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

2000s

Year Flagship stations Play-by-Play Color Commentary
2018 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2017 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2016 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2015 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2014 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2013 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2012 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2011 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2010 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2009 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2008 WXYT / WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2007 WXYT Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2006 WXYT Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2005 WXYT Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2004 WXYT Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2003 WXYT Dan Dickerson Jim Price
2002 WXYT Ernie Harwell
Dan Dickerson
Jim Price
2001 WXYT Ernie Harwell
Dan Dickerson
Jim Price
2000 WJR Ernie Harwell
Dan Dickerson
Jim Price

1990s

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

1980s

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

1970s

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

1960s

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

1950s

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

Television

Current

The television rights are currently held by Fox Sports Detroit, in an exclusive contract that runs until 2018.[6] Matt Shepard and Kirk Gibson will become the full-time announcers in 2019, after primary announcers Mario Impemba and Rod Allen were let go after an alleged physical altercation in September 2018.[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 provides 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, 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

2000s

Year Network Play-by-Play Color Commentary Pre-Game Host
2018 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba Rod Allen (select games), Kirk Gibson (select games) John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith 2017 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba Rod Allen (select games), Kirk Gibson (select games) John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Craig Monroe, Johnny Kane, Kristen Keith
2016 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba 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
Mario Impemba Rod Allen (select games), Kirk Gibson (select games), Jack Morris (select games) John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Craig Monroe
2014 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Craig Monroe
2013 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Craig Monroe
2012 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson, Craig Monroe
2011 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson
2010 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson
2009 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson
2008 Fox Sports Detroit
Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating, Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson
2007 Fox Sports Detroit
WJBK
Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating
None
2006 Fox Sports Detroit
WMYD
Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating
None
2005 Fox Sports Detroit Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating
2004 Fox Sports Detroit Mario Impemba Rod Allen John Keating
2003 Fox Sports Detroit
WKBD-TV
Mario Impemba
Frank Beckmann
Rod Allen
Jack Morris
John Keating
Ray Lane
2002 Fox Sports Detroit
WKBD-TV
Mario Impemba
Frank Beckmann
Kirk Gibson
Lance Parrish
John Keating
Ray Lane
2001 Fox Sports Detroit
WKBD-TV
Josh Lewin
Frank Beckmann
Kirk Gibson
Al Kaline
John Keating
Ray Lane
2000 Fox Sports Detroit
WKBD-TV
Josh Lewin
Frank Beckmann
Kirk Gibson, Tom Paciorek
Al Kaline
John Keating
Ray Lane

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 Fox Sports Detroit
WKBD-TV
Josh Lewin
Ernie Harwell
Kirk Gibson
Al Kaline
John Keating
Ray Lane
1997 Fox Sports Detroit
WKBD-TV
Ernie Harwell Jim Price and Fred McLeod
Al Kaline and Jim Price
John Keating
Ray Lane
1996 PASS Sports
WKBD-TV
Ernie Harwell
George Kell
Jim Price and Fred McLeod
Al Kaline
John Keating
Ray Lane
1995 PASS Sports
WKBD-TV
Ernie Harwell
George Kell
Jim Price and Fred McLeod
Al Kaline
John Keating
Ray Lane
1994 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Ernie Harwell
George Kell
Jim Price and Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
John Keating
Van Earl Wright
1993 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Jim Price
George Kell
Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
John Keating
Bernie Smilovitz
1992 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Larry Osterman
George Kell
Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
Pat Caputo
Bernie Smilovitz
1991 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Larry Osterman
George Kell
Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
Pat Caputo
Bernie Smilovitz
1990 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Larry Osterman
George Kell
Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
Pat Caputo
Bernie Smilovitz

1980s

Year Network Play-by-Play Color Commentary
1989 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Larry Osterman
George Kell
Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
1988 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Larry Osterman
George Kell
Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
1987 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Larry Osterman
George Kell
Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
1986 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Larry Osterman
George Kell
Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
1985 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Larry Osterman
George Kell
Bill Freehan and Jim Northrup
Al Kaline
1984 PASS Sports
WDIV-TV
Larry Osterman
George Kell
Bill Freehan
Al Kaline
1983 ONTV
WDIV-TV
Larry Adderley
George Kell
Norm Cash and Hank Aguirre
Al Kaline
1982 ONTV
WDIV-TV
Larry Adderley
George Kell
Norm Cash and Hank Aguirre
Al Kaline
1981 ONTV
WDIV-TV
Larry Adderley
George Kell
Norm Cash and Hank Aguirre
Al Kaline
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 Mike Barry
1978 WWJ-TV George Kell Al Kaline, Joe Pellegrino and Mike Barry
1977 WWJ-TV George Kell Larry Osterman, Al Kaline and Joe Pellegrino
1976 WWJ-TV George Kell Larry Osterman, Don Kremer and Al Kaline
1975 WWJ-TV George Kell Larry Osterman and Don Kremer
1974 WJBK George Kell Larry Osterman
1973 WJBK George Kell Larry Osterman
1972 WJBK George Kell Larry Osterman
1971 WJBK George Kell Larry Osterman
1970 WJBK George Kell Larry Osterman

1960s

Year Network Play-by-Play Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1969 WJBK George Kell Larry Osterman
1968 WJBK George Kell Larry Osterman
1967 WJBK George Kell Larry Osterman
1966 WJBK George Kell Ray Lane
1965 WJBK George Kell Ray Lane
1964 WJBK Ernie Harwell Bob Scheffing
1963 WJBK George Kell Ernie Harwell
1962 WJBK George Kell Ernie Harwell
1961 WJBK George Kell Ernie Harwell
1960 WJBK George Kell Ernie Harwell

1950s

Year Network Play-by-Play Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1959 WJBK Van Patrick George Kell
1958 WJBK Van Patrick Mel Ott
1957 WJBK Van Patrick Mel Ott
1956 WJBK Van Patrick Mel Ott
1955 WJBK Van Patrick Dizzy Trout
1954 WJBK Van Patrick Dizzy Trout
1953 WWJ-TV Van Patrick Dizzy Trout
1952 WWJ-TV Van Patrick
1951 WWJ-TV Harry Heilmann Ty Tyson
1950 WWJ-TV Harry Heilmann Ty Tyson

References

  1. Detroit Tigers Radio Affiliates
  2. Detroit Tigers Broadcasters' Biographies
  3. Kerzel, Pete (May 28, 2009). "Kaline filling in for Dickerson on radio". MLB.com.
  4. Kornacki, Steve (June 8, 2009). "John Keating taking radio announcer Dan Dickerson's place at Tigers' road games". MLive.com.
  5. Iott, Chris (May 7, 2012). "Detroit Tigers radio analyst Jim Price to miss nine-game road trip". MLive.com.
  6. FSN Detroit Nets Pro Sports 3 pointer Multichannel News March 19, 2008
  7. Broadcasters Rod Allen, Mario Impemba won't return to Detroit Tigers The Detroit Free Press, October 9, 2018
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