HK Gets His Call: Howard Kellman to Broadcast Yankees-Rays Game on Friday, Sept. 2
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians today announced that Voice of the Indians Howard Kellman will handle play-by-play duties on the New York Yankees Radio Network (WFAN 101.9 FM & Sports Radio 66 AM) on Friday, Sept. 2 at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Kellman’s stint with the
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians today announced that Voice of the Indians Howard Kellman will handle play-by-play duties on the New York Yankees Radio Network (WFAN 101.9 FM & Sports Radio 66 AM) on Friday, Sept. 2 at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Kellman’s stint with the Yankees will be his first major league broadcast assignment since 2014 and third overall.
Kellman, who is in his 46th season with the Indians, has previously worked behind the microphone for the Chicago White Sox (1984) and as a replacement for the New York Mets (2014). He first joined the Indians in 1974 and has been the club’s lead play-by-play voice in all but two seasons (1975, 1980) since his rookie year.
“This is a great honor, and I am most thankful to both WFAN and the Yankees for this opportunity,” said Kellman, who grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. and graduated from Brooklyn College. “George Steinbrenner let me practice my play-by-play in vacant broadcast booths at old Yankee Stadium which helped me in getting hired with the Indianapolis Indians. I am thrilled to call a Yankees game again!”
Kellman has called nearly 6,600 games in his tenure with the Indians, a run that includes 13 division titles, seven postseason championships and nine no-hitters thrown by Indy. He has been part of the radio broadcast team for three Triple-A All-Star Games, including the 1989 Midsummer Classic in Columbus, Ohio, the 2001 contest at Indianapolis’ Victory Field and most recently the 2013 showcase in Reno, Nev. In addition, he led the broadcast team for ESPN’s coverage of the Triple-A World Series from 2006-08.
“Howard’s voice has been synonymous with Indianapolis Indians baseball for 46 years touching six decades,” said Randy Lewandowski, Indianapolis Indians President & General Manager. “Having called many iconic moments in our organization’s rich history, Howard has become a staple not only with the Indians but in thousands of households across Central Indiana. We are excited for Howard as he gets to call a game for the team he rooted for as a youngster – the New York Yankees.”
Kellman was honored as Indiana’s Sportscaster of the Year in 2002 and was inducted into the Indiana Sportswriters & Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 2009. He added two more inductions to his ledger in 2015 with the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame and in 2018 with the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Kellman’s broadcast partner in the visiting radio booth at Tropicana Field will be Yankees color commentator Suzyn Waldman, who has been part of Yankees radio broadcasts with play-by-play voice John Sterling since 2005. First pitch for the Yankees-Rays matchup on Sept. 2 is set for 7:10 PM.
The Indians continue their current series with Rochester tonight through Sunday, Aug. 28 at Victory Field. Following a two-week road trip, Indianapolis returns to The Vic for its final homestand of the 2022 season from Sept. 13-24. Single-game tickets are available along with group and premium reservations. For more information, visit IndyIndians.com or contact the Victory Field Box Office at (317) 269-3545 or [email protected].