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Gary Cohen is living every Mets’ fans dream. Born in New York, Cohen was there when the Mets themselves were born. He would spend time as a youngster in the upper deck at Shea Stadium to watch the team that was brought to Queens. As a result of that intense fandom, according to one of his broadcast partners Ron Darling, Cohen is like “Mets Google” and has a true appreciation for the team he’s been with since 1989.
Mets’ fans have been fortunate to have talented broadcasters associated with the team’s history. They had the trio of Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner for the first 18 years of the team’s existence. Now they have the trio of Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez for the past 19.
The fans have a true connection with Cohen, and his first partner on Mets Radio Murphy, are the history of the franchise.
“When Lindsey, Ralph and Bob started with the Mets, there was no Mets history,” Cohen told The Athletic last December. “They created Mets history, they created the sound of what the Mets feel like to fans, whether they’re watching or listening on the radio. Anything that I have done — or Howie (Rose) has done — comes by dint of what they accomplished and the history they accumulated. All I’m doing at the best is following in their footsteps.”
ROAD TO METS/SNY
He began his broadcasting pursuit at Columbia University. He graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Even though his studies were not directly in a media related field, Cohen started his career at the school’s radio station, WKCR Sports. There he would do play-by-play for baseball, football and men’s basketball. Cohen also announced men’s soccer games with future presidential advisor and Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos. Now the political science thing makes sense!
Prior to joining the Mets’ broadcast team in 1989, Cohen worked for many years in baseball’s minor leagues. He started in 1983 as the voice of the Spartanburg Spinners. In 1986 he moved on to the Durham Bulls, and then a year later, he emerged as the broadcaster for the Pawtucket Red Sox. He also called hockey and basketball games for Providence College from 1988 to 1989, and football for Brown University in 1987.
In addition to his baseball duties, Cohen has also called men’s college basketball games. He started with St. John’s on WFAN, for which he broadcast from 1995 to 2002. WFAN lost the rights to St. John’s games, so Cohen moved on to Seton Hall, where he continues to call game in the offseason to this day.
Along the way he also served as a backup announcer on New York Rangers radio broadcasts, called Olympic hockey at the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Winter Games, and NCAA tournament games for Westwood One.
It was announced on November 9, 2005, that Cohen would become the play-by-play announcer for the new Mets cable television network, SportsNet New York (SNY). As part of the agreement, Cohen also calls about 25 Mets games per year on WPIX along with analysts Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez.
WHY IS HE SO GOOD?
Being a credible source for an audience is always a good thing for a baseball announcer. As I’ve pointed out, Cohen grew up a fan of the Mets and understands what it is to root for this club. Knowing the history, the passion, the ups and downs of a franchise firsthand gives you empathy for the fan base. It’s one thing to have the knowledge, but it’s another thing to be relatable, with real emotion in the good times and bad. Cohen is really good at this. His partner Darling knows it too.
“I’ve learned so much from him that it’s helped me understand what it’s like to be a Mets fan,” Darling told The Athletic last year. “Gary has learned from Keith and I some of the intricacies of the game, but he’s taught us much more and that is who and what the Mets fan represents, where they come from and how they feel about their team.”
The word many of his colleagues, both former and present use, is humility. When you work with big personalities, especially on television, there has to be a good ‘give and take’. Cohen has been able to gain the respect of his analysts, by setting the tone in the booth. Meaning, he lets them be who they are, with the understanding that he has a job to do as well.
So, it’s actually a mutual respect among the three. If you don’t have a great play-by-play guy, this grouping wouldn’t work as well as it does. And it does. The constant ‘ribbing’ of one another shows that they all care about each other and that nobody is above giving or receiving a little grief.
Every play-by-play announcer worth his/her salt, is a prepared one. Cohen has a reputation of being a tireless worker, making sure he is ready to go for every single broadcast. Navigating a Major League Baseball game is not always easy, but Cohen certainly makes it appear that way.
Cohen has the ability to rise to the occasion. Using inflection, timing, and a sense of the moment, his calls are nearly perfect. Letting the pictures and sounds help tell the story, there’s emotion in his voice, which matches the emotion on the field. His viewers must feel like they are at the game, even though they aren’t, thanks to Cohen’s masterful work.
Not surprising, with the Mets battling for and then making the playoffs, he has been at the top of his game.
After the Mets clinched a spot in the playoffs with a wild and crazy win over the Braves, Cohen was all over it.
“Ground ball, Lindor waits on it. He’s got it and the ballgame is over! From 0-5 to OMG! What a ride!” said Cohen. “The Mets are going to the postseason in 2024! And what an incredible game to clinch it with! Down 3-0, up 6-3, down 7-6, Lindor with the home run to put ’em over the top! Diaz stretched to the max to close it out! And the Mets, 8-7!”
In mid-September the Mets were being no hit by Toronto’s Bowden Francis. It was a 1-0 Blue Jays lead in the 9th, when Francisco Lindor came to the plate and crushed a game-tying home run.
“And a home run ends this no-hit bid. Linsanity!” Cohen said on air. “Francisco Lindor ties the game with a ninth-inning home run. As big a hit as the Mets have had all season. Francisco Lindor breaks up the no-hit bid and the shutout and he ties the game with his 31st home run of the year.”
Cohen is really good.
THE TOP BOOTH IN MLB 2024
Every year, the website Awful Announcing ranks MLB Broadcast booths based on fan voting. In the television category this season, The SNY booth of Cohen, Hernandez and Darling were ranked number one overall for 2024.
“After a decade in the top five, their rank never decreasing, and an always respectable score, the beloved New York Mets broadcast team has finally topped our rankings with their best score ever,” Awful Announcing wrote.
The chemistry in their booth is really good.
Things weren’t going well for the Mets in Pittsburgh in August. They were facing rookie phenom Paul Skenes. As the Mets struggled, the announcers stepped up. Rowdy Tellez hit a grand slam in the eighth inning, which was Pittsburgh’s seventh home run of the game. Shortly thereafter, the Pirates announced on both the videoboard at PNC Park and on X that they were out of fireworks. Cohen noticed the message.
“There is a note on the scoreboard that the Pirates, with their seven home runs, have not only tied a club record — they have run out of the fireworks that they use to celebrate the home run…They shot off for the first six home runs. But no more fireworks left.”
“You’ve got hawk eyes, Gare,” Keith Hernandez said. “I’m impressed that you spotted that.”
That’s just one example of how well the booth works.
DID YOU KNOW?
In September 2022, Cohen pre-recorded announcements along MTA New York City Transit’s 7 line, along with Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling.
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
