View Full Version : Bob Costas announces he's retiring as a Major League Baseball play-by-play caller


TMC
10-31-2024, 07:58 PM
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5888765/2024/10/31/bob-costas-mlb-retirement-play-by-play/

Costas, 72, is stepping away (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/bob-costas-retires.html) from MLB broadcasting (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/10/bob-costas-retiring-mlb-play-by-play/) after calling his first MLB game for NBC 44 years ago. His career includes three World Series and 10 league championships. His last game broadcast on TBS was the New York Yankees’ Game 4 clincher in the American League Division Series. Costas "will continue with his emeritus work at MLB Network, where he contributes to several shows as an analyst, including on historical events, like the Hall of Fame announcement," according to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand. "He has been MLBN’s lead play-by-play voice on games since the network’s inception 15 years ago, but will cede that role, as well. The decision to retire was made by Costas prior to the season, which coincided with his contract ending, according to sources briefed on the decision."

TMC
11-05-2024, 02:10 AM
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Bob Costas sat down with Tom Verducci to talk about his decision (https://www.reddit.com/r/KCRoyals/comments/1ggq2sh/bob_costas_retiring_from_baseball_playbyplay/) to (https://www.reddit.com/r/NYYankees/comments/1ggwbx5/bob_costas_retires_as_mlb_playbyplay_voice_after/) retire (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1ggm4pl/bob_costas_retires_from_mlb_playbyplay_duties/) from play-by-play (https://www.reddit.com/r/sports/comments/1ggqeko/bob_costas_retiring_from_baseball_playbyplay/) announcing (https://archive.506sports.com/wiki/MLB) and reflect on his Hall of Fame career.

TMC
09-23-2025, 08:06 PM
Alex Faust named Bob Costas’ successor for TNT Sports’s MLB playoffs coverage (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/alex-faust-bob-costas-successor-tnt-sports.html)

The 36-year-old announcer will team with Ron Darling for TNT Sports' divisional round coverage after Costas retired following 44 years of calling baseball.

By Sam Neumann on 09/22/2025

Alex Faust is getting his shot at the big stage.

The 36-year-old broadcaster will take over Bob Costas’ MLB playoff play-by-play role at TNT Sports, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6652199/2025/09/22/tnt-sports-mlb-playoffs-bob-costas-alex-faust/). Faust already has connections to the network through his NHL coverage for TNT Sports and his work calling French Open matches.

Costas stepped away from baseball play-by-play (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/bob-costas-retires.html) after calling the Yankees-Royals ALDS last year, ending a legendary 44-year run that included three World Series and 10 league championships. The Hall of Fame broadcaster admitted he couldn’t consistently reach his past standard, saying he had “too much regard for the game, for the craft” (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/bob-costas-addresses-retirement-decision.html) to perform below his lifetime average.

Faust, a Brooklyn native, graduated from Northeastern University in 2012 and began his career by calling college games on the student radio station before transitioning to a data analyst role. He left the corporate world to pursue broadcasting full-time, working his way up through freelance assignments with NBC Sports, NESN, and ESPN.

The 36-year-old gained recognition as the Los Angeles Kings’ television voice from 2017-23 before the team declined to renew his contract when they restructured their broadcast operations (https://www.latimes.com/sports/hockey/story/2023-06-05/kings-tv-radio-broadcasts-alex-faust). He currently calls Friday Night Baseball for Apple TV+ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/alex-faust-criticized-inaccurate-home-run-call.html) and serves as the radio voice of the New York Rangers.

Brian Anderson remains TNT Sports’ lead MLB voice and will handle the National League Championship Series alongside Ron Darling and Jeff Francoeur. In the divisional round, Anderson is expected to work with Francoeur while Darling teams up with Faust.

That would put Faust in a position to build chemistry with one of baseball’s most experienced broadcast analysts. Darling has been TNT Sports’ lead game analyst since 2008 and recently signed a multiyear extension with the network (https://awfulannouncing.com/tnt-sports/ron-darling-mlb-multiyear-extension.html).

Costas stepped away after 44 years, saying he couldn’t consistently reach his past standard. His final series calling, Yankees-Royals, drew criticism for focusing too much on George Brett stories (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/tbs-broadcast-royals-yankees-obsessed-george-brett.html).

TMC
01-22-2026, 08:15 PM
Bob Costas returning to NBC Sports to host Sunday Night Baseball pregame show (https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/bob-costas-nbc-return-sunday-night-baseball-pre-game-show-1236637906/)

Costas, who left NBC in 2019 two years after stepping away from NBC Sports‘ Olympics coverage, will return (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/bob-costas-sunday-night-baseball-studio-host.html) to his longtime home (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2026/01/bob-costas-returns-to-nbc-mlb-host-nba-contributor/) on March 26 as host (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1qjxsmd/deitsch_bob_costas_who_spent_nearly_four_decades/) of NBC (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/espn-opts-out-of-mlb-deal.2988289/post-203660771)’s Sunday Night Baseball pregame show (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1qjzxiz/bob_costas_73_will_host_nbcs_new_sunday_night/).

TMC
02-02-2026, 08:38 PM
Bob Costas returning to NBC Sports to host Sunday Night Baseball pregame show (https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/bob-costas-nbc-return-sunday-night-baseball-pre-game-show-1236637906/)

Costas, who left NBC in 2019 two years after stepping away from NBC Sports‘ Olympics coverage, will return (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/bob-costas-sunday-night-baseball-studio-host.html) to his longtime home (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2026/01/bob-costas-returns-to-nbc-mlb-host-nba-contributor/) on March 26 as host (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1qjxsmd/deitsch_bob_costas_who_spent_nearly_four_decades/) of NBC (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/espn-opts-out-of-mlb-deal.2988289/post-203660771)’s Sunday Night Baseball pregame show (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1qjzxiz/bob_costas_73_will_host_nbcs_new_sunday_night/).

Bob Costas clarifies he won’t be studio host in new MLB on NBC role (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/bob-costas-nbc-baseball-emeritus-role.html)

Famed broadcaster Bob Costas returns to the Sports Media Watch Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bob-costas-on-his-return-to-nbc-his-role-his-future-and-more/id1670516721?i=1000747478472) to discuss his new emeritus role with NBC Sports and what viewers can expect. In a discussion with Jon Lewis, co-host Armand Broady and producer Derek Futterman, Costas details the extent of his return, previews his debut on Sunday's Lakers-Knicks pregame, explains why he will not return to -play-by-play, and discusses some general sports media topics.