After nearly a half-century, Dick Bremer will no longer be the play-by-play voice of the Minnesota Twins. In a decision that shocked almost everyone in Twins Territory, it was revealed on Tuesday that Bremer would not be returning next season as the team's television announcer.
The Twins made the announcement in a joint statement with Bremer, which seemed to indicate that the decision had been mutually agreed upon. That doesn't seem to be the case, though. To be clear, Bremer isn't retiring, rather he's moving to a new role as 'Special Assistant' and will remain part of the team.
He won't be in the booth, though and it doesn't sound like the decision was one that Bremer made on his own.
Twins no longer wanted Dick Bremer as play-by-play announcer
If the news felt abrupt, that's because it was. Initial fears from Twins fans revolved around Bremer's health and whether that related to the decision for him to step down.
As it turns out, Bremer isn't so much stepping aside as he's being pushed out of the booth.
The Athletic's Dan Hayes reported that the team wanted a change in the booth and that's why Bremer is transitioning to a new role. When asked about by Twins fans, Hayes confirmed the decision was not mutual.
Correct.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) October 31, 2023
So that's it. After 40 years of service to the team and to fans around Twins Territory, Bremer is unceremoniously tossed aside. These sorts of decisions are never easy, and Hayes continued his social media thread by invoking the end of Hawk Harrelson's career with the White Sox, but it doesn't do much to take the sting off the situation.
A replacement for Bremer wasn't announced, but a successor is expected to be chosen at some point in the near future. Twins Radio announcer Cory Provus seems to be the frontrunner, at least based on what fans on Twitter are clamoring for.
Knowing that Bremer was pushed out sours the mood, though.