After 40 seasons, Dick Bremer is finished calling games for the Minnesota Twins.
In a stunning move, the Twins announced Tuesday their longtime play-by-play man, the “longest-tenured television broadcaster for a single team in Major League Baseball,” would no longer be part of the broadcast booth.
Instead, Bremer is retiring and transitioning into a special assistant role in the front office and will continue on as an ambassador.
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A high-ranking team official confirmed health isn’t a factor in the decision; the Twins instead want a change in the booth. Other than a statement in the team’s press release, Bremer declined to comment.
“For 40 years, I’ve been blessed to totally immerse myself in the game that I love for the team that I love,” Bremer said. “In those 40 years, I broadcast 4,972 Twins games. Over the last year or so, I thought it would really be cool to make it to 5,000. Then, I thought to myself, how selfish would that be? A broadcast should NEVER be about the announcer. It should ALWAYS be about the game and those who play it. I hope in my final season, I proved that ‘I’ve still got my fastball’, a goal I set when I started with the Twins in 1983. I look forward to the next chapter in my life with the Twins and thank Twins Territory for 40 incredible seasons! God bless.”
The move comes at a precarious time for the team, which is not only seeking a new lead voice, but also a broadcast partner. The club’s broadcast rights deal with Bally Sports North expired at the end of the season, and where its games will be featured in 2024 is — similar to other teams around baseball — undecided. The Twins announced they’re “currently assessing potential broadcast options, as well as a talent lineup for the 2024 season and beyond.”
A final left-hand toast to Twins fans everywhere. Thanks for an incredible 40-year run! It was MY pleasure. pic.twitter.com/37tn3nUJXA
— Dick Bremer (@dbremer_pxp) October 31, 2023
“First and foremost, today is a day to recognize, celebrate and applaud Dick Bremer for an illustrious 40-season career as the treasured television voice of Minnesota Twins baseball,” team president Dave St. Peter said in a press release. “Dick’s awards and accolades are well-documented, while his calls of many of the greatest players, moments and seasons in Twins history will always be cherished. What I am most thankful for, however, is who Dick is as a person — insightful, witty and a true professional who excelled at bringing a fan’s eye and passion to the broadcast booth. With a deep love for his childhood team and his home state, a reverence for the game and a pure joy for his craft, Dick connected with and cultivated generations of fans across Twins Territory — a feat for which our organization is forever grateful.
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“Dick Bremer’s legacy as the hometown television voice of the Minnesota Twins for four decades will undoubtedly someday result in his deserved induction into the Twins Hall of Fame. While one chapter of his Twins career is closing, we are excited that Dick will continue to write his legacy around the Twins in this Special Assistant Role.”
The decision comes just over three years after Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven exited the broadcast booth in September 2020 following a drastic reduction in his schedule. Even before Blyleven’s departure after 25 seasons as an analyst, the Twins wanted to adapt the team’s broadcasts and provide fans with a better understanding of the modern game. They did so by adding an influx of younger voices to pair with Bremer, including former players Justin Morneau, LaTroy Hawkins, Glen Perkins, Trevor Plouffe and Torii Hunter. Morneau currently handles the largest share of games as an analyst, calling roughly 50 percent.
One potential replacement for Bremer is Cory Provus, the team’s radio play-by-play announcer since the 2012 season. Provus briefly filled in for Bremer earlier this season when he missed the team’s home opening series with an illness.
No matter who takes over, the void Bremer leaves is significant.
Aside from a one-year hiatus in 1986, Bremer’s been the team’s lead television broadcaster since he started calling games in 1983 for Spectrum Sports. Whether for Twinsvision, Midwest Sports Channel, Victory Sports, Fox Sports North or Bally Sports North, Bremer was the voice of Twins highlights for four decades.
Bremer was a fixture in daily media sessions with Twins manager Rocco Baldelli as well as with opposing managers, in search of timely morsels of information that could enhance the day’s broadcast. Though he slowed down recently, Bremer also was active on social media, offering fans a “left-hand toast” following Twins victories. He teased reporters on air about dropped foul balls and adapted well to his younger analysts.
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During his final broadcast on Oct. 1, Bremer was visibly emotional when Morneau and Plouffe congratulated him on air for 40 years in the booth.
Born in St. Paul and raised three hours northwest in Dumont, Minn., Bremer grew up a Twins fan. Aside from missing several contests during the 2021 season and attending the Hall of Fame ceremonies for Blyleven, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew, Bremer almost never missed a game during his tenure. In 2020, Bremer wrote a book, “Game Used,” based on his experiences with the team.
The St. Cloud State graduate began his career as a play-by-play man for University of Iowa men’s basketball games. He also called games for the Minnesota North Stars, preseason contests for the Minnesota Vikings and was at the mic for myriad University of Minnesota sports, along with area high school football and basketball games.
Touching moment: Dick Bremer is recognized for 40 years as the voice of #MNTwins by Justin Morneau & Trevor Plouffe.
Congrats to the legend himself @dbremer_pxp!
His enduring voice & insightful commentary have guided generations of fans through 40 years of triumphs & failures. pic.twitter.com/7BnifPLcoX
— Talkin' Twins ⚾️ (@TalkinTwins) October 1, 2023
Bremer’s departure only adds an extra layer to an already murky situation after Bally Sports filed for bankruptcy during the season. The team’s 12-year contract with Bally expired, which leaves it searching for a new broadcast partner and trying to minimize an expected loss in revenue.
Even though they possessed what’s believed to be one of the worst TV deals in the majors, court proceedings during the summer revealed the Twins earned $54.8 million from Bally this season.
A loss in revenue could result in a reduction in team payroll, though team officials haven’t indicated whether that would happen. The Twins entered the 2023 season with a club-record $153.6 million payroll, according to Cot’s Contracts.
“(It’s) something we’re obviously monitoring closely,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “I would say we don’t have specifics on that. Until we get a little bit more clarity, that’ll be a conversation. Every year we talk about payroll, what that means, resources. I would say every year is a different roster, a different set of needs and a different area of focus.
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“I look at the group that is coming. We just talked about a lot of young players. Ultimately, they are going to take on roles maybe where guys were making a little bit more money in those spots before. That’s natural. That’s the evolution of the roster, but I don’t have a specific answer on that yet. I think we’re just going to have to monitor that through the course of the offseason.”
(Top photo of Dick Bremer: Brace Hemmelgarn / Minnesota Twins / Getty Images)
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