Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Gary Cohen

Jon
April 25, 2002
I really enjoy his broadcasts -- he's always on his toes and he tells it like it is. Just tonight (April 24, 2002) he called Payton missing second base as it happened -- I don't know whther the TV announcers got it then too, but I know the cameramen/TV director didn't. And he didn't hesitate to chastise Payton for it afterward.

HO-JO
April 29, 2002
Oh come on, his home run call is the best.

"SWING AND A DRIVE, DEEP DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE TOWARDS THE CORNER ITS OUTTA HERE! OUTTA HERE! MIKE PIAZZA WITH A LINE DRIVE 3-RUN HOMER." - 6/30 vs. Atlanta or...

"HIGH FLY BALL...DEEP LEFT FIELD...BACK GOES BONDS...LOOKING UP AT THE WALL...THAT BALL IS...OUTTA HERE...OUTTA HERE...THE METS WIN THE BALL GAME!" - 2000 NLDS GAME 3 vs. San Francisco.

I can tell by the the tone in his voice on the radio what's happening on the field. He's a great announcer. With Bob Murphy next to him, they're simply the best.

Jim Snedeker
May 2, 2002
Gary's really good. When he first started I was skeptical that someone with such a bland name could be a good sportscaster, but I have since repented for that sin. (After all, how much more bland can you get than "Bob Murphy"--and look what a god he has become!)

Anyway, you know you're in good hands when Gary is talking. He knows how to run a broadcast, and make it fun, enjoyable and exciting. I'll never forget him calling Pratt's HR against the D'backs--his voice went up about three octaves!

NJTank
May 18, 2002
His HR call is great. When ever there is a big HR I listen to Mets Extra whether I watched the game on TV or listened on the radio. When the HR is called by Bob Murphy it ends up being a bit of a disapointment, because I wanted to hear "It's Outta Here."

Richard
May 29, 2002
I am so happy to have Gary in the Mets radio booth. His pop culture references are classic. Being in his early 40's,we can all look forward to hearing Gary's "It's Out-ta Here" , and "Back to talk about it" for the next 40 years, God willing. Gary will be a wonderful eventual successor as senior man in the booth, after "Murph" decides to retire.

straightjacketk
June 4, 2002
At times, I feel that Murph is behind in the calling of a play, but with Gary, I always know what's happening, and I feel that he's the most exciting announcer in baseball, hands down. I hope he stays with the Mets as long as Murph has.

Kmbnet64
June 7, 2002
I'll never forget listening to Gary Cohen during Game 2 of the 2000 World Series with the Mets and Yanks. When Clemens threw the piece of bat at Piazza, Cohen was yelling, "What's the matter with Clemens? Has he lost his mind? He's gotta be out of his mind!". Cohen is definitely not afraid to express his opinion.

John Burgeson
August 29, 2002
Even though I'm a Yankees fan, I'll often tune into WFAN just to hear Gary Cohen, who I feel is one of the great sportcasters of all time. He's an announcer who has his priorities in the right place, which is to put the integrity of the game first and the Mets second. Decades from now, I hope there's a place for him at Cooperstown.

Alex
December 29, 2002
Gary Cohen is, by far, the single best announcer in baseball today and one of the greatest ever. My favorite of his calls is probably his depiction of Piazza's rally-capping home run in that 10-run eighth inning against the Braves in 2000. When I watch Mets games, I sometimes mute the TV and turn on the radio instead.

Gregory Gewirtz
April 9, 2003
Cohen's the best announcer in baseball as far as I'm concerned.

Late in the 1998 season, I remember the intensity in his voice in several pivotal moments in late games, like Mike Piazza hitting a three run homer in the top of the ninth off Billy Wagner to give us a 3-2 lead at the Astrodome (a great four game series - lots of Mets comebacks), or John Franco striking out Marlins catcher Mike Redmond at Shea on a full count with the winning runs on base.

His chemistry with Ed Coleman was well exhibited during rain delays. Early in the 1998 season, the Mets were rained out several times, including a rare rainout in San Diego. Cohen and Coleman kept getting reports that there would be a "window" in which the rain would let up, and the game could start. Cohen got so fed up with the long delay, before the game was eventually canceled that he said "There's a window, but there's bars on it, and nobody's getting out." Good line. The pair were funny when they mocked the San Diego groundscrew for seeming inept - how often do they need to drape the field with a tarp?

Angela McGovern
April 23, 2003
I feel so lucky as a Mets fan to have Gary Cohen in the booth along with Murph! He calls the game like it is and is brutally honest. He has a signature home run call that to me is hands down the best but he doesn't force the call and lie about the type of home run just to fit the call(it is high...) I also love his pop culture references. Just the other night during the game he asked the producer, the 'immortal' Chris Majakowski(I think) who got booted off on American Idol. Hope he's around for a very long time!!

Scott S.
June 5, 2003
I think my favorite call by Gary Cohen is for Piazza's two run homer against the Yankees in 2001 which capped off a great comeback. "High fly ball to deep left, and you can forget it, this one's long, long gone." And later, "A momunmental blast... Piazza's putting on a show!" As painful as the games have been to listen to over the past few years, I always look forward to Cohen's insight and the incredible attention he pays to the details of the game. He truly paints "the word picture." His performance and energy never falters no matter what the Mets record is.

Steven Visintainer
June 8, 2003
Without a doubt the best in the business here in New York. Unfortunately, he does not get the spotlight he deserves because of the performance of the team. Sterling over in the Bronx needs constant annoying schtick on home run calls to get noticed.

Cohen calls it like it is, is quick, accurate, and intelligent. He's all baseball. The Mets will have a resurgance in future years. I'm glad Cohen will be there to call it.

Jonathan Stern
July 20, 2003
The best. Plain and simple. Voice as great as that of Harry Kalas, ESPN-like razzle-dazzle without the bad taste, insight like the best old-school announcers. Makes every Mets game listenable - no mean feat. Best thing about the Mets, right now and during most of the seasons he has been on-board.

Best trait: he tells it like it is. Met fans appreciate honesty.

Memo to the Mets: Don't you DARE fire the messenger for bringing bad news. Especially if he is virtually the only reason for taking in a game.

Albert
July 27, 2003
Great to listen to. He really helps you to experience the game like you're actually there at Shea. You can never tell a fly out from a home run, because he puts so much emphasis and excitement into every at-bat. Better than every Yankee announcer today. He makes Michael Kay look worse than he already is. He'll always be a bright spot on the Mets.

Annie
September 14, 2003
Simply put, Gary Cohen is the best there is. Murph has lost a couple of steps in recent years, but in his prime, he was wonderful and deserves his place in Cooperstown. I look forward to the day when Gary Cohen takes his place in the Hall.

Yes, Cohen grew up a Mets fan, but he never lets that get in the way of his journalistic integrity. If someone needs to be criticized, he will criticize that person. He's not stingy with praise, but does not praise players simply for being Mets.

It appears to me that Yankee fans, with all the success their team has had, require announcers who are shills for the team (Sterling, Kay, Rizzuto, Mercer, Waldman, etc.). I've heard Yankee fans complain that certain announcers aren't pro-Yankee enough. Mets fans, on the other hand, seem to appreciate announcers who tell it like it is, rather than what they want it to be.

murphy
September 28, 2003
My two favorite home run calls by Cohen are the Piazza HR off Billy Wagner in 1998 ("He hit it outta sight!!!") and Edgardo Alfonzo's grand slam off Bobby Chouinard in Game 1 of the 1999 NLDS. Those calls still give me goosebumps when I listen to them.

I also love listening to Cohen and Howie Rose reminisce about old Mets teams. Simply put, Cohen is a brilliant radio man.

Mike
October 10, 2003
Gary Cohen is a treasure. We should appreciate him even more now, because he is the best broadcaster we have since Murph retired. I hope he goes into the Hall one day, and before we know it, it will be 2023, and on the last day of the season (hopefully a new ballpark by then) there will be Gary Cohen day. You think Ralph Kiner will still be brodcasting then?

met fan
December 19, 2003
I have been a Met fan for as long as I can remember and the greatest times in Met history are heard in Gary Cohen's voice in my head. He is cherished by my whole family for many years as we look forward to every game just to hear his voice.

Steve Rogers
February 10, 2004
I have a funny Cohen moment.

To set this up, I wrote an article for my local town newspapper on Ed Coleman, who lives in my home town

After the article came out I saw that my editor talked with Gary Cohen and he is quoted in the article. I went up to the Diamond Club, and then went into the row near the booth and ran into Gary Cohen. I tried to explain who I was and thank Gary for helping but Gary simply said, "I'm sorry I don't have any recollection of doing anything like that." Sure it's slightly better than the usual BS that people give about remembering a single event out of everything they do on a regular basis, but considering this was an actual article in an actual newspaper with my byline on it, I literally felt quite ill as he said it.

Granted this was before a game and at least Gary was honest enough not to give a BS reply but my paranoia set in and I actually demanded that my editor turn over his notes!

Well my worst fears aside, Gary's memories were jogged when I came up with a copy of the article for him and Ed to sign.

Jeff In Florida
June 18, 2004
As a lifelong Mets fan I wondered who this Gary Cohen guy was when he started as Bob Murphy's broadcast partner in 1989. As it turned out, he is one of the great broadcasters of our time. A class act all the way and a pleasure to listen to.

Eddie
June 19, 2004
Gary Cohen is by far the most electric play-by-play announcer in the biz today. I actually turn on my tv, and mute it, while listening to Cohen and Rose for the play-by-play. His HR call is the most exciting time in the game. And the witty parlaying between him and Rose, make it a truly enjoyable experience for any fan, especially for Mets fans. Kudos to you Gary. Your work is the best in the business today, and I can only say your honest approach to our team is an exemplary model.

Jim Snedeker
September 8, 2004
I just realized one of the most important differences between Bob Murphy and Gary Cohen.

Even when the Mets were playing lousy (like in the late 70s), because Bob never said anything bad about them, you didn't mind listening. In other words, they lost a lot, but you didn't really think of them as terrible. They always had a chance.

With Gary, he tells it the way it is. If the Mets are playing poorly, he says so. If they make boneheaded plays, he says so. And for me, it makes me want to tune in less. I don't relish the thought of listening to a game played by fools.

As good as Gary is, it's for this reason I think Bob may have been better for the team. With Gary, you know how bad they are. With Bob, you didn't.

P.S. I think Gary looks much better with his head shaved!

TODD SCHUSTER
December 18, 2004
With the great Bob Murphy gone to that great big microphone in the sky, thank God we have Gary. He calls the games with such professionalism and integrity that he is a pleasure to listen to on the FAN. My 2 favorite calls will be the Robin Ventura grand slam single in the 15th inning against the Braves and the greatest of all the Todd Pratt homer against the D'backs. A moment's hesitation but when it went, all hell broke loose. Just great calls that will stick in my mind forever. Keep up the great work Gar and many more great years on the FAN.

Jonathan Stern
December 27, 2004
Careful, Jim Snedeker! Yours is the only remotely negative remark on this website re the great Gary Cohen (yeah, you leaven it with some good words, too). I certainly hope that the Mets are not maintaining a quota of negative remarks on him. Cohen is no Fran Healy, if you know what I mean.

The Murph was no Fran Healy either. He got his hacks in from time to time. Maybe he, unlike Cohen, made every Mets game sound like a distinguished, perhaps celestial event. Cohen has a special relationship with fans that makes his admittedly harder take endearing - and makes us want to listen. Murph was like a "Voice of God." Cohen is the guy with whom you want to talk Mets baseball more than anyone else. Both men's broadcasting styles are as valid as they are great.

Holly Ritter
January 24, 2005
Gary Cohen is THE BEST. No matter how bad things might have been recently for the team, anytime I would listen to the game on the radio and one of "our guys" would hit a home run, his enthusiastic call would always bring a an excited tear to my eye! Maybe I am just a super sensitive gal!

By the way, Gary IS an actual Met fan, right? Nevertheless, thanks for a great radio listening experience EVERY time Gary!

nayeem
February 10, 2005
He made me become a Mets fan. His playcalling skills and his passion speaks to all die hards and makes us proud to be Met fans. Gary Cohen is terrific!

daddy
March 25, 2005
Simply the best. Gary is objective, yet you know he roots for the Mets. When the Mets are on TV the volume goes down, and on goes the radio so we get a great call of the game. As Bob Murphy might say, no one paints the word picture like Gary Cohen.

J from Bay Ridge
May 21, 2005
Simply Amazing! I never thought that somebody can actually bring you "in" the game without having to be in the ballpark.

Oh, and he added a signature call. I am hearing it more often now. When a Met pitcher strikes out a hitter. "Swing! and a miss - He,,,STRUCK-M-OUT!!!" [with authority]

mike
September 11, 2005
Gary Cohen is a fine announcer and a worthy successor to Bob Murphy. Thank goodness he is not a homer like the Yankees or Braves broadcasters. Kudos to Mets management for not making shilling for the team a job requirement. Really, the only thing that mars the broadcasts is the ineptitude of Mr. Rose. Putting him in Bob Murphy's place is like replacing a shiny new Rolls with a rusty tricycle. Hopefully someday there will be a partner for Gary Cohen worthy of his excellence.

Douglas Price
November 6, 2005
I grew up with Gary in my home. As much as I loved the Murph, Gary was really my generation of broadcaster. There is no better baseball broadcaster out there, hands down!

Joe From Jersey
December 1, 2005
I wish the best of luck to Gary Cohen and his new assignment with SNY SportsNet New York. Every time I go to Shea, no matter where I'm sitting I bring the radio with me and listen to him and Howie and they are the best at what they do. I remember listening to the 1998 USA Hockey Olympic Team and their games were broadcast by Gary and he did a good job and he's a good announcer with Seton Hall basketball. Reminds me of the time I turned on the radio many years ago when Bob Murphy was doing the play-by-play for the Orange Bowl football game.

blue and orange 4 ever
March 21, 2006
A tremendous announcer who now has moved over to the TV side. Too bad since most people in the NY area who have Cablevision won't get to hear him anymore.

Jonathan Stern
March 29, 2006
The whole Cablevision business is settled and now we all should get the new station. I have seen a few games and Gary Cohen has made a perfect transition to TV. The regular season cannot start soon enough for me.

Mike Slane
April 8, 2006
Gary, I love your work, but, please don't give results like American Idol, Mandessa being knocked out. I live in San Diego and the other night you ruined it for me! Remember, Mets Fans are all over the country! Thanks and Let's Go Mets!

Killer K
April 12, 2006
I am the only one a little bit miffed that Gary now calls games for TV instead of radio? Being that my time as a Mets fan began after Bob Murphy had slipped from his status as a great announcer, and Gary had pretty much taken completely over, Cohen has become my version of "the voice of summer." I'm also of the opinion that baseball is a superior sport to listen to on radio as opposed to watching on television. Gary is easily one of the most gifted and talented broadcasters in the entire game, and I feel that putting him on TV shortchanges his full value to Mets fans. Admittedly, I haven't listened to the radio yet this year (I'm in Ireland through May), and Gary has been doing fine on TV (do receive MLBtv), but I'm sorry to see the best broadcaster of my baseball experience placed in a medium that does not utilize his full talents.

Phil Tuck
May 10, 2006
As a broadcast engineer, it was my great pleasure to work with Gary during his "up and coming" years in Spartanburg, S.C. Even then, we knew he had "it" and his success has been anything but surprising. And, like a lot of the very talented people I've been fortunate enough to work with, he's a nicer guy than he is a broadcaster. In fact, I voted to hire him based on the way he rolled up an extension cord after a broadcast. That level of detail and professionalism spoke volumes to me about his character. When I worked with him, he had a full head of hair and, brace yourself, a full beard! Of course, back in those days, I had hair myself.... I'd wish him good luck, but luck has had nothing to do with him getting where he is today. Talent and plain hard, honest work have been the keys to his much deserved success. See you at the Beacon, Gary!

Matt Kaufman
May 31, 2006
Gary Cohen is now and most likely will be in the future the voice of the Mets for me. When I was younger and had a set bed time, I'd listen to late Met games on the radio in my bed, and would be able to tell exactly what was going on based on his vivid description-the man has a way with words, to say the least. He always kept me interested and could banter with any commentator. I'm a little upset that he's on TV now, becauase he was a huge asset to WFAN, but it appears he's moving up.

Luka
May 31, 2006
I think it was a good move putting Gary Cohen on TV. That way, when he gets the call wrong, you can at least see what's really happening. His phony enthusiasm along with mis-calling of almost every play was bad on the radio, but less so on TV. When he screams out "BASE HIT!!!" and I'm watching a double play, I don't get as perturbed as I used to when listening to it on the radio. Hey SNY, please hire some real announcers.

Frank Grimes
June 4, 2006
Luka, you must be a jealous Yankee fan. Cohen is an awesome anouncer and does a fantastic job. His enthusiasm is from the heart as he is a Met fan from childhood. You couldn't be more wrong if you were Howard Dean. Gary has a professionalism and a style rarely seen from any baseball announcers anywhere. He is the man.

Dave
June 4, 2006
Hands down one of the most enthusiastic and best broadcasters I have ever heard. He puts so much effort in calling the game. He is amazing! And I love how he starts conversations about past times during innings which makes it much more interesesting and intruging. I love him.

Frank the Met
June 4, 2006
I've always liked Gary Cohen, but the sportswriter Phil Mushnick (who has also always liked Gary) chided him in his column last week for his constant use of the expression "walk off" when a game is won with a run in the bottom of an inning.

Personally, I find this expression extremely annoying. It was invented only recently. I have no idea how it got started or who started it, and I wish every sports announcer would lose it. But my point is that, after the Mushnick column, Gary seemed to be using it more than ever -- as if he were rebelling against the Mushnick column.

It seems that Gary wants to show he's hip and "with it" by using this expression. You don't need it, Gary. You've been great without it.

Albert
June 9, 2006
Well, now he's on T.V., and I must say that he's really made a fine transition. You may not get the same benefits that you do on the radio, but he's still the best.

Joe Figliola
June 14, 2006
No doubt, Gary's one of the best broadcasters around. However, in his transition to the TV booth, he has to work on his wardrobe. Earlier this season, he wore one of the ugliest pinstripe suits I ever saw. In my opinion, pinstripe suits are one of the most ridiculous outfits one can wear in any environment (in Gary's case, he looked like he stepped off the set of "Bonnie and Clyde"). The only time pinstripes look great is when it's on a Mets uniform!

John Henry Feldstein
July 16, 2006
Sorry to disagree about a fellow member of the "tribe", but Gary Cohen is awful.

Oscar
August 2, 2006
Gary Cohen is the best broadcaster in baseball period. I have been a die hard baseball fan since the beginning of the 1999 MLB season and I was not sure who to follow, the Yanks or the Mets. Not until I heard Gary’s awesome voice, there was not a doubt in my mind! And I’ve been a die hard Met fan ever since. The tension he creates in the game is amazing and the word paint picture is indescribable. I was real saddened when I heard he would leave from the TV booth, since I end up listening to the radio more than TV. I hope one day he will return to the radio booth. Hey Trevor, tell your dad he’s greatest ever. And BTW I know I’m about three years late but mazel tov on your Bar Mitzvah! (Happy 15th for now.)

Mike in CT
August 2, 2006
Luka, I agree with Frank. Gary Cohen has been one of the best commentators in the game for over 15 years, and that hasn't changed one bit since he went to SNY. He describes the action accurately, knows a ton about the game and has an incredible memory, and has a great sense of humor. Frankly, he is all that a Yankee fan doesn't hear when they listen to Sterling, Kay, Kaat, Singleton, and the unbearable Suzyn Waldman. Gary is a superb play-by-play man, and I hope that he continues to call Met games for a long time.

Bob
August 6, 2006
I find Cohen to be annoying to listen to. He makes obvious points that don't need to be made and rattles off statistics that don't really amount to much. I find nothing he says to be of much interest. I'd rather just listen to Ron and Keith broadcast the games without him. His negative tendency to anticipate the worst also becomes tedious.

Alex
August 19, 2006
Gary Cohen is terrible. I agree with Luka's previous post who called Cohen's enthusiasm "phony". His silly fake rising voice is embarrassing to listen to. Listening to his snide remarks at Keith is also painful. Is he jealous of Keith because Keith is a real athlete who knows what he is talking about and has something insightful to say and is not just a talking head nerd like Cohen?

I am a lifelong Mets fan, not some closet Yankees fan trying to get a dig in on the Mets. Cohen is also extremely negative and a jinx (e.g., constantly worrying that Wright would ruin his swing by participating in the home run derby. He was still speculating on that before and after the All-Star Break.) I feel bad for Keith that he has to endure this guy all season. Notice that the Mets west coast winning streak occurred when Cohen was not jinxing the Mets with his bad vibes because he was out with his appendectomy. Please take this guy off the air, SNY. I'm considering watching the games on mute which is a shame because I like Keith and Ron's commentary.

Shickhaus Franks
August 19, 2006
I'm sick and tired of people bashing Gary Cohen! He's wonderful to listen to especially during Tuesday's blowout loss at Philly where he and Keith were talking cartoons.

Joe
September 8, 2006
I have been a Mets fan since I first saw them play in July 1966. I live 5 miles West of Manhattan and me and all my friends grew up Mets fans. We have lived and died with the team for 40 years now. They have never had an announcer as good as Gary Cohen. Everything from his voice, delivery, knowledge of the game, love of the Mets, and interesting commentary is just perfect. This guy was born to do this job. I have no idea how anyone can knock him. He is professional, and also very personable and I don't find him offensive in any way. The Mets are blessed to have him, Keith and Darling.

Jared K
September 8, 2006
What is up with everybody bashing Cohen? I'm 23, and like several other younger Mets fans, we caught the immortal Murph in his later years. There will never be another Murph, but Cohen is the best!! His genuinely enthusiastic, exciting calls of Agbayani's homer off of Aaron Fultz in the 2000 NLDS, Piazza's homer off of Mulholland when they mounted the comeback off the Braves in '01, and even Beltran's game winner against the Cardinals last week give me chills whenever I hear them replayed.

I hope that they stick Gary back on the radio this postseason when SNY isn't doing the games so I can hear him call the last out of our 3rd World Series championship this year!!

Bashing Gary Cohen??!! What's wrong with you people???!! I'd take the "overly enthusiastic, non- athletic" Cohen over drips like Fran Healy or Ted Robinson any damn day!

Bob K.
September 23, 2006
No one can question Gary's skill or knowledge of the game and the Mets. No one is better at using changes of tone to convey the evolving drama of a play. When I hear anyone else call a game on the radio, I too often find myself not knowing whether a fly ball is just a can of corn or potentially something grander, until it's all over. With Gary, there are few surprises. You feel yourself to be right there at the park, watching with your mind's eye every step of the way, because his voice so accurately conveys the uncertainties of the play as it develops. He is, quite simply, the gold standard.

Beyond that, I particularly appreciated his patience and respect for Bob Murphy in the final years of Murphy's career with the Mets. As much as we all still loved him, Murph was clearly in decline by then, either failing to see or badly misjudging a play. But no matter how badly Murph may have missed a call, Gary never showed the slightest sign of impatience or disrespect. Gary is the best.

Justin Mazzucco
September 25, 2006
I remember when we came back against the Cardinals, down at one point 7-1. And Delgado hit his grand slam which put us back into the game. And when Beltran hit his walk off shot to give us the win 8-7, Gary Cohen was yelling "IT'S OUTTA HERE" over and over again. That is my favorite moment of Gary Cohen, he is my favorite Mets commentater I lived to hear.

tzvi leff
October 1, 2006
Gary Cohen is awesome on the radio and is even better on tv! Way to go! Hall of fame anyone? My best moment is when I ran into him at a pizza shop. We spent a half hour talking Mets basesball. To talk to the number 1 Met fan of all time was awesome and I hope to meet him again.

Dam
January 9, 2007
I'm a Braves fan but if there is one thing I love about the Mets, it's Gary Cohen. He's definitely on my top 3 list of anouncers. His HR callings are the best. When a Met hits a homer against the Braves at Shea, hearing "It's outta here!" softens the pain.

Ryan
February 22, 2007
Gary has the best home run call in baseball without a doubt, and he has done a great job with the transition to TV. But didn't anyone miss him come playoff time? I was really disappointed that he only got one inning a game in the radio booth during the '06 playoffs. If the Mets win the World Series in the coming years, it's HIS voice I want playing over and over during that series winning play, not Howie Rose's.

Yani Pigott
June 7, 2007
I'm a die hard Yankees fan from NJ, but I must say, Gary Cohen is a brilliant announcer.

Brian H.
July 7, 2007
I grew up listening to Bob Murphy and Gary Cohen on my radio. One summer working for the post office, Gary is responsible for keeping me from "going postal" as I'd listen to his brilliant broadcasting during day games.

My favorite Cohen moment far and away was his home run call on Beltran's walk off blast against the Cards. The game was one of my favorite Met games of all time. Pujols had single-handedly beat up the Mets but they kept battling back. Carlos Beltran hit a two-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning as the Mets rebounded from a six-run deficit and rallied to beat the Cardinals, 8-7. Gary's call gave me goosebumps!

"Outta here, outta here! The Mets win the ballgame!"

SHEB WOOLEY
July 22, 2007
Boy is Cohen lousy!

Today's game against the Dodgers gave us even more proof.

A Met hit a foul ball into the left field stands and Cohen was screaming about a line drive to left. The batter never left the batters box and no one thought it was even close to being fair. Except Cohen. AWFUL!

He could get away with this stuff on radio, not TV.

Brian
July 28, 2007
Gary Cohen is awesome. If you watch other teams' announcers, you will learn not to take Gary for granted. The passion that he delivers the play by play with is unmatched except for maybe Merrill Reese, who is another of my favorites even though I'm a Giants fan. He makes the game that much more exciting and it's a pleasure to watch the highlights and walk-offs with his commentary.

Gary Charney
August 5, 2007
This past week against the Cubbies, Carlos Zambrano left the game with an apparent injury. Did Gary Cohen tell us what happened? No of course not.

He started talking about a vendor at Wrigley who was spraying the Wrigley patrons with water reminding him of the guy "who controls his cockroaches."

This guy is awful. He has to go.

DCJ
September 28, 2007
Another Yankees fan here, but Cohen is one of the finest broadcasters in the NYC area. I like his no-nonsense, objective approach. He's very good at describing all the nuances of the games and players. And unlike John Sterling, he doesn't do long, sustained home run calls. He just gets to the point, his trademarked "It's outta here!"

The only downside is that since he was promoted to doing TV broadcasts, much of his descriptive prose is absent.

Ted Dumass
April 7, 2008
I enjoyed Kevin Burkhardt this spring. He is a solid broadcaster who makes listening and watching fun. He also gets the best out of Keith and Ronnie.

This turle Cohen stinks. He is all about himself. Also does he have bad eyes? He can't possibly miss that many calls.

Ron
July 20, 2008
Gary was great on radio, but on TV I find him repulsive. Always looking to play devil's advocate on matters. Plus, what is his obsession with pitch counts? Pitch counts don't help pitchers. Just ask Kerry Wood.

Matty
August 4, 2008
Not a big fan of him and losing interest quickly to the point I get so bothered with him and need to turn on the radio.

Don't get me wrong, he is still better than guys like Michael Kay and the Sunday night ESPN crew, but something about him irks me, the fact he is becoming more of an apologist ever since moving on TV. He at times does get on the Mets, but not as much as say when a player on the other team makes a bonehead mistake.

Scott Abrams
October 6, 2008
Gary Cohen is the best. My favorite moment was in 1997 when the Mets scored 6 runs to tie the game from a 6-0 9th inning deficit. "Fly Ball, deep left center field, YES YES! Carl Everett Grand Slam."

My second favorite was when they scored 5 in the ninth off of Schilling when he was on the Phillies. "Olerud, the Slide.... YES! The Mets scored 5 in the ninth against SCHILLING!"

Shickhaus Franks
May 12, 2010
You gotta love Gary Cohen especially when he has BOTH Keith and Ron with him. I'll never forget his saying during a 2009 late season game in Florida when he said, "The Mets are 48 seasons of heartbreak with the occasional miracle." Truer words have never been spoken!!!! Also in Dec 2008, I was gonna go see Seton Hall take on St. Peter's College at the Yanitelli Center. (It was supposed to be at the old Jersey City Armory but plumbing problems prevented from happening.) I wanted to meet Mr. Cohen since I live not that far from the campus but I woke up that morning with a fever of 102 so I had to scratch those plans from my list and wound up listening to the game on 77 WABC, but they had technical troubles and they missed much of the first half.

Pete
July 1, 2010
Firstly, I think Gary is a great announcer. The only thing that puts me off is the unusual way he pronounces "Alfonzo" (as in Edgardo). Instead of the first O being a short "ah" sound, he makes more of a long "oh" sound. I'm not even sure how he does it. Weird.

David
April 5, 2011
After being so biased over the years for Murph, I didn't think anyone could replace him, but Gary Cohen makes any baseball game enjoyable. He is an utter joy to listen to with Seton Hall Basketball as well. And please consider donating to the great charity efforts his wife, Gary, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez support!

Jonathan Stern
April 27, 2011
As you can see from my above comments, I have long been a big Gary Cohen fan. That said, during the previous three seasons or so, I was somewhat disappointed in his SNY work. He giggled too much over things that weren't funny and his high-pitched shrieking seemed excessive to me, especially during early-season games (if you go crazy during an April game, you leave yourself with nowhere to go in a big September game). I also was bothered by Cohen's and Keith Hernandez's complaining about having to call extra innings and their bragging about getting days off. Like many of you, I would give my right arm to be where they are and I found such talk tough to take.

Well, I am happy to say that it appears that I was not the only one who found fault with Cohen's performance. It seems that Cohen might have gotten the message from someone that he could have been doing a better job. Now, in 2011, Cohen has toned down his act considerably and is back to broadcasting with the same professional and intelligent manner that we heard during his great days on WFAN. He is calling the game rather than being a comedian and his insights are endless. And if something funny does happen (baseball is a funny game) he does not collapse in hysterics over it. I hope he continues to perform in this manner. When Gary, Keith and Ron call the game and talk baseball (and with the excellent Kevin Burkhardt on the sidelines), it is difficult to imagine a better broadcasting team... except, of course, for the team of Cohen and Bob Murphy.

Jon
October 19, 2011
Gary Cohen is a spectacular baseball broadcaster for the Mets. Besides being a brilliant play-by-play announcer, he is a brilliant baseball mind. Many of the thoughts that wander through my head during a baseball game I find that Gary will ultimately bring up during the telecast. Smart, funny, and extremely perceptive about the Mets organization as a whole, we Met fans are lucky to have him.

Luka
July 22, 2012
By far the WORST of all the Mets announcers (including Lorn Brown and Steve Albert) possibly one of the worst ever in Baseball. There's a reason Bob Murphy hated him. Cohen cares more about how his call sounds than about its accuracy. "Back to the warning track, to the wall, looking up, and it's off the base of the wall." His comment after the Johan Santana no-hitter was that he couldn't wait to her Howie Rose's call. Because, as we all know from listening to this turd, moments like these are all about the announcer.

Shickhaus Franks
July 28, 2012
Hey LUKA; How could you throw Gary Cohen under the bus like that!!!!! HE'S THE BEST ANNOUNCER IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PERIOD!!! I like Howie Rose and all that etc but we all know that Murph was on his last legs in the 90's and in the early 2000's (too many cancer sticks and there were times when he wasn't exactly Mr. Warm and Fuzzy). Gary is 1000x better than Joe (Let's Break out the Pom-Poms for St. Louis) Buck and 10000x better than John Sterling who has the IQ of laundry lint and his tag team partner Old Chewbacca Legs herself Golden "GIRL" Suzy.

Alex
September 26, 2013
Though I appreciate his love of the Mets, he gets too overexcited and his excited yelling over rather mundane events gets really old after a while.

Eric Tartaglione
March 9, 2015
A stupendous announcer. When he and Howie Rose shared the radio booth I likened them to the Red Barber and Mel Allen of our generation.

Diamond Dave
August 11, 2015
I really like Gary Cohen. He knows Mets history and has a great voice. I am a fan of Ron and Keith as analysts as well, though I like Keith a little more. If we had to endure Ron Darling doing play-by-play as he did this weekend in Tampa vs. the Rays, I would not like Darling at all as its not his forte. This shows how great Gary Cohen is. WOW did we miss him this weekend. He shines as a play-by-play man. We are lucky to have him. Hope he gets to call some playoff games this year!

Diamond Dave
August 14, 2015
I really like Gary Cohen. He knows Mets history and has a great voice. I am a fan of Ron and Keith as analysts as well, though I like KEITH a little more. If we had to endure Ron Darling doing play by play as he did this weekend in Tampa vs. the Rays, I would not like Darling at all as its not his forte. This shows how Great Gary Cohen is. WOW did we miss him this weekend.HE shines as a play by play man. AND we are lucky to have him. Hope he gets to call some playoff games this year!

hank rapisarda / yankee fan
May 10, 2017
Gary Cohen has a fine voice, but I don't agree with some of his observations. Watching the Giants game today, Wilmer Flores mishandled a critical double play ball. Gary stated that he handled it cleanly. What game was he watching? On another time when Jay Bruce was moved to 1st base, he fielded a ground ball and tossed it to first, where Walker and Noah did an Aphonse and Gaston bit, Gary and Ron Darling criticized Bruce for being inexperienced at 1st base. Give Jay Bruce a break; he made a good toss. The other two screwed it up. Again what game were they watching?

Paul
January 23, 2021
I remember when Gary Cohen relinquished his job as lead play-by-play radio announcer to move up to lead tv announcer in SNY for the Mets.

Okay, one season the Met playoff games were not being televised over SNY or local tv. So, Gary Cohen apparently decided to take over as lead radio announcer. Well, Howie Rose, the current Met lead radio announcer, was supposedly furious over Gary Cohen’s inconsiderate and selfish power play. Can you blame Howie for being ticked-off?

And, during Met second baseman Daniel Murphy’s final season with the team before becoming a free agent, Gary Cohen would repeatedly refer to Murphy as a “Net Negative.” Well, “Mr. Net Negative” signed with the NL East rival Washington Nationals during the off-season and proceeded to tattoo Met pitchers, like he was a modern day Lou Gehrig. Man, did Gary’s sarcastic quip/nickname come back to bite him in the caboose, big time! Met callers to WFAN really let Gary Cohen have it for his flippant remark concerning Daniel Murphy.

As much as I enjoy listening to Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling do Met games, I wish we could reincarnate Ralph Kiner, Bob Murphy or Lindsey Nelson to broadcast the games with them.

Maybe Gary Cohen should stick to solely doing college basketball games?

Dennis Laderwager
April 18, 2021
I’m an avid Met fan and have been that way since their inception. I did however, marry a Yankee fan a dozen years ago (something I probably should have given a little more consideration). With that being said, there are occasions when I have to acquiesce and watch a Yankee game to maintain some semblance of peace in the household. It’s torture. Listening to Michael Kay basically announce the hitter’s count with broad segments of dead-air time until the next pitch is thrown, or something significant happens on the field, high is tantamount to planting grass seed and watching it grow. Miserable!

Gary Cohen, as the Mets play-by-play announcer, is an absolute pleaser. He does his homework, engages his booth partners Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling calling on their experience and expertise to further educate viewers, knows player and team happenings in both leagues and most importantly, continues to entertain the tv viewer without taking a nap (take note Michael Kay). It’s plainly evident that Gary loves the game and doing what he does so well.

There’s no question that Gary should be under strong consideration for the Announcer Hall of Fame when he decides to hang up his scorecard, which I hope is in the very distant future. I need a signed ball by Gary and would treasure it as if it were from the home run king. Keep up the good work, Gary. You’re a Met treasure.

Cj xdxxhal
May 3, 2021
I wish Gary could take just a few lessons from the best in the game. Who gives a darn about exit velocity of ball off bat? This silly statistic is totally meaningless to anything happening to the game and has no effect on final score. Why not tell how long it took to cut the grass on any particular day. That’s how silly this is. Vin Scully never ever in his analysis of a game gave as many mundane stats as Gary does. What is the purpose of this stuff??????

Rob Sandford
July 16, 2021
I have been listening to baseball announcers both on the radio and on television since the early seventies. In my humble opinion Gary Cohen is at the top of the list. He is a master of filling the time during a game between pitches. His insight and knowledge of the history of the game, as well as the players you are watching both the home and away team, is priceless. He works wonderfully with his broadcast partners and together are the best in the game by far past and present. Thank you Gary. You are iconic.