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HK to “The K”: Indians’ Play-by-Play Voice to Broadcast Yankees-Royals Game on Friday, Sept. 29

Howard Kellman to call Yankees game for the second consecutive season on the New York Yankees Radio Network
September 21, 2023

INDIANAPOLIS – The Voice of the Indians is headed to the big leagues for the fourth time. The Indianapolis Indians today announced that Howard Kellman, who is nearing completion of his 47th season behind the mic as the Indians’ play-by-play voice, will handle play-by-play duties on the New York Yankees

INDIANAPOLIS – The Voice of the Indians is headed to the big leagues for the fourth time. The Indianapolis Indians today announced that Howard Kellman, who is nearing completion of his 47th season behind the mic as the Indians’ play-by-play voice, will handle play-by-play duties on the New York Yankees Radio Network (WFAN 101.9 FM & Sports Radio 66 AM) on Friday, Sept. 29, at Kauffman Stadium – known as “The K” – home of the Kansas City Royals.

Kellman has previously worked behind the microphone for the Chicago White Sox (1984), New York Mets (2014) and Yankees (2022). After fulfilling pinch-hit duties for the Yankees-Rays game on Sept. 2, 2022, at Tropicana Field, he became the only voice in baseball history to handle radio play-by-play duties for both New York-based ballclubs. He first joined the Indians in 1974 and has been the club’s lead play-by-play voice in all but two seasons (1975, 1980) since his rookie campaign.

“I am thankful to both the Yankees and WFAN for giving me another opportunity to broadcast a big-league game,” said Kellman, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native and Brooklyn College graduate. “I greatly enjoyed my experience calling a Yankees-Rays game last season and am thrilled to have the chance to be behind the mic once again for one of Major League Baseball’s most prestigious franchises, the 27-time World Series champion New York Yankees.”

Kellman will be joined by Yankees color commentator Suzyn Waldman in the visiting radio booth at Kauffman Stadium. Waldman has been part of Yankees radio broadcasts with play-by-play voice John Sterling since 2005. First pitch for the Sept. 29 matchup between the Yankees and Royals is set for 8:10 PM ET.

When Indianapolis’ 2023 season concludes Sept. 24, Kellman will have called 6,764 games in his tenure with the Indians, a run that includes 13 division titles, seven postseason championships and nine no-hitters thrown by Indy. He has been part of the radio broadcast team for three Triple-A All-Star Games, including the 1989 Midsummer Classic in Columbus, Ohio, the 2001 contest at Indianapolis’ Victory Field and most recently the 2013 showcase in Reno, Nev. In addition, he led the broadcast team for ESPN’s coverage of the Triple-A World Series from 2006-08.

Kellman was honored as Indiana’s Sportscaster of the Year in 2002 and was inducted into the Indiana Sportswriters & Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 2009. He added two more inductions to his ledger in 2015 with the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame and in 2018 with the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Single-game tickets are still available for the Indians’ final homestand, which ends Sept. 24. For more on the Indians, visit IndyIndians.com or contact the Victory Field Box Office at (317) 269-3545 or [email protected]. The Indians’ 2024 schedule will be released in the coming weeks.