for his work behind the mic with the NHL’s New York Rangers and New York Islanders. His call of Stéphane Matteau’s overtime goal against the New Jersey Devils that sent the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final is legendary.
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On the baseball side, Rose’s most recent memorable call was Pete Alonso’s home run during Game 3 of the 2024 NL Wild Card series between the Mets and Milwaukee Brewers.
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