Mets to WOR 710 in 2014...

[Guest themetfairy]

G-Fafif wrote: And perhaps indeed write to WOR, who likely would have less than no clue. Here's your guy: JoePuglise@clearchannel.com WOR's GM.

Thanks - I'll get on that right away!

I suggest we all drop Joe a quick line.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ask him, "What does the fox say?"

[Edgy MD]

How sad that clear channel stations don't even get their own internet domain.

[Edgy MD]

Dear Mr. Pugilese, I write to you as a long-time Met fan. Congratulations on WOR securing the rights to broadcast Mets games. It is a great time to get on board with the team and you will likely have a new and loyal listener in me. In that spirit, I note that WOR still hasn't announced who will be their broadcast team. Having listened to Mets radio broadcasts for decades, please know that my fellow fans and I have come to delight in the team of Howie Rose and Josh Lewin. Their New York roots, organizational knowledge, and their witty ability to bring historical and pop cultural references into their game accounts and booth banter make for great listening night after night, win or lose. We've heard a lot of lesser broadcasters over the years. And it certainly affects our willingness to continually tune in and stay tuned. It's hard to find a formula that works. This one works. Josh makes Howie better. Howie makes Josh better. They both make the game better. Please take steps to keep this broadcast team intact. Sincerely, Edgy MD

[Benjamin Grimm]

Good job!

[G-Fafif]

The case for Howie & Josh articulated well here, courtesy of W.M. Akers of the Classical.

Since 2012, Rose has been backed up by Josh Lewin, a Rochester-born American League-refugee who peppers his color commentary with �Seinfeld� references, and does a piano man-imitation when he's not situated in the Peerless Boilers broadcast booth. After just two seasons, Rose and Lewin have the easy rapport of a pair of aging vaudevillians. They are endlessly, genuinely funny, calling games with a "just a couple of idiots" schtick that relishes all the absurdities that bad baseball so regularly provides.

[ashie62]

Beware...you may get Chris Carlin....

[Gwreck]

Made a couple of changes so it wasn't the exact same but I will freely admit that I cribbed liberally from Edgy:

Dear Mr. Puglise: Congratulations on securing the broadcast rights for the New York Mets. As an avid fan and regular radio listener, I was very glad to hear that the Mets will be calling your 50,000 watt clear-channel station home. I have heard the recent news that the broadcasting team for the upcoming season is somewhat unsettled, particularly regarding whether both Howie Rose and Josh Lewin will be returning as broadcasters. It would be a terrible mistake for WOR to not retain both Mr. Rose and Mr. Lewin. They comprise the best baseball radio team in the majors. They both have a deep, passionate understanding of baseball and the Mets. As broadcasters, their styles complement each others' better than any other broadcasting team the Mets have ever had. They make each other a better broadcaster, and the Mets fans listening on the radio reap the benefits. Please ensure that both Howie and Josh remain in their broadcasting for both the upcoming 2014 season and the foreseeable future. It would be a catastrophic loss to lose either of these fantastic, talented broadcasters. Very truly yours, Gwreck

[MFS62]

Ashie62 wrote: Beware...you may get Chris Carlin....

I he's the one, then I'll be glad I can't get the station up here.

Later

[Lefty Specialist]

If they get Chris Carlin I will disable my car radio.

[ashie62]

Lefty Specialist wrote: If they get Chris Carlin I will disable my car radio.

Chris Carlin is under contract at WOR for RU football and hoops...

[Lefty Specialist]

Perhaps I should be more specific. If they use Chris Carlin as the partner of Howie Rose on Mets radio broadcasts, I will disable my car radio.

He can do Rutgers football and basketball until he's blue in the face.

[ashie62]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Perhaps I should be more specific. If they use Chris Carlin as the partner of Howie Rose on Mets radio broadcasts, I will disable my car radio. He can do Rutgers football and basketball until he's blue in the face.

He will not be the partner....But he may bargain for pre or postgame stuff

[HahnSolo]

Ashie62 wrote: Lefty Specialist wrote: Perhaps I should be more specific. If they use Chris Carlin as the partner of Howie Rose on Mets radio broadcasts, I will disable my car radio. He can do Rutgers football and basketball until he's blue in the face. He will not be the partner....But he may bargain for pre or postgame stuff

Why would he leave SNY pre and post to do WOR pre and post?

[ashie62]

Did not know he still was on SNY.... we appear safe...

[Lefty Specialist]

My car radio breathes a sigh of relief.

[Edgy MD]

ESPN.com reporter Addy Rubey is reporting that according to a source, WOR radio, after carefully considering an e-mail they received from a lone Baltimore-based fan, have decided to retain the services of Howie Rose and Josh Lewin as the Mets radio broadcast announcing team.

[metirish]

To add to above post

Great news

Neil Best

Not official yet but barring shocking developments WOR should announce by end of week Howie Rose and Josh Lewin will be back in Mets booth.

[Frayed Knot]

Good. I found the rumors of wanting to install an ex-jock as sidekick (Cliff Floyd and Daryl Hamilton were mentioned) seemingly for no other reason other than to add an ex-jock to your stable, to be a silly strategy at best, particularly so on the radio side where precise and timely in-action descriptions are important.

[Edgy MD]

If true, Megdal left holding the bag again.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: If true, Megdal left holding the bag again.

That would be even better news.
But I'll take the news that Howie and Josh will be back.

Later

[bmfc1]

Just because Josh Lewin is back doesn't mean that Jeffy didn't try to replace him with Cliff Floyd or John Franco. Regardless, this is wonderful news.

Casey Stern for the pre- and post-game show should be solid. He does a nice job on XM's MLB network and grew up as a Mets fan.

[Edgy MD]

When did John Franco walk into the picture?

[Guest themetfairy]

Adam Rubin Tweets that it's official -

Adam Rubin ?@AdamRubinESPN 1m #Mets officially announced Josh Lewin and Howie Rose as WOR radio team. 15 preseason games on radio.

[Theoldmole]

Good news.

[G-Fafif]

Applause for our beloved baseball team doing the absolute least stupid thing they could do!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

um, wow.

NOTE FROM JOSH Mere words can�t express the depth of my appreciation to the dozens of you who went above and beyond on my behalf these past few months. Many of you took the time to reach out to both the Mets and WOR, and I can�t imagine that hurt my chances of a return to the job I�m so excited about having in the first place. Two little words aren�t close to enough, but they are totally heartfelt: �THANK YOU.� During this process, some of you have taken some shots at the Mets or WOR, and I say this not as an apologist or a company stooge, but quite sincerely � I have had nothing but great experiences with both the Wilpon Family and the new radio station. They both have the best interests of the overall collective at heart, they really do. Also, I�m aware that those with dissenting opinions of the �Howie&Josh� dynamic have taken some shots as well� and I�ll invoke the old George Carlin line: �Like my grandpa always said, �hey, if everyone liked the same thing, they�d all be after your grandma.�� I solemnly and sincerely pledge that I will try as always to make every Met fan a happy listener to our presentation� I regard this job with a near-sacred responsibility since so many are so passionate. And although I may continue to disappoint some of you, please know I�m doing my best to please everyone, but given that no two listeners have the exact same taste, that�s simply an impossible task. The late Harry Kalas used to quote Shakespeare and tell us fledgling broadcasters �to thine own self be true;� and that�s the way I�ll continue to go at it: Mets fan, a little goofy (okay, a lot goofy), not in possession of a classic radio voice, but at the very least, wanting to inform and entertain for all nine innings without fail. That�s all I can control. I am overjoyed that I�m back for another year to live out my childhood fantasy as a Mets radio announcer. There is no better partner in the business than Howie Rose, and I am honored to return as the John Oates to his Darryl Hall. It should be a really fun and interesting year. (I can�t wait to watch Bartolo Colon run the bases, can you?) Lastly, I would love to host as many of you as possible after Opening Day to thank you in person, buy you a beverage, and just talk a little baseball. I�m guessing McFadden�s is the spot that makes sense. Let�s touch base via twitter in late March and coordinate a meet-up, which will serve as my chance to thank you very kind people, fan to fan. Wishing you peace, love and soul� (and thanking you all again) � -Josh Lewin http://lewin9.wordpress.com/

[Lefty Specialist]

It's scary that they took so long to do the only sensible thing. It's like they examined every stupid option and somehow they didn't work out, so they were forced to do the right thing because time was running out.

[Edgy MD]

That's one way of looking at it.

But cool, we may well have made a difference. How about that? And how about Josh putting two compound quotes in one note?

[Frayed Knot]

And the contract--which appears to be for just one year--implies that they view this move more as a means to buy themselves some extra time than as a solution.