Mets Booth: Individual strengths of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling

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PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – MARCH 08: A New York Mets batting helmet in the dugout before a spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros at Clover Park on March 8, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The Mets defeated the Astros 3-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Anyone who has watched a New York Mets game knows the broadcast booth has some amazing talent. Let’s run down the strength of each member from the faction known as “GKR.”

Over the past two decades, there have been very few constants in the world of the New York Mets. Players have come and gone, managers have been hired and fired, and the Wilpons have, unfortunately, stuck around.

But since the inception of SNY in 2006, the Mets’ TV booth has consisted of three men: Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling. They have become absolutely beloved fixtures in the Mets organization, spawning everything from t-shirts, to social media accounts, to this incredible moment when a 25-4 loss to the Nationals prompted Gary to ignore the game action entirely and start reading the media guide.

The Mets booth, affectionately known as “GKR,” is clearly one of the best TV crews in all of baseball. When all three are in the booth together, magic happens. But I’d like to dig a little deeper into what makes each member of the booth so strong by examining their individual strengths as announcers, beginning with “Gare Bear” himself.

Gary Cohen

Gary Cohen has been announcing the Mets in some form or other since 1989 when he joined the radio broadcast team. He now sits as the main play-by-play man in the Mets’ TV booth, calling every play as it unfurls and narrating the memorable (and sometimes infamous) moments that come with every Mets season.

When I began watching baseball regularly in 2006, I was struck by how much time there was for conversation during a baseball game. I noticed how Cohen filled the airtime beautifully with interesting anecdotes about the players, both teams, or even just the state of baseball in general. He inspired me to chatter throughout the games as if I were announcing the game myself, much to the entertainment (and chagrin) of my family watching with me.

Cohen also continually sprinkles in stories about growing up as a Mets fan and random Mets trivia that he’s picked up throughout his life. His incredible knowledge of Mets history, and baseball history in general, makes every Mets game feel like an informative three-hour baseball podcast.

But Cohen also has a knack for calling the actual game in just the right way, every play, every time. His voice rises with enthusiasm when Mets fans are rising from their seats in excitement over a home run or a game-saving catch. He (and the rest of the booth) also has no problem calling out the Amazins for questionable in-game decisions, whether they are pitching changes, pinch hitters, or baserunning blunders.

Cohen has acquired many “signatures” over the years, including pen slams, the classic “a very pleasant good evening everyone,” and his famous “it’s outta here!” for home run calls. He has become as integral to the Mets as any announcer they’ve ever had, and hopefully spends many, many more years calling games on SNY.

Keith Hernandez

While Cohen provides the “meat and potatoes” of the TV broadcasts with his play-by-play, Keith Hernandez has made his mark with his (very colorful) color commentary on SNY. Both Hernandez and Ron Darling have the context of their Mets careers to fall back on when providing in-game comments. This often leads to fun stories about the 1980s Mets that may not have made it into the books written about the era.

I also enjoy how Hernandez shares his strong opinions about the state of the game today and how it differs from when he played. He provides an interesting lens through which to view the changes to baseball year after year.

Hernandez also never shies away from pointing out “good fundies” for “all you kids watching at home.” He consistently gives detailed insight into how players should properly react to various in-game situations. He also enjoys sharing proper fielding techniques, hitting approaches, and defensive positions. Given that Hernandez is widely considered the best defensive first baseman of all time and was also an offensive force at the plate, his baseball acumen is worth taking seriously by fans and players alike.

Though Hernandez is clearly a valuable baseball mind to have in the booth, he is also a lovable character who injects a lot of personality into Mets broadcasts. Only he would randomly sigh during long games, discuss his cat Hadji at length, dissect his favorite types of coffee, or justify why “half a pint of ice cream” is the only dairy he’ll eat.

Quite simply, Hernandez both makes us think and makes us laugh, and for that, Mets fans are truly grateful.

Ron Darling

Ron Darling has written several books that closely examine the art of pitching, and his announcing style reflects this minute attention to detail. While Cohen handles the majority of play-by-play calls and Hernandez comments on hitting and fielding moments throughout the game, Darling generally focuses on what he knows best.

Darling is clearly a smart baseball man, but one of his main strengths as an announcer is how he communicates this intellect in an approachable way to viewers. He often will take a baseball and demonstrate various pitching grips to the SNY camera, share his perspective on why one pitcher’s windup is more efficient than another’s, and so on.

In this way, though he doesn’t say it as explicitly as Hernandez, Darling also strives to make every Mets broadcast a teachable moment for aspiring baseball players watching at home. He recognizes the importance of making the game accessible to younger audiences, and strikes a perfect balance between providing insightful pitching commentary and not boring his audience by getting too technical.

Though Darling has his moments of humor, he tends to leave most of those “one-liners” to Hernandez, who frequently makes both Cohen and Darling dissolve into giggles with his hilarious quips. Instead, I appreciate how Darling provides a level-headed “voice of reason” no matter what is going on in the game.

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Together, Cohen, Hernandez, and Darling have crafted one of the most cherished TV booths in all of baseball. Mets fans can only hope that they call many more unforgettable Mets moments in the years to come.

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Anyone who has watched a New York Mets game knows the broadcast booth has some amazing talent. Let’s run down the strength of each member from the faction known as “GKR.”

Gary Cohen

Keith Hernandez

Ron Darling

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