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."