Life Long Mets Fan & Broadcaster: Gary Cohen (1988-2015)

Gary Cohen was born on April 29th, 1958 in Flushing New York. He was raised in Queens between Flushing & Jamaica attending the United Nations School.

He was true Mets fan idolizing Bud Harrelson, attending many games at Shea Stadium as a boy growing up. Cohen & his father were in the last section of Shea Stadium’s left field (Section 48) for Game #3 of the 1969 NLCS, making it all the way down to the field to get his piece of turf after the game, as the Mets won the pennant.

He attended Columbia University, graduating on the dean’s list while earning a degree in Political Science. He wanted to be a short stop following in Harrelson’s shoes but couldn’t hit well enough to remain on the baseball team. He loved basketball but was too short to play that sport.


He then moved into a broadcasting career, beginning by calling soccer games at Columbia University. From there he began to broadcast minor league baseball, for Boston's AAA Pawtucket club of the International League (1987-1988), the A ball Durham Bulls of the Carolina League (1986) and the A ball Spartanburg Spinners of the South Atlantic League (1983-1984). He would also do broadcast for Providence College basketball & football for Brown University.

His lifelong was to do to major league baseball, & at first he didn’t care what team would give hom a chance. But when it turned out to be the New York Mets, his dream came true. He grew up a fan of Bob Murphy, Lindsey Nelson & Ralph Kiner as well as Marv Albert.

In 1988 he was called into the booth to work with Bob Murphy for one game. In his big chance he choked up & didn’t say anything. “Murph reached out with his hand and he patted my hand in a grandfatherly way as if to say don’t worry, you’re okay, you’ll be all right, and he just started talking and that took the pressure off,” said Cohen.

“He went out of his way to make it okay and I never forgot that, that’s going to always be my greatest memory,” The next season (1989) he became Murphy’s partner in the radio booth, filling in for Gary Thorne who left the position.

His smooth baritone voice & incredible knowledge for the game makes him a natural. He never stops studying the game he has loved & lived his whole life.

He once said in an interview in the Queens Tribune: The people who you’re talking to can’t see what you’re describing so you have to describe it as fully as you can. You can’t decide when you’re 21 that you want to be a baseball broadcaster, you have to have been a fan of the sport from the time you were little. You have to know the rules, you have to know the terminology, you have to know the history, and you have to keep up with it all the time.”

Cohen took over the as the Mets lead radio broadcaster when the great Bob Murphy retired after the 2002 season. He worked well with sidekick Howie Rose until 2006 when he became the Mets lead television broadcaster on the SNY network as well as the Mets local Chanell 11 games.

At this point he was teamed up with Mets legends Keith Hernandez & Ron Darling from the 1986 Championship squad.

The three have become a very popular team, and work very well together. They have formed a charity which can be accessed through the website: www.pitchinforagoodcause.org.

Gary’s signature calls are "It's outta here!" when a player hits a home run & "Swing and a miss, he struck him out!" after a big strike out.

In 2006 he returned to the radio booth since the Mets post season games were not televised on the local networks. He was behind the mike for the great Endy Chavez catch, robbing St. Louis Jim Edmonds of a HR.

In addition the Mets he has done baseball on the CBS Radio Network. Rose was also the radio voice for St. Johns basketball from 1995-2002 when WFAN lost its broadcasting rights.

Since then he has covered Seton Hall basketball on WABC, & has a brief run with New York Rangers hockey. He has done U.S.A. Men’s & Women’s Olympic Hockey on CBS Radio (1992-1994-1998)

Cohen is a listener of WFUV radio, lives in Connecticut with his wife Lynn, & has three daughters & two sons as well as three dogs.