Bob Costas retires from MLB play-by-play duties after 4-plus decades

Bob Costas is retiring as a Major League Baseball play-by-play caller, marking the end of a legendary run in which he became synonymous with the game over four decades and earned a place in the broadcasting wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Costas confirmed the news Thursday when reached by The Athleticbut said he would prefer to address the decision and his MLB play-by-play career at a later date. His last game broadcast on TBS was the New York Yankees’ Game 4 clincher in the American League Divison Series. Costas vaguely insinuated that it might be his final call toward the end of the broadcast.

Costas, 72, 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. 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.

In 2020, Costas joined CNN at the urging of Jeff Zucker, the leader of the network. When Zucker also took over control of what is now known as TNT Sports, he enlisted Costas for baseball.

Costas and Zucker have a long history together, dating to when Zucker, fresh out of Harvard, was an Olympic researcher for Costas in 1988.

During the TBS playoffs, Costas called the Yankees’ series and drew a lot of attention due to his profile and the perception, especially among some on social media, that he wasn’t as on top of the action as he once was and lacked some enthusiasm on some big moments.

Costas has recognized that his play-by-play fell shy of the standard he set for himself when he first really joined the baseball game-calling scene during his popular partnership with Tony Kubek on NBC in the 1980s.

Costas called his first MLB game for NBC 44 years ago. Over his decades in the game, he was on the mic for three World Series and 10 league championships.

He also worked as a play-by-play or host on an array of those events, plus divisional round playoffs and All-Star games. Costas won the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcast excellence from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.

After leaving NBC in 2019, Zucker recruited Costas for CNN and TBS, which is now under the TNT Sports umbrella. Costas hosted its postseason playoff coverage and then moved into the play-by-play role. Costas replaced Don Orsillo.

While Brian Anderson remained the TNT Sports’ top MLB game-caller, Costas would usually receive the more high-profile assignment during the divisional round series. This year, for example, Costas was on the Yankees-Kansas City Royals divisional round series, while Anderson worked the Cleveland Guardians–Detroit Tigers.

Costas will continue with MLB Network, though, not on play-by-play. He had called the network’s “Showcase” telecasts since the inception of the network in 2009.

Besides appearing on other shows, he has fronted programs like “Studio 42 with Bob Costas,” “MLB’s Greatest Games” and “Costas at the Movies.”

When MLBN began on New Year’s Day, 2009, Costas followed a never-before-seen replay of Don Larsen’s 1956 perfect game by interviewing the Yankees battery of Larsen and Yogi Berra.

TNT Sports will now search for a Costas play-by-play replacement for its regular season and playoff coverage.

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(Photo: Alex Trautwig / MLB via Getty Images)