Bob Costas has officially confirmed that he will be retiring from play-by-play announcing for Major League Baseball, putting an end to a legendary career that lasted more than four decades.
Although Costas has not openly discussed his retirement, noting that he would prefer to do so at a later time, he did confirm to The Athletic that he is now planning to step away with the conclusion of the 2024 MLB season.
The final game announced by Costas was Game 4 of the American League Divisional Series in which the New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals to advance to the American League Conference Series.
Costas began his career as a play-by-play announcer 44 years ago when he made his debut for NBC, later leading him to call games in three World Series and 10 league championships.
Over the course of his career, Costas has worked with NBC, ESPN, ABC, CBS, and, most recently, TBS, resulting in the legendary play caller winning the Ford C. Frick Award for Broadcast Excellence from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
The 72-year-old said that he would be retiring from play-by-play announcing but will continue to make appearances as an analyst on other shows, with the expectation being that he will make the majority of his appearances during important historical ceremonies, according to The Athletic.
Shows and movies in which Costas has previously worked include MLB Now, Studio 42 with Bob Costas, MLB’s 20 Greatest Games, The Sounds of Baseball, and Costas at the Movies, though it remains unclear which shows he will appear on in the future, per MLB.com.
Costas’s contract was set to expire following the conclusion of the 2024 MLB season, but the contract situation did not affect his decision to retire, which he reportedly made prior to the start of the season, per Sports Illustrated.
While Costas became most well-known for his announcing in the MLB, he also covered some of the most important sporting events in the world during his illustrious career, including the Olympics, the NFL, the NBA, boxing, golf, and NASCAR, per MLB.com.
As previously noted, Costas has not officially spoken about his retirement or given a statement regarding the decision, but he is expected to discuss his career and retirement during the MLB Tonight at 5 p.m. on Nov. 4, according to MLB.com.
