Dick Bremer, Iconic Voice of the Minnesota Twins, Steps Back from Play-By-Play

[Ted Schwerzler]

The Minnesota Twins have a substantial change coming in 2024 regarding their television situation. That only got larger on Tuesday when it was announced that longtime play-by-play analyst Dick Bremer will be stepping away from his role of 40 years.

Image courtesy of © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Twins announced on Tuesday morning that Dick Bremer would transition from his role in the booth to the title of Special Assistant. Bremer has been a mainstay for Minnesota, working in the television booth since 1983. He saw a significant amount of run alongside Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven, replaced in 2021 by Justin Morneau.

Through a press release provided by the Twins, Bremer said, “For 40 years, I’ve been blessed to totally immerse myself in the game that I love for the team that I love. 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.”

Some important additional context came from The Athletic's Dan Hayes. Regarding the change, Hayes notes, "A high-ranking team official confirmed health isn’t a factor in the decision; the Twins instead want a change in the booth." Nowhere in the release, or any other stories, is the word retirement categorically thrown out there. As Minnesota did with Blyleven a few years earlier, this seems to be an intentional decision towards ushering in a new broadcast as a whole.

Bremer is a St. Paul native and had the pleasure of broadcasting the Twins since his late twenties. He got to witness two separate World Series teams, as call games for Twins greats such as Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett, and Joe Mauer. The amount of baseball that Bremer experienced in the booth and the Twins teams that evolved through him is nothing short of extraordinary.

Assuming roles outside of the booth was something that Bremer did exceptionally well on. He was a mainstay on the annual Twins Caravan, and he has been a great emcee for the Twins Diamond Awards. In a Special Assistant role, there is hope he could continue to be present and a figurehead for those events.

In his wake, the Twins will usher in a new era of broadcasting. Not only does the transition away from Bally Sports North take place this offseason, but they will need to find a new play-by-play person. Cory Provus, the incredible voice of the Twins in that capacity on radio, would present an opportunity for a smooth transition.

How the Twins handle the departure of Bremer remains to be seen. Still, you can bet that fans throughout Twins Territory will experience a very noticeable difference when tuning into games for 2024. Bremer's smooth tones have become synonymous with the action over the years, and no one has gotten more excited for the potential of a long ball than he has.

Getting the new hire right is a must for Minnesota, and thanking Bremer for everything he has done in the organization can be an ongoing tribute. Morneau and Trevor Plouffe presented Bremer with a gift to celebrate his 40 years nearing the end of the 2023 season, and the touching moment was something to behold.

Change always presents opportunity but sometimes is met with uncertainty as well. Bremer was the epitome of everything good about Twins Territory, and it will feel different to move forward without him. Thank you for the memories, Dick. A left-hand toast is offered to you today for all you have done.

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[ashbury]

I'm kind of glad Dick chose to go out on his own terms like this.  He was a steady presence for both the team and the viewing audience and I always enjoyed his work.

[BobAzar]

Whomever they hire is going to take some getting used to. I am under 40 (just barely), so I've only known Dick doing play by play. Glad he is sticking around the team. 

Also, if you havent, get a copy of his book and read it. its great. 

https://www.triumphbooks.com/dick-bremer--game-used-products-9781629378770.php

[IndianaTwin]

As a long-time radio regular, I'd welcome Gladden getting a "promotion" to the TV side. Alas, I think it's more likely to be Provus.

I have too few opportunities to see Bremer on TV to make observations there, other than to say that 40 years of doing any job is worthy of congrats. I enjoyed his book, and I've enjoyed him as a Twins ambassador at places like TwinsFest. Blessings to him in the next steps, doing whatever a "Special Assistant" gets to do.  

[nicksaviking]

I didn't know I was due to get emotional today. 

Wish I had gotten to watch more games last year, but Dick was a broadcaster unique to only us Twins fans and he'll be missed.

[CRF]

I mentioned this in the other thread too. He's the only pbp guy I've ever known since I moved here. He was a good one, and he'll be missed. I wish Mr Bremer the very best of luck in his new role. 

[Twins GFP]

13 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

As a long-time radio regular, I'd welcome Gladden getting a "promotion" to the TV side. Alas, I think it's more likely to be Provus.

Gladden  would be perfect for television.  The fans won't have to worry about his inability to call a game and his horrendous grasp of the English language.  They can just turn the volume down and still know what is going on.

[MMMordabito]

8 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

As a long-time radio regular, I'd welcome Gladden getting a "promotion" to the TV side. Alas, I think it's more likely to be Provus.

I have too few opportunities to see Bremer on TV to make observations there, other than to say that 40 years of doing any job is worthy of congrats. I enjoyed his book, and I've enjoyed him as a Twins ambassador at places like TwinsFest. Blessings to him in the next steps, doing whatever a "Special Assistant" gets to do.  

As a guy who's been moving to radio more as each season passes, I hope they keep Provus on the dial.  

[RpR]

AH, you young'ns don't know the glorius years when the Twins had a rotating group on WTCN; I forget if Mel Jass ever popped in to say hello.

[NeverSeenATwinsPlayoffWin]

I am very glad that I won't have to witness Gladden's midseason tirade against the phrase "sinking line drive" ever again. My girlfriend and I would always say, "Just wait until he learns that there's a pitch called a sinker."

[Squirrel]

55 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

As a long-time radio regular, I'd welcome Gladden getting a "promotion" to the TV side. Alas, I think it's more likely to be Provus.

 

Seriously? Noooo to Gladden. Gladden does not do pbp

[IndianaTwin]

19 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Seriously? Noooo to Gladden. Gladden does not do pbp

Only serious in the sense that it would improve my radio experience to have Gladden on TV. 😀

[Nine of twelve]

1 hour ago, RpR said:

AH, you young'ns don't know the glorius years when the Twins had a rotating group on WTCN; I forget if Mel Jazz ever popped in to say hello.

His name was Mel Jass, and I do remember his postgame bit.

[RpR]

24 minutes ago, Nine of twelve said:

His name was Mel Jass, and I do remember his postgame bit.

As I said it has been too long, but I used to watch his matinee movie very often.

[jmlease1]

I will miss Dick Bremer, and I have to say I was really impressed with how well he did adapting advanced stats into the broadcast over the past several years. It's never easy to change how you do business, and after so long calling games for the Twins I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to break patterns, but he did it and I thought did a fine job of it as kind of a "hey, I've been around a long time but look at this new stat, isn't it interesting?" way of trying to bring people along with it, rather than get too technical or fight back against it and be disparaging. Dick wasn't afraid to change with the game. I thought working with Morneau, Hawkins, Perkins, and even Smalley brought him some new energy after so many years mostly working with Bert, and it made it a better game to watch and listen to. Overall, he's been pretty great.

I hope he was able to leave on his own terms, but it's hard to say. (The Athletic is reporting it that he was pushed out, but even then we don't know how gently it may have been) But 40 years is pretty amazing.

A left-hand salute to you Dick Bremer!

[SD happy]

He will be missed. You know who will miss him even more? My wife who is not a baseball/sports fan. But every  April through September I’m in the family room watching my beloved Twins and she’s in the next room sewing, quilting, crafts or whatever. She always said life is good. I’m happy doing my thing and she’s happy doing her thing and the one common denominator was Dick’s soothing, enduring voice.

[CRF]

25 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

I will miss Dick Bremer, and I have to say I was really impressed with how well he did adapting advanced stats into the broadcast over the past several years. It's never easy to change how you do business, and after so long calling games for the Twins I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to break patterns, but he did it and I thought did a fine job of it as kind of a "hey, I've been around a long time but look at this new stat, isn't it interesting?" way of trying to bring people along with it, rather than get too technical or fight back against it and be disparaging. Dick wasn't afraid to change with the game. I thought working with Morneau, Hawkins, Perkins, and even Smalley brought him some new energy after so many years mostly working with Bert, and it made it a better game to watch and listen to. Overall, he's been pretty great.

I hope he was able to leave on his own terms, but it's hard to say. (The Athletic is reporting it that he was pushed out, but even then we don't know how gently it may have been) But 40 years is pretty amazing.

A left-hand salute to you Dick Bremer!

I also was wondering if he was "assisted" by the Twins in his decision to leave the booth. I do hope he had the final say and that he's happy with the move. 

[stringer bell]

Well done Mr. Bremer. I hope the next person does well so he won't be missed too much.

[Brandon]

They should have Bremer broadcast a few games a year so he can get to 5000 games called.  He could do that over the next 3-5 years.  That way we get the annual nostalgia.

[TopGunn#22]

He's an all time great in the pantheon of Twins Broadcasters.  I'm glad he's retiring on his terms.  He and I are each former St. Cloud State University UTVS/KVSC "Sports Directors."  Dick was a couple years ahead of me.  I will miss him.  He's been a trusted and admired presence in my "sports den" for years.

I really like Cory Provus.  If there is somebody I wouldn't mind replacing Dick, it would be Cory Provus.  

[Squirrel]

3 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

Only serious in the sense that it would improve my radio experience to have Gladden on TV. 😀

Yeah, and subject the rest of us to a 'Hawk Harrelson' equivalent. no thanks! :) 

[Blyleven2011]

Sad news indeed , I always enjoy dick and his partners ...

Won't be the same  , herb carneal  was an all time radio broadcaster , we got used to the next team of radio announcers  , we will get used to dicks replacement  to , but he will be missed in the booth  ...

Success in your new chapter of life Mr Bremer , go-to Florida and visit your friend bert ..., 

[chinmusic]

I've only been watching the Twins the last 3 or 4 years on MLB TV.

Bremer certainly has a very good broadcaster's voice.  I was somewhat surprised at the news. Hope it's not health related.

I, too, would support Cory Provus in the role.

Maybe Trevor Plouffe can be in the mix. He provided some good energy.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, RpR said:

As I said it has been too long, but I used to watch his matinee movie very often.

As a kid I was so excited when it was a Tarzan movie.

I remember when DB started calling play-by-play and have associated him with the highs and lows ever since. I have noticed in the last year or two he would misspeak/misidentify a player more and more. Reminded me of Herb Carneal's last five years or so.

Best of luck Dick and here is a left handed salute to you!!

DocBauer and DLJ44, this may not be the LH'er we were discussing, but for now I hope it is one we can agree on!

[darin617]

7 hours ago, ashbury said:

I'm kind of glad Dick chose to go out on his own terms like this.  He was a steady presence for both the team and the viewing audience and I always enjoyed his work.

I don't think he went out on his own terms. Just watch the video when they gave him a cake and a bottle of scotch. That's a goodbye celebration not a thanks for 40 years of broadcasting. The worst part is they said they couldn't do it at the beginning of the yer because Dick had Covid. So what stopped them from doing it when he got back?

It's too bad they treated him like that and pushed him out and made it sound like they just decided to do it now. To me it makes the Twins look like garbage. Low class and Dick deserved a better sendoff. 

The worst part is they are going to use him as a speaker and to promote things. Lucky for them Dick has too much class to show them the middle finger and walk away from them.

[darin617]

7 hours ago, BobAzar said:

Whomever they hire is going to take some getting used to. I am under 40 (just barely), so I've only known Dick doing play by play. Glad he is sticking around the team. 

Also, if you havent, get a copy of his book and read it. its great. 

https://www.triumphbooks.com/dick-bremer--game-used-products-9781629378770.php

I thought the same thing when the Wolves got rid of Dave Benz. Hopefully they hire someone like Michael Grady.

[Western SD Fan]

I want to first congratulate Dick on a successful career and happy trails into a reduced retirement role with the Twins.  One thing that this organization does right is to keep their long-term people in the family as long as they want to participate.  I agree with a couple of commenters that I hope they write some kind of day-to-day contract for Dick to get to 5,000 games.  While that shouldn't matter and he pointed out in his announcement that it doesn't matter, I believe it is important for him to someday get into the Baseball Hall of Fame, where I believes he belongs someday.

The best part of his broadcasts were the stories and the memories to recall events from nearly every era of baseball in Minnesota.

With that being said, here's my two cents on possible replacements for Mr. Bremer:

Obvious front-runner should be Cory Provus. Being the radio announcer and his TV experience with the Big 10 Network is plenty and we are definitely used to Cory in Twins Territory.

Other possibilities are:  Marney Gellner - I honestly thought she was being prepped for the position when they experimented with her calling spring training games a few years ago. Again, another familiar voice that has earned an opportunity.  I am not sure with her home life if she wants the commitment of February to October on the road.  She will do what is best for her and her family and I have always wished her the best of luck. 

Jenny Cavar from the Rockies.  She seems to do a good job when I watch Rockies broadcasts.  She only does it part time so maybe she would be willing to move for a full-time gig.

Jon Sciambi - this is dreaming......

Thom Brennaman - probably not because of his baggage, but still a good announcer.

I would also like them to settle on a color commentator.  I still would prefer a player or someone who has been involved in the game for a long time (calling Ron Gardenhire). My preference is Latroy Hawkins or Trevor Plouffe.  I believe that Morneau and Perkins are just too pedantic, like reading a textbook to me.  While I don't want the reincarnation of Hawk Harrelson, someone closer to Bert's liveliness would be beneficial.  Plouffe has too many other ventures going and doesn't seem to be on many broadcasts outside of California to probably want a full-time color gig.

This post looks closer to a quarter than two cents, but here it is.

[Doctor Evil]

I wish Mr. Bremer all the best. That being said I personally felt he was a bit too much of a homer. I grew a bit tired of the promoting of the company line instead of speaking out on things once in a while.

[2-6CS]

I'm amazed at the amount of criticism of various nature that people have for an announcer.  They talk too much.  Not enough.  Too excited.  Not excited enough. They once said a players name wrong in the 3rd inning.   Ugh.  The game is supposed to be the entertainment Not the person talking about it.  

 

Sad to see Bremer get shown the door.

[Schmoeman5]

4 hours ago, Squirrel said:

Yeah, and subject the rest of us to a 'Hawk Harrelson' equivalent. no thanks! :) 

You have got to be kidding me!