List of Detroit Tigers broadcasters

The following is a list of Detroit Tigers broadcasters, past and present:

Radio

Current

Main article: Detroit Tigers Radio Network

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 Cameron Maybin serve as the primary analysts for road games as of the 2023 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

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

• 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)
• Andy Dirks (2019, substitute analyst for two home games; 2023, substitute analyst for select home and road games)
• Dan Hasty (2021, substitute play-by-play for one road game)
• Austin Jackson (2021–2022, substitute analyst for select road games)
• Craig Monroe (2021–2022, substitute analyst for select road games)
• Alex Avila (2022, substitute analyst for select road games)
• Doug Fister (2022, substitute analyst for road doubleheader)
• Greg Gania (2022, substitute play-by-play for road doubleheader)

Broadcasters by year

2020s

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary	Color Commentary	Color Commentary
2023	WXYT-FM	Dan Dickerson	Jim Price	Bobby Scales	Cameron Maybin
2022
2021
2020

2010s

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

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

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			Dizzy Trout
1954
1953
1952
1951	WXYZ	Ty Tyson	Paul Williams
1950		Harry Heilmann

Television

Current

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

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)
• 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

2020s

Year	Network	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary	Pre-Game Host
2023	Bally Sports Detroit	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	Bally Sports Detroit	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	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, 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				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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Detroit Tigers Radio Affiliates
2. Detroit Tigers Broadcasters' Biographies
3. Woodbery, Evan (March 4, 2023). "Tigers will have new voice on radio broadcasts". mlive.com. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
4. Kerzel, Pete (May 28, 2009). "Kaline filling in for Dickerson on radio". MLB.com.
5. Kornacki, Steve (June 8, 2009). "John Keating taking radio announcer Dan Dickerson's place at Tigers' road games". MLive.com.
6. Iott, Chris (May 7, 2012). "Detroit Tigers radio analyst Jim Price to miss nine-game road trip". MLive.com.
7. 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.

External links

•  Baseball portal
•  Michigan portal

• Detroit Tigers history: all-time broadcasters