Mets announcer Howie Rose reveals struggle with bladder cancer

Howie Rose has been calling New York Mets games since 1995 and has been the radio voice of the franchise since 2006, though he’s been plagued by health issues in recent years. The fan-favorite announcer revealed publicly on Wednesday that he’s been battling bladder cancer since 2021.

The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand broke the news about Rose, who first noticed blood in his urine during spring training that year.

“I knew that wasn’t good,” Rose said.

Eventually diagnosed with bladder cancer, Rose sought a number of treatments but announced in August of 2021 that he was stepping away from the booth due to “an undisclosed medical issue.”  Per Marchand, the 68-year-old then underwent a radical cystoprostatectomy, in which his bladder and prostate were removed, and then replaced by a “neobladder” made from intestines.

“It really is miraculous when you get a handle on what they actually do,” Rose told the Post.

While the surgery was a success, Rose developed a hernia afterward that required another surgery as well.

Thankfully, Rose was able to recuperate and heal enough that he rejoined the Mets booth this past year, was able to get back to doing what he does best, and remains the centerpiece of the team’s radio booth for the foreseeable future (though he’ll be working 125 games instead of a full schedule).

“The bottom line, after the pathology came back after the surgery, the doctor basically said, ‘You’re good to go,’” Rose told the Post. “The surgeon, he says, ‘You have no restrictions, do whatever you want.’ And it’s managing the situation where my life is more complicated than it used to be. It’s not insurmountable. Obviously. It certainly hasn’t helped my golf game, that’s for sure.

“But the beauty of it is I can go out and play golf. I can ride my bike. I can play pickleball if I want or tennis and do whatever I want. I’m thankful for that.”

[NY Post]