Bob Kurtz (sportscaster)

Last updated

Bob Kurtz
Sports commentary career
Team Minnesota Wild
Genre Play-by-play
Sport National Hockey League

Bob Kurtz is a retired American sportscaster, most recently broadcasting games for the Minnesota Wild hockey team. He has previously been a play-by-play announcer for the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota North Stars, Minnesota Golden Gophers, and Michigan State Spartans.

Kurtz's broadcasting career began at his alma mater Michigan State University, where he called Spartans hockey, football, baseball and basketball from 1974 to 1979. In 1979 he joined KMSP-TV, where he called Minnesota Twins games from 1979–1986 and Minnesota North Stars games from 1979–1984. He was also the North Stars play by play announcer on KXLI-TV during the 1987–88 NHL season. From 1988–1989, he was the sports director at KSTP radio, where he also called University of Minnesota hockey, football and basketball. [1]

Kurtz spent 11 years at the New England Sports Network. He was the network's studio host for Red Sox games from 1989–1992 before becoming the play-by-play announcer, replacing the legendary Ned Martin. He also did by play-by-play for the Paw Sox. He remained with NESN until joining the Minnesota Wild in 2000. While at NESN, he also called Boston Bruins hockey, Boston University Terriers hockey, the Hockey East Game of the Week and the American Hockey League. [1]

Kurtz returned to Minnesota in 2000 when he was hired to become the first radio play by play announcer for the Minnesota Wild. He was reunited with Tom Reid, who he previously worked with while calling games for the North Stars as well as University of Minnesota and Michigan State hockey broadcasts. [1]

When the Twins' first PA announcer, Bob Casey, died before the start of the 2005, Kurtz was appointed interim PA announcer for the 2005 season. [2] Wild PA announcer Adam Abrams replaced Kurtz as PA announcer for the 2006 season. [3]

Kurtz returned to broadcasting for the Twins in 2011 as a part-time radio play-by-play announcer to go along with his work with the Wild.

The 74 year-old Kurtz reduced his broadcasting role to 22 Wild home games for the 2021–2022 season.

Kurtz retired after calling his last game on January 14, 2022. He spent nearly 22 seasons with the Wild.

The Minnesota Wild honored Kurtz on February 11, 2023 at Xcel Energy Center, before a game with the New Jersey Devils.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota North Stars</span> Former National Hockey League team (1967–1993)

The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white. The North Stars played 2,062 regular season games and made the NHL playoffs 17 times, including two Stanley Cup Finals appearances, but were unable to win the Stanley Cup. After the 1992–93 season, the franchise moved to Dallas, and the team was renamed the Dallas Stars.

New England Sports Network, popularly known as NESN, is an American regional sports cable and satellite television network owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group and Delaware North. Headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, the network is primarily carried on cable providers throughout New England. NESN is also distributed nationally on satellite providers DirecTV and as NESN National via select cable providers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Remy</span> American baseball player and broadcaster (1952–2021)

Gerald Peter Remy was an American professional baseball player and sports broadcaster. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for ten seasons—three with the California Angels (1975–1977) and seven with the Boston Red Sox (1978–1984). After retiring from professional play, Remy was a color commentator for televised Red Sox games for 33 years until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Kaat</span> American baseball player and analyst (born 1938)

James Lee Kaat is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins (1959–1973), Chicago White Sox (1973–1975), Philadelphia Phillies (1976–1979), New York Yankees (1979–1980), and St. Louis Cardinals (1980–1983). His playing career spanned 25 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Coleman</span> American sportscaster (1925–2003)

Kenneth Robert Coleman was an American radio and television sportscaster for more than four decades (1947–1989).

Joseph John Castiglione is an American retired radio announcer, best known for his 42 seasons announcing games of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He has also been a college lecturer, and author. Castiglione was the recipient of the 2024 Ford C. Frick Award, presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and is an inductee of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Sean McDonough is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN and the WEEI Boston Red Sox Radio Network. McDonough has play-by-play experience for all four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Orsillo</span> American sportscaster (born 1968)

Don Orsillo is an American sportscaster who is the play-by-play announcer for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is also an announcer for MLB on TBS and MLB on Fox. Orsillo was the play-by-play announcer for the Boston Red Sox on NESN from 2001 to 2015; he was hired by the Padres to replace Dick Enberg upon his retirement at the end of the 2016 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ned Martin</span> American sportscaster

Edwin Martin III was an American sportscaster, known primarily as a play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1992.

Eric Frede is an American sportscaster who has worked for NESN since 2002. He was previously the play-by-play announcer for NESN College Football Saturday broadcasts until he left NESN and joined NBC Sports Boston and is currently an anchor for the SportsNet Central.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Lewin</span> American sportscaster

Josh Lewin is an American sportscaster who works as a play-by-play announcer for the UCLA Bruins football and basketball teams.

The Pawsox Radio Network was the radio network of the Pawtucket Red Sox, a Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. There were 12 stations and three F.M. translators in the network, including the flagship and part-time stations. The network last broadcast games for the Pawtucket team in 2019, as the 2020 minor league season was cancelled and the team relocated to Worcester, Massachusetts, becoming the Worcester Red Sox for the 2021 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Edwards (sportscaster)</span> American sportscaster and television commentator

Jack Edwards is an American former sports commentator and reporter. From 2005 to 2024, he provided play-by-play commentary for Boston Bruins games on NESN television. From 1991 to 2003, he worked for ESPN as an anchor for their sports news program SportsCenter, as well as a play-by-play commentator for their NHL, MLS, Little League Baseball, and 2002 FIFA World Cup broadcasts. Edwards provided commentary for the Konami soccer video game MLS Extra Time 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Jaffe</span> American sports journalist

Billy Jaffe is an on-air ice hockey analyst for NESN who provides commentary for pre-game, post-game and intermission shows during Boston Bruins games. Jaffe also served as a hockey analyst for Sportsnet, and for select coverage by NHL Network. He was formerly a color analyst for the New York Islanders on MSG Plus, as well as a color analyst and reporter for nationally televised hockey games on Versus.

David W. Shea is an Irish-American sportscaster, who is best known as the former ice hockey announcer for Hockey East and the Boston Bruins. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame on November 19, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Beane</span> American sports radio broadcaster

Carleton E. "Carl" Beane was a sports radio broadcaster from 1972 until 2012, and was best known as the public address announcer for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. From 2003 until 2012, Beane was behind the microphone of every home game at Fenway Park, including Games 1 and 2 of the 2004 and 2007 World Series, opening each game with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Fenway Park".

Dave Goucher is an American sportscaster who currently is the television play-by-play voice announcer for the Vegas Golden Knights on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain and later on Scripps Sports.

Alex Faust is an American television sportscaster calling Major League Baseball for Apple TV+, Major League Baseball, college football and college basketball for Fox Sports, and Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League for TNT Sports. He is also the occasional TV play-by-play voice for the Boston Bruins and occasional radio play-by-play voice for the New York Rangers and formerly the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Minnesota Wild - Team - Minnesota Wild Team". Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
  2. ↑ "The Official Site of The Minnesota Twins: News: Minnesota Twins News". Archived from the original on March 7, 2007.
  3. ↑ "Abrams takes over for legend | MLB.com: News". Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.