In the books? With rain in the forecast for Sunday, Mets announcer Howie Rose may have called his last game
Howie Rose speaks during Carlos Beltran's Mets' Hall of Fame Induction ceremony before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on Saturday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Has Howie Rose already called his final Mets game before his retirement?
Only Mother Nature knows.
With all-day rain in the forecast for Sunday’s Mets regular-season home finale, Rose signed off Saturday’s 10-3 Mets win over the Phillies on 880 radio as if there won’t be a game or a pregame ceremony honoring him on Sunday.
As of 10 p.m. on Saturday night, Sunday’s ceremony and game were both still scheduled. But the forecast makes it seem as if a washout of both could take place.
Just in case, after putting the Mets’ victory “in the books,” an emotional Rose talked about what the season-long celebration of his legendary career has meant to him.
“I don't want to think that this was it, even though in my mind I’ve kind of treated it today as though it might well be,” Rose said. “I think whether we play tomorrow — or they play tomorrow — or not, I preemptively want to say how much you all mean to me.
“And when I'm saying 'you all,’ it’s not a dialect. It’s covering not only my friends here in the booth and my colleagues, but right now I want to speak solely to you, the Mets fan, because I've used the term forever, 'kindred spirits,' and I think you understand that any one of you could be where I'm sitting here, in this booth, because we have very similar backgrounds, right? I grew up in the upper deck in Shea Stadium. Many of you sit in the upper deck here or sat somewhere here or at Shea Stadium.
“But the point is that I feel like I know you. And more importantly, I feel like you know me. But what I feel more than anything is we’ve been together for the entirety of my time in this booth. And if I ever doubted that, or ever thought that maybe that was an exaggeration, believe me, it's hit home over these last couple of weeks this retirement announcement has somewhat gotten . . . It’s been ridiculous. It’s been so overwhelming. I just feel like I’m at the bottom of an avalanche with it.
“When I really reflect on it, I have to basically quote the best to ever do it, Vin Scully . . . When Vin retired just about a decade ago, he spoke to the fans and he said, 'You know, I needed you more than you ever needed me.' And I didn't understand that when he said it. But reading the comments on everything that has been written . . . to hear the love that you’ve sent to my family and me, I think I know what Vin meant now. So hopefully this is not it for this year . . . but just know that I love you all.”
Rose, 72, announced before the season that he would be retiring after it ended. Because he doesn’t work road games and the Mets’ final six games are on the road, Rose’s last Mets broadcast and the pregame ceremony honoring him were scheduled for Sunday.
Rose said either way, he expects to be back at Citi Field next season as the master of ceremonies for special events such as Opening Day or a number retirement ceremony and might even be willing to fill in in the radio booth from time to time.
Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.
