3 best and 3 worst NY Mets play-by-play broadcasters in team history

The New York Mets have had some broadcasting legends up in the booth doing play-by-play. They have had some legends, and they have also had some flops. The play-by-play person is important because the listener, the viewer, is relying on them to call the action and let them know what is happening. That’s the whole point – to describe what is going on.

The three best play-by-play guys in New York Mets history are, or were, exceptional. And it’s tough to put them in any order, but here goes:

3) Howie Rose has been a part of New York Mets broadcasts for over 30 years – doing radio for the 1994-95 and 2003-2025 seasons, and TV for the 1996-2003 seasons.

Rose honed his craft as a play-by-play guy by first listening to Bob Murphy and then joining him on Mets broadcasts. He has been adept at providing great descriptions for the radio listeners and TV viewers. He brings a fan’s perspective because he has always been a Mets fan first, but has never lost the professionalism as a broadcaster. He’s great with injecting trivia or Mets tales to fill any potential dead air, but his niche is the picture he paints for the audience.

2) Bob Murphy was a part of New York Mets broadcasts from the beginning, doing both radio and TV for the 1962-1981 seasons, and then strictly radio for the 1982-2003 seasons.

Murphy is a New York Mets broadcasting icon. The Mets broadcast booth was named for him, and rightfully so. He was a professional through and through. Murphy was best on radio where he painted the picture for the listener. He was accurate, quick, enthusiastic yet never over the top. Murphy was the consummate radio play-by-play broadcaster. The best way to talk about him, the best way to honor him, is to say that if anyone wanted to take a course in baseball broadcasting, just grab a tape of Mets broadcast and give a listen to Bob Murphy. He was that good.