Howie Rose signed off from his final New York Mets radio broadcast Sunday after 32 seasons, fighting back tears as Citi Field fans chanted his name during a 7-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. The 72-year-old play-by-play voice called the Mets’ last home game of 2026 on ESPN New York 880 after rain forced the team to postpone a planned pregame retirement ceremony until Opening Weekend 2027.
An announced crowd of 33,611 still turned the meaningless late-season contest into a farewell. After the eighth inning, the public-address system played the Beatles’ “Hello, Goodbye.” Fans faced the radio booth and chanted “Howie Rose” as the ninth began. Rose’s voice cracked on air. He reached for tissues, joking that Rangers great Mark Messier had long ago advised him to pack Kleenex for moments like this.
“It’s not goodbye as far as I’m concerned,” he told listeners. “I’ll still be here for the ceremonies, and I don’t mean the retirement ceremonies. I mean Opening Day, and when we have Mets Hall of Fame Day, or retire a number, have an Old Timers’ Day. So I’m stepping away. It’s basically a retirement.”
Team president of business operations Lew Sherr said the club moved the formal tribute because of the weather forecast. “Howie Rose is more than a broadcaster to this organization. He is a part of the fabric of the New York Mets,” Sherr said. Rose agreed with the delay, saying next year’s ceremony would feel like a party rather than a somber sendoff.
Rose joined Mets coverage in 1987 as a reporter on WFAN’s “Mets Extra,” became a regular voice in 1995, and served as the club’s lead radio announcer from 2006. He also called Rangers and Islanders hockey. His signature Mets calls include Mike Piazza’s post-9/11 home run, Johan Santana’s 2012 no-hitter, and late pennant and playoff moments. His catchphrase — “Put it in the books!” — defined generations of Mets radio.
He announced before the 2026 season that it would be his last full year in the booth, citing fading motivation even as he believed he could still work at a high level. Sunday closed the chapter. The party, he said, will wait until April.