Keith Hernandez gets candid on his future in the broadcast booth and reveals how much longer he plans to call Mets games for SNY
The SNY broadcast booth, known as GKR among New York Mets fans, is arguably the most popular broadcast booth in baseball. Play-by-play man Gary Cohen, along with 1986 Mets legends Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, are entering their 20th year in the booth in 2025. And while the trio is as popular as ever, the […]
The SNY broadcast booth, known as GKR among New York Mets fans, is arguably the most popular broadcast booth in baseball.
Play-by-play man Gary Cohen, along with 1986 Mets legends Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, are entering their 20th year in the booth in 2025. And while the trio is as popular as ever, the guys in the booth aren't getting any younger. Cohen will turn 67 next month, Hernandez is 71, and Darling is 64.
Each year, questions arise about how much longer the trio will continue to call Mets games for SNY.
While we don't know the future plans for Cohen and Darling, Hernandez, who won 11 Gold Gloves during his illustrious career, revealed his longterm broadcasting plans this week during a conversation with the New York Post's Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman.
Hernandez noted that he's in the final year of a three-year contract with SNY. He told Heyman and Sherman that he would like to sign another three-year deal after this season, which would take him to age 75. At that point, Hernandez said that he would like to continue to call games for SNY while gradually decreasing his work load each season.
"I'm on the last year of my three-year deal," said Hernandez. "All my deals with the Mets (SNY) have been three-year deals. I'm 71 right now…if I sign another three-year deal, which I would like very much, it would take me to, when the season's over, it would take me to 75 [years old]. And then I hope I can pull a Ralph Kiner and just gradually pull back on games. Still be involved in the games and as I get older, I'm doing less games, but I'm still involved. And just incrementally do less and less and enjoy more of the summer.
"If you really look at it, baseball has been my life. I started at five years old, six years old and my dad started throwing the ball with us. It's been my life. You get older now and I haven't lost a love for the game. And I do want another three-year deal. And then [at] 75 I'll do some serious thinking."
It sounds like the GKR booth could live in its current configuration for the next four seasons (depending, of course, on Darling and Cohen's plans). And then we might see things start to gradually change.
It certainly feels like SNY is already searching for names that could take the torch from Hernandez and Darling (as former players in the booth). Over the last couple of years we've seen former Mets players like Daniel Murphy, Todd Zeile, and Jerry Blevins see time in the booth during spring training games and regular season games as they get their feet wet in broadcasting (replacing Cohen, for what it's worth, will be an impossible task — he's one of the best play-by-play guys to ever step into any booth).
All good things must come to an end, but fortunately for Mets fans (and baseball fans in general), it doesn't sound like the end is here quite yet for Gary, Keith, and Ron.
