List of Detroit Tigers broadcasters
The following is a list of Detroit Tigers broadcasters, past and present:
Radio
[edit]Current
[edit]The current flagship radio station for the Tigers is WXYT-FM, at 97.1 FM. [1] Dan Dickerson calls play-by-play.[2] Bobby Scales and Andy Dirks rotate as the primary color analysts as of the 2024 season.[3] The games are available online as well via Audacy. If a scheduling conflict occurs, WWJ is a substitute for its sister station.
Former flagships
[edit]WJR was the Tigers' radio flagship from 1964 to 2000. Other former Tigers flagships include WXYT (currently known as "The Bet Detroit") and WKMH (currently known as WDTW).
Former radio announcers
[edit]- Ty Tyson (1927–1942, 1951)
- Harry Heilmann (1934–1950)
- Paul Williams (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 (1995–1998)
- Jim Price (1998–2023)
- Al Kaline (2009, substitute analyst for select road games)[4]
- John Keating (2009, substitute analyst for select road games)[5]
- Dan Petry (2012, 2019, 2021–2022, substitute analyst for select games)[6]
- Ken Kal (2013, 2016, 2018, substitute play-by-play for select games)
- Dan Hasty (2021, substitute play-by-play for one road game)
- Austin Jackson (2021–2022, substitute analyst for select road games)
- Craig Monroe (2021–2023, substitute analyst for select road games)
- Alex Avila (2022, substitute analyst for select road games)
- Doug Fister (2022, substitute analyst for road doubleheader)
Broadcasters by year
[edit]2020s
[edit]| Year | Flagship stations | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary |
| 2024 | WXYT-FM | Dan Dickerson (primary) Greg Gania (substitute) |
Andy Dirks (home) Bobby Scales (away) |
| 2023 | Dan Dickerson | Jim Price | |
| 2022 | |||
| 2021 | |||
| 2020 |
2010s
[edit]| Year | Flagship stations | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary |
| 2019 | WXYT-FM | Dan Dickerson | Jim Price |
| 2018 | |||
| 2017 | |||
| 2016 | |||
| 2015 | |||
| 2014 | |||
| 2013 | |||
| 2012 | |||
| 2011 | |||
| 2010 |
2000s
[edit]| Year | Flagship stations | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary |
| 2009 | WXYT-FM | Dan Dickerson | Jim Price |
| 2008 | |||
| 2007 | WXYT | ||
| 2006 | |||
| 2005 | |||
| 2004 | |||
| 2003 | |||
| 2002 | Ernie Harwell Dan Dickerson |
Jim Price | |
| 2001 | |||
| 2000 | WJR |
1990s
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]| Year | Flagship stations | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play |
| 1959 | WKMH | Van Patrick | George Kell |
| 1958 | Mel Ott | ||
| 1957 | |||
| 1956 | |||
| 1955 | Dizzy Trout | ||
| 1954 | |||
| 1953 | |||
| 1952 | |||
| 1951 | WXYZ | Ty Tyson | Paul Williams |
| 1950 | Harry Heilmann |
Television
[edit]Current
[edit]The television rights are currently held by Bally Sports Detroit (formerly Fox Sports Detroit). Jason Benetti serves as the primary play-by-play announcer beginning in 2024,[7] while Craig Monroe is color commentator.
Pre-game and post-game show hosts and reporters include John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Cameron Maybin, and Johnny Kane, while Dan Petry provides studio analysis.
Former TV outlets
[edit]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
[edit]- 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)
- Larry Osterman (1967–1977, 1984–1992)
- Don Kremer (1975–1976)
- Al Kaline (1976–2001)
- Joe Pellegrino (1977–1978)
- Mike Barry (1978–1979)
- Larry Adderley (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)
- Jack Morris (2015–2016, 2019–2022)
- Matt Shepard (2019–2023)
Broadcasters by year
[edit]2020s
[edit]| Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary | Pre-Game Host |
| 2024 | Bally Sports App | Jason Benetti | Craig Monroe | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Cameron Maybin, Dan Petry, Johnny Kane |
| 2023 | Matt Shepard | Craig Monroe, Kirk Gibson, Austin Jackson, Dan Petry, Cameron Maybin, Todd Jones | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Johnny Kane, Natalie Kerwin, Dannie Rogers, Dan Petry, Cameron Maybin, Todd Jones | |
| 2022 | Matt Shepard | Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris, Austin Jackson, Craig Monroe, Dan Petry | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Brooke Fletcher, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Dan Petry | |
| 2021 | Matt Shepard | Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith | |
| 2020 | Fox Sports Go | Matt Shepard | Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith |
2010s
[edit]| Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary | Pre-Game Host |
| 2019 | Fox Sports Go | Matt Shepard | Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith |
| 2018 | Mario Impemba Matt Shepard |
Rod Allen (select games), Kirk Gibson (select games) | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith | |
| 2017 | Mario Impemba | |||
| 2016 | Rod Allen (select games), Kirk Gibson (select games), Jack Morris (select games) | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane | ||
| 2015 | Fox Sports Detroit | John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Craig Monroe | ||
| 2014 | Rod Allen | |||
| 2013 | John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Craig Monroe | |||
| 2012 | John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson, Craig Monroe | |||
| 2011 | John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson | |||
| 2010 |
2000s
[edit]| Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary | Pre-Game Host |
| 2009 | Fox Sports Detroit |
Mario Impemba | Rod Allen | John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson |
| 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
[edit]| 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 | PASS Sports WDIV-TV |
Jim Price and Jim Northrup Al Kaline |
John Keating Van Earl Wright | |
| 1993 | Jim Price George Kell |
Jim Northrup Al Kaline |
John Keating Bernie Smilovitz | |
| 1992 | Larry Osterman George Kell |
Pat Caputo Bernie Smilovitz | ||
| 1991 | ||||
| 1990 |
1980s
[edit]| Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary |
| 1989 | PASS Sports WDIV-TV |
Larry Osterman 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 |
Larry Adderley George Kell |
Norm Cash and Hank Aguirre Al Kaline |
| 1982 | |||
| 1981 | |||
| 1980 | WDIV-TV | George Kell | Al Kaline |
1970s
[edit]| Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play |
| 1979 | WDIV-TV | George Kell | Al Kaline and Mike Barry |
| 1978 | WWJ-TV | Al Kaline, Joe Pellegrino and Mike Barry | |
| 1977 | Larry Osterman, Al Kaline and Joe Pellegrino | ||
| 1976 | Larry Osterman, Don Kremer and Al Kaline | ||
| 1975 | Larry Osterman and Don Kremer | ||
| 1974 | WJBK | Larry Osterman | |
| 1973 | |||
| 1972 | |||
| 1971 | |||
| 1970 |
1960s
[edit]| Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play |
| 1969 | WJBK | George Kell | Larry Osterman |
| 1968 | |||
| 1967 | |||
| 1966 | Ray Lane | ||
| 1965 | |||
| 1964 | Ernie Harwell | Bob Scheffing | |
| 1963 | George Kell | Ernie Harwell | |
| 1962 | |||
| 1961 | |||
| 1960 |
1950s
[edit]| 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
[edit]- ^ Detroit Tigers Radio Affiliates
- ^ Detroit Tigers Broadcasters' Biographies
- ^ Scheidel, Marthew (February 13, 2024). "Detroit Tigers set TV, radio announcer lineup for 2024 season". Motor City Bengals. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ Kerzel, Pete (May 28, 2009). "Kaline filling in for Dickerson on radio". MLB.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Petzold, Evan (November 9, 2023). "Jason Benetti signs multi-year contract with Detroit Tigers as TV play-by-play broadcaster". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
