Mets Broadcaster Howie Rose to Retire After 2026 Season

Longtime New York Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose announced Thursday that he plans to retire at the end of the 2026 season, capping a 40-year career with the organization that has made him a beloved voice in New York sports.

Rose, 72, began his tenure with the Mets in 1987 as a pregame and postgame host on radio, occasionally filling in for play-by-play duties. He moved to television in 1996, serving as the team's lead announcer until 2003. Returning to radio in 2004, he partnered with Gary Cohen before assuming the lead play-by-play role in 2006, a position he has held since. Known for his signature call of "Put it in the books!" at the end of Mets victories, Rose was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2023.

A Queens native and lifelong Mets fan who attended games at Shea Stadium as a child, Rose reflected on his journey during an online news conference. "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," he said. "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...