Joe Castiglione, the longtime radio voice of the Red Sox for 42 years, announced his retirement on Sunday.
At 77, Castiglione announced the news during WEEI’s broadcast as the Red Sox batted in the fourth inning against the Yankees.
“After 42 seasons with the Red Sox and more than 6,500 games, I have decided it’s time to retire from a regular broadcast schedule,” Castiglione said in a statement released by the team. “While I feel I am at the pinnacle of my career … it’s time to spend more time with Jan, my bride of almost 53 years, my kids, and grandkids.”
Castiglione will stay with the team as an honorary ambassador, and the Red Sox plan to honor him before their regular-season finale on Sept. 29 against Tampa Bay.
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In a statement issued by the team, Red Sox principal owner John Henry called Castiglione “one of the greatest in baseball broadcasting.”
“His recognition by the Hall of Fame in July punctuated a career of vivid storytelling that has brought the game to life for generations of listeners,” Henry said in a statement. “His brilliance in the booth is matched only by his exceptional character. Though his role has placed him squarely in the spotlight, he has always let the action on the field take center stage, a trait he has shown even behind the mic with an uncanny ability to put others first. His kindness and genuine spirit have touched everyone around him and as he steps into a well-deserved retirement, he leaves behind a legacy of humility and warmth that will continue to inspire us all. We are grateful for his more than four decades of dedication and for sharing his love for baseball and the Red Sox with all of us night after night.”
Castiglione joined Boston’s broadcast team in 1983, during Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski’s final season, and holds the record as the longest-serving play-by-play announcer in the team’s history. Castiglione was on the call when the Red Sox broke their 86-year title drought by sweeping the Cardinals in 2004 and also called championships in 2007, 2013, and 2018.
“After 42 seasons with the Red Sox and more than 6,500 games, I have decided it’s time to retire from a regular broadcast schedule.”
Joe Castiglione joined the NESN booth to talk his retirement ❤ pic.twitter.com/SyPc6pFNN9
— NESN (@NESN) September 15, 2024
His famous “Can you believe it?” call during the Red Sox’s 2004 World Series win, ending an 86-year drought, remains one of the most iconic moments in broadcasting.
Castiglione concluded his speech in Cooperstown this past July with that same line.
“Joe belongs,” Red Sox Hall of Famer David Ortiz said during Castiglione’s Hall of Fame induction. “You can’t think about the Red Sox without thinking about Joe.”
Castiglione was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2023, he reduced his schedule to 81 games to spend more time with his family. His wife, Jan; sons, Tom and Duke (from Channel 5); daughter, Kate; and six grandchildren, ages 10 to 18, were present for his Cooperstown recognition, along with dozens of friends, family, and former players.
As the Red Sox wrapped up a four-game series against the Yankees in New York, Tyler O’Neill hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth, moments after Castiglione announced his retirement.
“That one,” his broadcast partner Will Flemming said, “is for Joe.”