List of Detroit Tigers broadcasters

The following is a list of Detroit Tigers broadcasters, past and present:

Radio[]

Current[]

The current flagship radio stations for the Detroit Tigers are WXYT, at 1270 AM, and WXYT-FM, at 97.1, both sports stations.^[1] Dan Dickerson calls play-by-play while former Tiger catcher Jim Price serves as color analyst; both double as pre-game and post-game show hosts.^[2] The games are simulcast on both stations unless there is a conflict with Detroit Red Wings hockey or Detroit Lions football.

Former flagships[]

WJR was the Tigers' flagship station from 1964-2000. Other former Tigers flagships include WWJ, WXYT (currently known as "CBS Sports Radio 1270") and WKMH (currently known as WDTW off the air since 2013).

Former radio announcers[]

Ty Tyson (1927–1942, 1951)
Harry Heilmann (1934–1950)
(1951)
Van Patrick (1952–1959)
Dizzy Trout (1953–1955)
Mel Ott (1956–1958)
George Kell (1959–1963)
Ernie Harwell (1960–1991, 1993, 1999–2002)
Bob Scheffing (1964)
Gene Osborn (1965–1966)
Ray Lane (1967–1972)
Paul Carey (1973–1991)
Rick Rizzs (1992–1994)
Bob Rathbun (1992–1994)
Frank Beckmann (1995–1998)
Lary Sorensen (1995–June 1998)
Al Kaline (2009, substitute analyst for several road games)^[3]
John Keating (2009, substitute analyst for several road games)^[4]
Dan Petry (2012, 2019 & 2021 substitute analyst for several home and road games)^[5]
Andy Dirks (2019 substitute analyst for doubleheader)
Craig Monroe (2021 substitute analyst for several road games)
Austin Jackson (2021 substitute analyst for several road games)

Broadcasters by year[]

2020s[]

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary
2021	WXYT / WXYT-FM	Dan Dickerson	Jim Price
2020

2010s[]

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary
2019	WXYT / WXYT-FM	Dan Dickerson	Jim Price
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010

2000s[]

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary
2009	WXYT / WXYT-FM	Dan Dickerson	Jim Price
2008	WXYT / WXYT-FM
2007	WXYT
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002		Ernie Harwell Dan Dickerson	Jim Price
2001
2000	WJR

1990s[]

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1999	WJR	Ernie Harwell	Jim Price
1998		Frank Beckmann	Lary Sorensen (April–June) Jim Price (June–September)
1997			Lary Sorensen
1996
1995
1994		Rick Rizzs	Bob Rathbun
1993		Rick Rizzs Ernie Harwell
1992		Rick Rizzs
1991		Ernie Harwell	Paul Carey
1990		Ernie Harwell	Paul Carey

1980s[]

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1989	WJR	Ernie Harwell	Paul Carey
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980

1970s[]

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1979	WJR	Ernie Harwell	Paul Carey
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972			Ray Lane
1971
1970

1960s[]

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1969	WJR	Ernie Harwell	Ray Lane
1968
1967
1966			Gene Osborn
1965
1964			Bob Scheffing
1963	WKMH	George Kell	Ernie Harwell
1962
1961
1960

1950s[]

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1959	WKMH	Van Patrick	George Kell
1958			Mel Ott
1957
1956
1955
1954
1953
1952
1951	WXYZ	Ty Tyson
1950	WXYZ	Harry Heilmann

Television[]

Current[]

The television rights are currently held by Bally Sports Detroit (formerly Fox Sports Detroit). Matt Shepard serves as the play-by-play announcer, while Kirk Gibson and Jack Morris serve as color commentators.^[6] Morris was 'indefinitely suspended' by Bally Sports Detroit on August 19, 2021 after speaking in what Bally called an 'offensive accent' while Los Angeles Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was at bat.^[7]

Pre-game and post-game show hosts and reporters include John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, and Johnny Kane, while Craig Monroe and Dan Petry provide studio analysis.

Former TV outlets[]

The Tigers have spent most of their broadcast televised history across two of Detroit's heritage "Big Three" network stations, WJBK (Channel 2, Fox; formerly with CBS from 1948 to 1994) and WDIV (Channel 4, NBC; originally WWJ-TV from 1947 to 1978), as well as two of the market's former legacy independent stations, WMYD (Channel 20, formerly WXON-TV and WDWB) and WKBD (Channel 50). Channel 4 was the original Tiger television outlet, carrying games from 1947 to 1952, and again for a twenty-season run from 1975 to 1994. Channel 4, at least during a time when NBC's ratings were sagging during the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, was one of a handful of the network's affiliates that was either a primary outlet or an affiliate of the local/regional baseball team.

Significant in the Tiger broadcasting network were television stations owned by Tigers' owner John Fetzer, including WKZO-TV (now WWMT) in Kalamazoo, WLNS in Lansing, WJRT in Flint, WWTV and WWUP-TV in northern Michigan, and even some television stations in Nebraska, namely KOLN-TV in Lincoln and its satellite in Grand Island, Nebraska.

WJBK took over the Tigers telecasts starting with the 1953 season, and carried games until the end of the 1974 season; since 2007, the station simulcasts the team's home opener each season from Fox Sports Detroit. WKBD, for many years known as Detroit's leading independent TV station, as well as the longtime over-the-air TV home of the Red Wings and Pistons, televised Tigers games starting in 1995 (when it was an UPN owned-and-operated station) until 2003. WMYD televised selected Tigers games only for the 2006 season, and as WXON-TV and the local affiliate of the ONTV subscription TV service, Channel 20 also showed the team's games from 1981 to 1983.

Pro-Am Sports System (PASS), originally started in 1982, became the regional cable outlet for the Tigers starting in 1984, after the network was purchased by then-Tigers team owner Tom Monaghan. Monaghan sold PASS to Post-Newsweek Stations (now Graham Media Group) in 1992, after he sold the Tigers to local pizza magnate and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch. PASS, thereafter, re-located its operations to the WDIV studio/office facility in Downtown Detroit. PASS shut down operations in 1997, after the Red Wings, Tigers, and Pistons all elected to sign-with and helped launch Fox Sports Detroit.

Former TV announcers[]

Ty Tyson (1947–1952)
Harry Heilmann (1947–1950)
Van Patrick (1953–1959)
Dizzy Trout (1953–1955)
Mel Ott (1956–1958)
George Kell (1959–1963, 1965–1996)
Ernie Harwell (1960–1964, 1994–1998)
Bob Scheffing (1964)
Ray Lane (1965–1966, 1999–2003)
(1967–1977, 1984–1992)
(1975–1976)
Al Kaline (1976–2001)
(1977–1978)
Mike Barry (1978–1979)
(1981–1983)
Hank Aguirre (1981–1983)
Norm Cash (1981–1983)
Bill Freehan (1984–1985)
Jim Northrup (1985–1994)
Jim Price (1993–1997)
Fred McLeod (1995–1997)
Josh Lewin (1998–2001)
Frank Beckmann (1999–2003)
Tom Paciorek (2000)
Lance Parrish (2002)
Mario Impemba (2002–2018)
Rod Allen (2003–2018)