Bob Costas Retiring From MLB Play-By-Play Brings Mixed Reactions
Legendary sportscaster Bob Costas announced his retirement from baseball play-by-play Thursday after more than four decades of calling games. While he will still remain as a contributor for MLB Network on select programming, his days in the broadcast booth appear behind him, with his last assignment being the Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees American League Division Series this postseason.
Costas is a legend in the sportscasting industry, but his legacy as a play-by-play man has been divisive over the last decade. The immediate reaction to the news brought out fitting tributes to his contributions from many who have worked with him or were inspired to be like him.
I *will* use Bob Costas’ play by play retirement to re-up the greatest college football open ever: Notre Dame-FSU 1993. I asked Bob about this a few years ago and he said unlike every other open he did, a producer wrote this: Bill Bonnell, now at ESPN. Thank you Bill and Bob. pic.twitter.com/n1aw3hTknv
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) October 31, 2024
Congratulations to Bob Costas on announcing his retirement from a legendary MLB play-calling career!
We were proud to induct the Commack native into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. Thanks for making Suffolk County proud, Bob! 🎙 pic.twitter.com/DxHnbWwjFr
— Chris R. Vaccaro (@ChrisVaccaro) November 1, 2024
Say what you want. In the 80s i wanted to BE Bob Costas. He was great at his craft & has forgotten more baseball than I can remember.
Has he slipped & not adjusted to the newer generation of fans? Probably.
I’ve said for 10 years we’d all be better off if he was commissioner https://t.co/y0L2BLCShK
— Lee W (@lee_w18) October 31, 2024
One of the best to ever do it!! Thank you for all the advice, and thankful for doing a game with you Bob Costas @MLB @MLBNetwork pic.twitter.com/jiDtV6Dl2N
— Yonder Alonso (@YonderalonsoU) October 31, 2024
Costas has long been known for his eloquence and almost poetic approach to broadcasting. He has been known on occasion to inject this style into his play-by-play, which has produced some of the more unique moments in baseball play-by-play history.
One of the greatest and most out of pocket broadcasting moments in baseball history. Thank you Bob Costas 🙏🏻 https://t.co/4gkao02u7S pic.twitter.com/G35xtwGMds
— Jacob Zanolla (@jacobzanolla) October 31, 2024
Some fans even took the opportunity to poke fun at his departure by channeling his cadence.
“As Pericles said in his funeral oration, ‘I have paid the required tribute, in obedience to the law, making use of such fitting words as I had’. High and outside, ball two.”
— Frank Caliva (@frank_caliva) October 31, 2024
BOB COSTAS: “For all their faults. I am passing out. O bitter ending! I’ll slip away before they’re up. They’ll never see. Nor know. Nor miss me.” Like the inimitable Joyce did with Finnegans Wake, I, too, am struggling with an ending. I am retiring an-
RON DARLING: Okay, bye. https://t.co/RDpNaqnqog pic.twitter.com/2qmp0PDkJg
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) October 31, 2024
Despite his 40-plus years of dedication to the game, there certainly was no love lost from some on social media, with many feeling his time had passed as a preeminent voice in the game.
Not Yankees fans single handedly getting rid of Angel Hernandez and Bob Costas this season. pic.twitter.com/jZEU0hcij9
— moon child🌙✨ (@mrdarthdarcy) October 31, 2024
Me trying to stop Bob Costas from retiring pic.twitter.com/oVkyX0QLwU
— Driving Crooner (@drvncrnr) October 31, 2024
I don’t have a problem with bob costas
But for the last few years his calls have sounded too robotic.
I feel like I’m playing MLB the show when I watch his games https://t.co/06UFJDwONb
— dairy-free christ biscuit™️ 🌐 (@RailBourbon) November 1, 2024
Bob Costas: So, as the winds of change blow in many directions, and just like our ancestors faced difficult and life-altering decisions and witnessed the falls of many empires, I too must decide to seize this moment and end my legendary career.
Ron Darling: Ball looked outside.
— Ryan Fisher (@RealRyanFisher) October 31, 2024
Regardless of the criticism, many have recognized the 44-year veteran’s retirement is the end of an era, and have made sure to appreciate his accomplishments.
One of the greatest to ever do it. Sorry social media haters. And the last vestige of the NBC Game of the Week https://t.co/bpTDurHBZT
— John Perrotto (@JPerrotto) October 31, 2024
