Bob Costas is retiring from MLB play-by-play duties after more than four decades

Bob Costas is retiring as Major League Baseball's play-by-play caller, marking the end of a legendary career in which he became synonymous with the game over four decades and earned a spot in the broadcast wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame secured.

Costas confirmed the news when reached by us on Thursday The athletebut said he would prefer to discuss the decision and his MLB play-by-play career at a later date. His last game broadcast on TBS was the New York Yankees' deciding Game 4 in the American League Division Series. Towards the end of the broadcast, Costas vaguely hinted that it might be his last call.

Costas, 72, will continue his emeritus work at MLB Network, where he contributes as an analyst to several shows, including historic events such as the Hall of Fame announcement. He has been MLBN's lead play-by-play voice for games since the network's inception 15 years ago, but will also be relinquishing that role.

The decision to retire was made by Costas before the season, which coincided with the end of his contract, according to sources informed of the decision.

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In 2020, Costas moved to CNN at the urging of Jeff Zucker, the network's head. When Zucker also took control of what is now TNT Sports, he hired Costas to play baseball.

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

During the TBS playoffs, Costas called the Yankees' series and attracted a lot of attention due to his profile and the perception, particularly by some on social media, that he was no longer as up to date as he once was and that he was on to something lacked enthusiasm for some big moments.

Costas has recognized that his play-by-play falls short of the standard he set for himself when he first really got into baseball game calling during his popular partnership with Tony Kubek on NBC in the 1980s. Scene started.

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

He also worked as a play-by-play or announcer at a number of these events, as well as divisional round playoffs and All-Star games. Costas won the Baseball Hall of Fame's 2018 Ford C. Frick Award for Outstanding Broadcasting Achievement.

After leaving NBC in 2019, Zucker recruited Costas to CNN and TBS, now under the TNT Sports umbrella. Costas anchored the postseason playoff coverage and then took over the play-by-play role. Costas replaced Don Orsillo.

While Brian Anderson remained TNT Sports' top MLB player, Costas typically received the more prominent assignment during the divisional round series. This year, for example, Costas took part in the Yankees-Kansas City Royals divisional round series, while Anderson worked for the Cleveland Guardians-Detroit Tigers.

However, Costas will continue on MLB Network, not in play-by-play mode. Since the station's founding in 2009, he has called the station's shows “Showcase”.

In addition to appearing on other shows, he has hosted programs such as “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 an unprecedented replay of Don Larsen's 1956 perfect game by interviewing the Yankees squad of Larsen and Yogi Berra.

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

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(Photo: Alex Trautwig / MLB via Getty Images)