Longtime Atlanta Braves radio play-by-play announcer Jim Powell has announced that he will not return to the broadcast booth for the 2024 season. In a statement posted to X, Powell disclosed that he has called his last game for the organization and thanked the fans who welcomed and accepted him and his family within the locale. Additionally, he stated that he will refrain from speculating about why this happened, understanding that it is at the discretion of the employer to determine if changes are necessary.
“I have zero regrets,” Powell said. “On the contrary I am so very grateful to have made so many great friends at Turner Field and Truist Park. I feel like I have benefitted from knowing so many great professionals throughout this experience. I literally have friends from the basement of the stadium to the rafters. I’ll miss seeing you all every day.”
Powell, who came to the Braves following the retirement of Pete Van Wieren and passing of Skip Caray in 2009, previously worked on radio broadcasts for the Milwaukee Brewers alongside Bob Uecker. During his decade-and-a-half with the team, he had the opportunity to work alongside Don Sutton, Joe Simpson and Mark Lemke. The team finished in first place of the National League East division for seven of the 15 years he was behind the mic, including the last six in a row. Moreover, Powell had the privilege to call a World Series victory when the team earned the Commissioner’s Trophy in a 4-2 series win over the Houston Astros in 2021.
The decision to move on from Powell is the latest move that will reshape the sound of Braves games after changes at Bally Sports South/Southeast. Play-by-play announcer Chip Caray departed the team to call games for the St. Louis Cardinals in his hometown, leading to the hire of Brandon Gaudin. C.J. Nitkowski is set to join the television broadcasts as an analyst after Jeff Francoeur decided to take on a reduced game schedule.
As for the team’s radio booth, no additional changes have been announced at this time. Moreover, it remains unknown whether the team will seek out anyone to take on Powell’s role or if it will opt to have Joe Simpson and Ben Ingram call games together on a regular basis.
“I will update you on where I go from here as I’m seeking new challenges in baseball as well as outside of baseball,” Powell said, concluding his statement. “Thank you all again for listening! We had a lot of fun together.”
