Provus and Atteberry Promoted to New Broadcast Roles, Twins Blackouts Going Away

[Cody Christie]

Twins Territory will have new voices behind the microphones of their broadcasts in 2024, but they will be familiar to many fans. On Friday, reports surfaced that Cory Provus and Kris Atteberry would be promoted to new broadcast roles.

Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this winter, the Twins announced that Dick Bremer would be retiring after 40 years as the team’s television voice. Bremer is shifting into a special assistant role for the club even though reports indicated that he wasn’t necessarily ready to retire. Minnesota also recently announced that Bremer has been named the 2023 winner of the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented as part of the annual Diamond Awards in January. 

Bremer was a Minnesota native born in Dumont, MN, who had been a Twins fan his entire life. He attended St. Cloud State University and began his play-by-play career with the Twins in 1983. He was on Spectrum Sports from 1983-1985 and continued with the club from 1987-2023 with various other stations. Multiple generations of Twins fans only know Bremer as the voice of the Twins. He leaves big shoes to fill, and the Twins are turning over his microphone to a familiar voice. 

According to the Star Tribune (and later announced by the Twins), Cory Provus will move into the television role next season after serving as the Twins radio voice since 2012. Provus has previously filled in for Bremer on television broadcasts and has called college football and basketball games on the Big Ten Network and FS1. Provus joined the Twins from the Brewers organization, where he called games with Bob Uecker. It will be his first time stepping into a full-time television role for baseball, but he is obviously very familiar with the organization.  

 

Kris Atteberry has been a fixture on the team’s radio broadcast for 17 seasons and will step into the full-time play-by-play role next year. He has filled in for Provus and Dan Gladden during absences while also hosting the radio’s pregame and postgame shows. Before joining the Twins, Atteberry served as the play-by-play announcer for the St. Paul Saints from 2002-06. 

Previously, the Twins bypassed Atteberry to give the radio play-by-play duties to Provus. Atteberry will now get his opportunity, and it should be a relatively seamless transition, with both stepping into roles where they have been backup options in the past. They have worked around the Twins organization for over a decade, which should help fans see less of a change with the new broadcast crew. 

Provus will likely be joined in the television booth by Justin Morneau in a majority of games, with Roy Smalley, LaTroy Hawkins, and Glen Perkins also seeing time in the color commentator role. Dan Gladden has worked in the Twins radio booth for the last 21 seasons and will likely continue to work alongside Atteberry. 

 

Following the announcement, Provus told reporters that the team is removing blackout restrictions for next season, which should open Twins broadcasts to a broader audience. The Twins are still searching for a television home for next season, but the switch in blackout restriction is a huge win for Twins fans across the upper Midwest.

How do you feel about Provus taking over the television duties? Are you excited about the idea of blackouts going away? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

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[Galen]

It's going to be very difficult for me to listen to the radio broadcasts. 

[Shaitan]

What was the previous blackout policy?

[wsnydes]

Great to hear that blackouts are going away...but I'd really like to know how they're going away.  

[Karbo]

Nothing against Provus, but I'm really going to miss Dick. He has been involved with the Twins for so long, he knew 1st hand so many little facts that were fun to listen to. I keep hearing people tell me he was forced into retirement. If that's the case, then shame on you Twins!! Having been a fan since '61, I've heard a lot of play by play guys. Dick rates at the top with Herb Carneal!

[howeda7]

11 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

Great to hear that blackouts are going away...but I'd really like to know how they're going away.  

While we don't know details, it's basically a 100% certainty that there will be a stand alone streaming option for 2024 that no one will be blacked out from accessing (if they subscribe of course.)

[Nine of twelve]

56 minutes ago, Shaitan said:

What was the previous blackout policy?

Blackouts in some form have been around for decades. In the early years of televised baseball home games were rarely broadcast because teams felt it would hurt ticket sales. Later, alternative broadcasts were blacked out so that fans would be forced to watch on the team's preferred outlet. But in the modern era (finally!) teams have realized that they can ultimately receive revenue from any and every source fans can access and teams have also realized that making it easy for fans to follow the team is a good thing for business. Why did it take so long?

[wsnydes]

32 minutes ago, howeda7 said:

While we don't know details, it's basically a 100% certainty that there will be a stand alone streaming option for 2024 that no one will be blacked out from accessing (if they subscribe of course.)

Yeah, that's the how part that I want to know about!

[Blyleven2011]

It should be fine for provus moving into the TV booth ...

Atteberry and gladden together for the year should be okay  ....

I wish they would call the games better by telling the fans how many outs  , balls and strikes for people just tuning in to radio it takes awhile before you know where your at in the game ...

 Telling the score  after each half inning would help too , their details are lacking ...

maybe they will be a good team in the radio booth  , they have done games together when provus is on vacation,  ...

[lecroy24fan]

3 hours ago, Nine of twelve said:

Blackouts in some form have been around for decades. In the early years of televised baseball home games were rarely broadcast because teams felt it would hurt ticket sales. Later, alternative broadcasts were blacked out so that fans would be forced to watch on the team's preferred outlet. But in the modern era (finally!) teams have realized that they can ultimately receive revenue from any and every source fans can access and teams have also realized that making it easy for fans to follow the team is a good thing for business. Why did it take so long?

The biggest thing is if you were in a teams "market" you were blacked out on mlb.tv. So if you lived in parts of Iowa, not only were you unable to watch the Twins, but the Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, Royals, and Cardinals were all blacked out.

[Dave Borton]

Quote

@Cody ChristieHow do you feel about Provus taking over the television duties? 

Ask me how I feel about the incessant chattering Atteberry taking over the play-by-play on radio.

Provus deserved the promotion. Well earned. At the same time,  it's obvious that the Twins didn't do a small consumer (test group) survey re: Atteberry in the booth.

Thank goodness for the radio stream from opponents' booths on MLB.

[myjah]

I'm extremely happy to hear Provus will be taking over. I'm a little bit more confused about where this blackout restriction is coming from. Did their contracts with Bally end? I guess that would make sense in Bally is going belly up. 

[myjah]

4 hours ago, howeda7 said:

While we don't know details, it's basically a 100% certainty that there will be a stand alone streaming option for 2024 that no one will be blacked out from accessing (if they subscribe of course.)

Where does this come from? Are the contracts ending? 

[DocBauer]

I recently had my 58yo birthday. I've been a Twins fan since I was about 5 or 6 just because my dad was while listening to his transistor radio and took me to a double header in the old Met stadium WAY back in the day with his little league team that he helped coach in Brooking SD. 

Over time, I read every Star Tribune article I could find that my grandmother saved for me. Whenever I had the chance, as a kid in SD...watching cable games on her TV, later as a visitor after moving to Nebraska, I'd watch every game I could. But I grew up with the Twins on the radio mostly. Poor reception meant sitting in a car listening to games at night, decent reception on stereo on most games.

So I have no idea in my memory who was in the TV  booth through the 70's and the 80's. I only recall Herb Carneal as the voice of the Twins on the radio for DECADES of my life. And I honestly had wet eyes when I listened to opening day and heard "Hello Twins fans". And that will never leave me.

I loved Herb, and I loved Gordon almost the same. And I miss them both. But Provous has been an outstanding replacement over the years. And I think he's going to be great as the new voice of the TV broadcast, in whatever form it takes shape. Things change. 

I do think Bremer was handled poorly. I finally got to watch games the past few years due to the net, and I think he was very good. I might even agree he got better with new and various collor commentators. When he was presented with a cake to celebrate his 40th year, I saw the writing on the wall. 

I love my Twins as a fan, and most of what they do do and have done, but they BLEW Bremer's exit! He deserved so much more! Unless he was already thinking about stepping down, 40yrs should have been a bigger celebration. 

Provus is going to be great. Atteberry has experience and the ability to be very good. One needs to adjust from radio and football broadcasting to TV baseball on a full time basis, and one needs to just settle down and not try to hard, and just work within the game and work with Gladden and find the balance of enough and too much.

The moves were all smart.

Man, I still miss Herb and John so much!

[Hubie29]

3 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I recently had my 58yo birthday. I've been a Twins fan since I was about 5 or 6 just because my dad was while listening to his transistor radio and took me to a double header in the old Met stadium WAY back in the day with his little league team that he helped coach in Brooking SD. 

Over time, I read every Star Tribune article I could find that my grandmother saved for me. Whenever I had the chance, as a kid in SD...watching cable games on her TV, later as a visitor after moving to Nebraska, I'd watch every game I could. But I grew up with the Twins on the radio mostly. Poor reception meant sitting in a car listening to games at night, decent reception on stereo on most games.

So I have no idea in my memory who was in the TV  booth through the 70's and the 80's. I only recall Herb Carneal as the voice of the Twins on the radio for DECADES of my life. And I honestly had wet eyes when I listened to opening day and heard "Hello Twins fans". And that will never leave me.

I loved Herb, and I loved Gordon almost the same. And I miss them both. But Provous has been an outstanding replacement over the years. And I think he's going to be great as the new voice of the TV broadcast, in whatever form it takes shape. Things change. 

I do think Bremer was handled poorly. I finally got to watch games the past few years due to the net, and I think he was very good. I might even agree he got better with new and various collor commentators. When he was presented with a cake to celebrate his 40th year, I saw the writing on the wall. 

I love my Twins as a fan, and most of what they do do and have done, but they BLEW Bremer's exit! He deserved so much more! Unless he was already thinking about stepping down, 40yrs should have been a bigger celebration. 

Provus is going to be great. Atteberry has experience and the ability to be very good. One needs to adjust from radio and football broadcasting to TV baseball on a full time basis, and one needs to just settle down and not try to hard, and just work within the game and work with Gladden and find the balance of enough and too much.

The moves were all smart.

Man, I still miss Herb and John so much!

No Twins announcer will ever touch Herb Carneal. Not even Gordon. Personally, I was not fond of Gordon and his squeaky voice and "touch 'em all!" Herb was so smooth and didn't have to rely on a cheesy saying. I fell asleep many nights with Herb in my earphones. I would give anything to hear him call a game again. 

P.S. How did Gladden ever get his gig?

[pierre75275]

I grew up listening to the Twins on the radio, (thanks dad) and nobody will ever hold a candle to Herb Carneal or John Gordon. 

Those guys were the best!

 

[jmlease1]

Provus is a smart choice. I don't listen to the Twins on radio much, so I don't know Atteberry very well but there's certainly logic to it.

Provus will have to adapt his style a little more to the medium; radio guys usually talk a little too much instead of letting the pictures speak, but I think he'll do fine. It will take some time to adjust to not having Dick Bremer calling the games on TV, and he will be missed, but Provus feels like the right kind of choice to move forward.

I'm sure the team was concerned that they were going to lose Provus' services soon and that was a factor in the decision. (Having watched some of the Apple TV broadcasts, Provus would have been a superior choice to do play-by-play than any of the folks they had doing games) While it would have been nice for Bremer to go out entirely on his own terms and at the top of his game, it rarely goes that way. I love Dick, and thought he had been reinvigorated working with Morneau with Perkins, Hawkins, and Smalley coming in instead of Bert almost all the time; sadly the Dick & Bert team had gotten a bit stale, and Bert had really slipped. But even with that, Dick didn't have his best year on HR calls; definitely more times than usual where Dick started a HR call and it was a fairly routine fly. Certainly not a big deal, but might have a been a signal to the team. I can understand the desire to make the change one year early rather than one year late; while there's been a lot of comments about disrespecting Dick, making sure he doesn't go out with a big blunder also shows respect for his career.

[rwilfong86]

Provus will be great, I've enjoyed listening to him on the radio over the years. 

[Peter]

Great to see this happen!!! Atteberry and gladden will be great on radio!! Provus on TV will be great!!!! 

[Nine of twelve]

Gordon was satisfactory. Provus is better than Gordon ever was. But the only announcer I know of who may have been better than Carneal was Vin Scully.

[Shaitan]

8 hours ago, Hubie29 said:

No Twins announcer will ever touch Herb Carneal. Not even Gordon. Personally, I was not fond of Gordon and his squeaky voice and "touch 'em all!" Herb was so smooth and didn't have to rely on a cheesy saying. I fell asleep many nights with Herb in my earphones. I would give anything to hear him call a game again. 

P.S. How did Gladden ever get his gig?

For a while it was fun to listen to Gladden grow and learn the ropes. 

But he hit a wall and...it stopped. I still enjoy his off the cuff criticisms of players, but it seems that he either can't stay focused on the details we need over radio or that he just doesn't care anymore (see Blyleven, Bert).

[Shaitan]

Attebury as a sub is the definition of average. You get very little personality and he tells it like it is. You almost don't know he's there. I'm curious if that style will change with the regular gig.

He's earned it, I'll give him that.

Was hoping for Marni.

[Shaitan]

12 hours ago, myjah said:

I'm extremely happy to hear Provus will be taking over. I'm a little bit more confused about where this blackout restriction is coming from. Did their contracts with Bally end? I guess that would make sense in Bally is going belly up. 

I think it might be referring to how something like only 130 of 162 games were on TV each year. Maybe it's finally going to be 162.

The fact that nobody here even knows what, exactly, was blacked out tells you how bad the marketing has been.

[Otaknam]

Provus is an excellent choice for TV, but I will miss his ability to accurately describe the action on the radio. I’m lukewarm on Atteberry as the full time radio play by play person, but I’ll give him a chance. When he has subbed in the past he gets too hung up on odd stories that he has researched, which don’t add to the broadcast. Sadly I can only tolerate Gladden for three innings. He’s not exactly a wordsmith. He struggles to describe the action in front of him, doesn’t give enough score updates, but his baseball knowledge as a former player does provide some insight.

[HerbieFan]

Quote

 

Provus is a slam dunk, knock it out of the park replacement.  With all due respect, Atteberry isn't my cup of tea.  He deserves this shot though, but I'll miss listening to Provus on the radio.  One thing...can someone explain to me how we can promise no blackouts when we don't even have a TV contract??

[HerbieFan]

3 hours ago, Nine of twelve said:

Gordon was satisfactory. Provus is better than Gordon ever was. But the only announcer I know of who may have been better than Carneal was Vin Scully.

Preach.  I'd say Gordo was better than "satisfactory" but agree Provus is better.   Provus is outstanding.   But growing up listening to Herb and that velvet voice....that's Twins on the radio for me

[HerbieFan]

15 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I recently had my 58yo birthday. I've been a Twins fan since I was about 5 or 6 just because my dad was while listening to his transistor radio and took me to a double header in the old Met stadium WAY back in the day with his little league team that he helped coach in Brooking SD. 

Over time, I read every Star Tribune article I could find that my grandmother saved for me. Whenever I had the chance, as a kid in SD...watching cable games on her TV, later as a visitor after moving to Nebraska, I'd watch every game I could. But I grew up with the Twins on the radio mostly. Poor reception meant sitting in a car listening to games at night, decent reception on stereo on most games.

So I have no idea in my memory who was in the TV  booth through the 70's and the 80's. I only recall Herb Carneal as the voice of the Twins on the radio for DECADES of my life. And I honestly had wet eyes when I listened to opening day and heard "Hello Twins fans". And that will never leave me.

I loved Herb, and I loved Gordon almost the same. And I miss them both. But Provous has been an outstanding replacement over the years. And I think he's going to be great as the new voice of the TV broadcast, in whatever form it takes shape. Things change. 

I do think Bremer was handled poorly. I finally got to watch games the past few years due to the net, and I think he was very good. I might even agree he got better with new and various collor commentators. When he was presented with a cake to celebrate his 40th year, I saw the writing on the wall. 

I love my Twins as a fan, and most of what they do do and have done, but they BLEW Bremer's exit! He deserved so much more! Unless he was already thinking about stepping down, 40yrs should have been a bigger celebration. 

Provus is going to be great. Atteberry has experience and the ability to be very good. One needs to adjust from radio and football broadcasting to TV baseball on a full time basis, and one needs to just settle down and not try to hard, and just work within the game and work with Gladden and find the balance of enough and too much.

The moves were all smart.

Man, I still miss Herb and John so much!

That's it!  Doc hit it on the head.  Atteberry "tries too hard".  Don't tell me the first baseman's toes are "tickling the grass"...just tell me the infield is pulled in.  It's baseball, not ballet.  We know he's in on the grass if you say he's "pulled in". If Atteberry can stick to basics he'll be fine.  I'll still listen.

[Teflon]

I'm assuming this means the suddenly-progressive MLB has finally realized how despised and self-destructive the in-market blackout policies were and, as teams' current broadcast contracts end, will be requiring live in-market streaming over MLB.com in the new contracts. Not sure how long before this impacts all 30 MLB teams - but this could eventually be great news in Iowa where the Cubs, White Sox, Cardinals, Royals, Twins and Brewers are all blocked. It's mind-boggling that the MLB could have been so stupid about this for so long. 

[LeatherAntenna]

Sounds like Bremer may have been pushed out?  Why?  He was good.  His love for the Twins was evident.

[Fat Calvin]

I grew up in Connecticut as a Mets fan listening to Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Kiner.  Both those guys were great.  I moved to Minnesota for college in 1977, and I didn't become a true Twins fan until Hrbek's full rookie year in 1982.  For the following 24 years, I really enjoyed listening to Herb's play by play.  He was as good or better than the Mets announcers I grew up with.  I also liked Dick Bremer.  But to me, Carneal was the best!