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 | |||
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 |
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 | 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)
Broadcasters by year[]
2020s[]
Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary | Pre-Game Host |
2021 | Bally Sports Detroit |
Matt Shepard | Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith |
2020 | Fox Sports Detroit |
Matt Shepard | Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith |
2010s[]
Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary | Pre-Game Host |
2019 | Fox Sports Detroit | Matt Shepard | Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris | John Keating, , , Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith |
2018 | Mario Impemba Matt Shepard |
Rod Allen (select games), Kirk Gibson (select games) | John Keating, , , , Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith | |
2017 | Mario Impemba | |||
2016 | Rod Allen (select games), Kirk Gibson (select games), Jack Morris (select games) | John Keating, , , , Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane | ||
2015 | John Keating, , , , Craig Monroe | |||
2014 | Rod Allen | |||
2013 | John Keating, , Ryan Field, , , Craig Monroe | |||
2012 | John Keating, , Ryan Field, , Craig Monroe | |||
2011 | John Keating, , Ryan Field, | |||
2010 |
2000s[]
Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary | Pre-Game Host |
2009 | Fox Sports Detroit |
Mario Impemba | Rod Allen | John Keating, , Ryan Field, |
2008 | ||||
2007 | Fox Sports Detroit WJBK |
John Keating None | ||
2006 | Fox Sports Detroit WMYD | |||
2005 | Fox Sports Detroit | John Keating | ||
2004 | ||||
2003 | Fox Sports Detroit WKBD-TV |
Mario Impemba Frank Beckmann |
Rod Allen Jack Morris |
John Keating Ray Lane |
2002 | Kirk Gibson Lance Parrish | |||
2001 | Josh Lewin Frank Beckmann |
Kirk Gibson Al Kaline | ||
2000 | Kirk Gibson, Tom Paciorek Al Kaline |
1990s[]
Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary | Pre-Game Host |
1999 | Fox Sports Detroit WKBD-TV |
Josh Lewin Frank Beckmann |
Kirk Gibson Al Kaline |
John Keating Ray Lane |
1998 | Josh Lewin Ernie Harwell | |||
1997 | Ernie Harwell | Jim Price and Fred McLeod Al Kaline and Jim Price | ||
1996 | PASS Sports WKBD-TV |
Ernie Harwell George Kell |
Jim Price and Fred McLeod Al Kaline | |
1995 | ||||
1994 | Jim Price and Jim Northrup Al Kaline |
John Keating Van Earl Wright | ||
1993 | Jim Price George Kell |
Jim Northrup Al Kaline |
John Keating | |
1992 | George Kell |
Pat Caputo | ||
1991 | ||||
1990 |
1980s[]
Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary |
1989 | PASS Sports WDIV-TV |
George Kell |
Jim Northrup Al Kaline |
1988 | |||
1987 | |||
1986 | |||
1985 | Bill Freehan and Jim Northrup Al Kaline | ||
1984 | Bill Freehan Al Kaline | ||
1983 | ONTV WDIV-TV |
George Kell |
Norm Cash and Hank Aguirre Al Kaline |
1982 | |||
1981 | |||
1980 | WDIV-TV | George Kell | Al Kaline |
1970s[]
Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play |
1979 | WDIV-TV | George Kell | Al Kaline and |
1978 | WWJ-TV | Al Kaline, and Mike Barry | |
1977 | , Al Kaline and | ||
1976 | , and Al Kaline | ||
1975 | and | ||
1974 | WJBK | ||
1973 | |||
1972 | |||
1971 | |||
1970 |
1960s[]
Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play |
1969 | WJBK | George Kell | |
1968 | |||
1967 | |||
1966 | Ray Lane | ||
1965 | |||
1964 | Ernie Harwell | Bob Scheffing | |
1963 | George Kell | Ernie Harwell | |
1962 | |||
1961 | |||
1960 |
1950s[]
Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play |
1959 | WJBK | Van Patrick | George Kell |
1958 | Mel Ott | ||
1957 | |||
1956 | |||
1955 | Dizzy Trout | ||
1954 | |||
1953 | WWJ-TV | ||
1952 | |||
1951 | Harry Heilmann | Ty Tyson | |
1950 |
References[]
- ^ Detroit Tigers Radio Affiliates
- ^ Detroit Tigers Broadcasters' Biographies
- ^ Kerzel, Pete (May 28, 2009). "Kaline filling in for Dickerson on radio". MLB.com.
- ^ Kornacki, Steve (June 8, 2009). "John Keating taking radio announcer Dan Dickerson's place at Tigers' road games". MLive.com.
- ^ Iott, Chris (May 7, 2012). "Detroit Tigers radio analyst Jim Price to miss nine-game road trip". MLive.com.
- ^ Beck, Jason (January 15, 2019). "Gibson, Morris join Tigers broadcasting team". MLB.com. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ Bengel, Chris (August 19, 2021). "Tigers broadcaster Jack Morris suspended indefinitely after using fake accent before Shohei Ohtani at-bat". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
External links[]
- Lists of Major League Baseball broadcasters
- Detroit Tigers announcers
- Detroit Tigers lists
- Fox Sports Networks
- Bally Sports
- CBS Radio Sports