Kellman Called Upon to Broadcast Yankees-Athletics Game on Friday, Sept. 20
INDIANAPOLIS – Make it a high-five for Howard Kellman. The Indianapolis Indians today announced that Kellman, Voice of the Indians, who this week will complete his 48th season as the Indians’ play-by-play voice, is headed to the big leagues for the fifth time. He will handle play-by-play duties on the
INDIANAPOLIS – Make it a high-five for Howard Kellman. The Indianapolis Indians today announced that Kellman, Voice of the Indians, who this week will complete his 48th season as the Indians’ play-by-play voice, is headed to the big leagues for the fifth time. He will handle play-by-play duties on the New York Yankees Radio Network (WFAN 101.9 FM & Sports Radio 66 AM) on Friday, Sept. 20, at Oakland Coliseum, home of the Oakland Athletics.
Kellman has previously worked behind the microphone for the Chicago White Sox (1984), New York Mets (2014) and Yankees (2022-23). After fulfilling pinch-hit duties for the Yankees-Rays game on Sept. 2, 2022, at Tropicana Field, he became the only voice in baseball history to handle radio play-by-play duties for both New York-based ballclubs. He earned another pinch-hit callup to the Yankees last year during a September road series against Kansas City.
Kellman 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 campaign. On July 4 this summer, the Indians recognized Kellman and the 50th anniversary of his first season by naming the radio booths at Victory Field in his honor.
“I am thankful to both the Yankees and WFAN for giving me a third opportunity to broadcast a big-league game,” said Kellman, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native and Brooklyn College graduate. “I have greatly enjoyed calling games for the Yankees each of the last two seasons and am honored to be behind the mic once again for the 27-time World Series champion New York Yankees.”
Kellman will be joined by Yankees color commentator Suzyn Waldman in the visiting radio booth at Oakland Coliseum. Waldman has been part of Yankees radio broadcasts since 2005. First pitch is at 9:40 PM ET for the Sept. 20 matchup between the Yankees and Athletics.
When Indianapolis’ 2024 season wraps up this weekend in St. Paul, Minn., Kellman will have called 6,914 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.
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.
For more on the Indians, visit IndyIndians.com or contact the Victory Field Box Office at (317) 269-3545 or [email protected]. The Indians’ 2025 schedule will be released in the coming weeks.