Miami Marlins radio voice Dave Van Horne retires. Here’s why and what listeners can expect
Dave Van Horne, the Miami Marlins’ radio voice for the past 21 years who called more than 8,000 big-league games and was recognized by the Baseball Hall of Fame for his distinguished work, said Friday that he is “essentially retiring” after declining the team’s offer to return for a limited package of games.
Glenn Geffner is expected to call most of the Marlins games on radio, as he did in 2021. Kyle Sielaff, the Marlins’ studio host on radio, likely will announce some games, too. A rotating group of analysts are expected to join them.
Van Horne, 82, said the Marlins offered him a play-by-play package of fewer than 20 games after cutting his package to 54 games last season. Van Horne said he’s not angry with the Marlins and is at peace with no longer calling big-league games after a 56-year baseball broadcasting career.
“After they made the last offer to have me come back in some role in 2022... less than 20 games, I could not do it,” Van Horne said in a phone interview from his Palm Beach Gardens home. “I said I’m a baseball play-by-play broadcaster. I’m not one who makes guests appearances and works on recorded interviews.
“I’m not upset about it. I’ve thought about it during last season. I thought this could very well be it for me. I’m comfortable with the decision I’ve made. Life goes on. I have, in effect, retired. I’m living on my pensions. I have no plans to pursue anything else. I will not pursue another baseball broadcast position.”
A native of Easton, Pennsylvania, Van Horne called minor-league games for three years for the Richmond Braves and then broke into big-league broadcasting as the original voice of the Montreal Expos, beginning in 1969.
In 2000, he broadcast games on the Internet — a novel idea at the time — because the Expos didn’t have any broadcast deals that season. With the Expos broadcast situation still unsettled, Van Horne left at the end of 2000 to join the Marlins, ending a 33-year run with the Expos.
Van Horne — whose catches phrases included “up, up and away” for home runs — was awarded the Ford Fricke Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011, given to a broadcaster who makes major contributions to the sport.
Van Horne was named the 1996 recipient of the Jack Graney Award by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for “a lifetime of media achievement”. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
“I’m proud of the body of work,” he said. “I worked hard at it. I feel I did a good job broadcasting baseball games. I always put the listener first as far as information first and the way I called games.
“I did three perfect games, 13 no-hit games. They are very special for a broadcaster. I enjoyed the 2003 World Championship for the Marlins. That was very special.”
Jason Latimer, the Marlins’ senior vice president/communications and outreach, said Van Horne’s “Hall of Fame career and legendary voice has had a lasting impact on broadcasting — in the game of baseball and beyond. We will miss hearing his signature ‘up, up and away’ during Marlins games, but wish him all the best as he takes this next step in his journey.”
