Bob Carpenter, the longtime television play-by-play voice of the Washington Nationals, is going to be stepping down from the position at the conclusion of the season. Carpenter, who is beginning his 20th year in the booth this season, revealed the news ahead of the final spring training game for the team against the Baltimore Orioles. As he gets set to take the microphone for his final year in the Nationals broadcast booth starting on Opening Day later this week, he took the time to express his gratitude and talk about how the decision had been on his mind for some time.
Over the last few seasons, Carpenter has worked a reduced schedule of games in the MASN Nationals television booth. Amid the time he was absent, play-by-play announcer Dan Kolko filled in with color commentator Kevin Frandsen, a configuration that will continue this year before stepping away from the position. While he is departing the role, Carpenter hopes to continue having a presence with the organization next year and beyond.
“I’ve got a new deal working for next year as a full-time husband, dad and grandpa,” Carpenter said. “My objective is to, all season long, thank you Nats fans for the way you’ve been to my wife, Debbie, and I and our family over these 19 years previously. Let’s make No. 20 a lot of fun.”
Carpenter first joined Nationals broadcasts ahead of the team’s second season in 2006 after Mel Proctor worked as the play-by-play announcer during the inaugural season. Over the years, he had called Major League Baseball games at the regional level for the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, New York Mets and Minnesota Twins in addition to broadcasting national contests on ESPN. Outside of that, he also called NCAA Basketball games on CBS and college football and basketball matchups on USA Sports.
Carpenter is a 2017 inductee into the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and has become synonymous with the Nationals organization. In a post on X last January, he divulged that he was planning to remain on Nationals television for the ensuing two seasons.
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