The Minnesota Twins may have a new broadcast partner next season, and the team will have a new play-by-play broadcaster.
On Tuesday, the team announced long-time play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer would be retiring from the broadcast booth and transitioning to a front-office role with the organization.
Bremer will serve as a Special Assistant in the Twins front office after calling nearly 5,000 games for the franchise.
In a statement, Bremer thanked Twins fans.
“For 40 years, I’ve been blessed to totally immerse myself in the game that I love for the team that I love,” said Bremer. “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.”
He was also praised and thanked by Twins president and CEO Dave St. Peter.
“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,” said club President & CEO Dave St. Peter. “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.
“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 67-year-old Bremer was born and raised in Minnesota, and, in addition to his work for the Twins, called Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball, the Minnesota North Stars, Minnesota Vikings preseason games, and Minnesota Golden Gophers football, men’s basketball, and men’s hockey.
Bremer’s departure from the broadcast booth comes several years after long-time partner Bert Blyleven also left the booth and took on a Special Assistant role in the team’s front office. In the years after Blyleven’s retirement, Bremer worked with several ex-players, including LaTroy Hawkins and Justin Morneau.
As mentioned above, the Twins aren’t just seeking a new play-by-play broadcaster, but they’re also seeking a broadcast partner for 2024 and beyond. The Twins media rights agreement with Diamond Sports and Bally Sports North expired after the 2023 season (following some uncertainty about whether or not the team would actually get paid). The team’s statement about Bremer’s departure says they are “currently assessing potential broadcast options,” which opens the door for both a renewal with Bally Sports North or a broadcast network.
We’ve seen several NBA and NHL teams over the last year transition from a regional sports network (RSN) to a broadcast deal, but no MLB team has taken the plunge yet. The Twins could be the first. After the swift collapse of Victory Sports One 20 years ago, the franchise likely won’t go down the road of starting up a new RSN, especially given the carriage woes faced by Bally Sports North and other RSNs across the country.
