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3 replacements for Dick Bremer as next Twins play-by-play announcer

It's the end of an era, but the bright lights will shine down on a new voice of the Minnesota Twins.

By Josh Hill |
Arizona Diamondbacks v Minnesota Twins
Arizona Diamondbacks v Minnesota Twins / Brandon Sloter/GettyImages
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Tuesday was a bit of a shocking day for Minnesota Twins fans, as Dick Bremer stepped aside as the voice of the team after 40 years in the booth.

Bremer's exit is still a subject of debate and soreness, as what initially appeared to be a mutual decision ended up being anything but. It sounds like Bremer was pushed out of the booth by the Twins, who want a new voice to help usher in a new era for the team.

Whatever ended up happening with Bremer's exit two things remain true: Twins fans will forever have a special place in their hearts for him and the team needs to find a successor to his throne.

For almost a half-century Bremer was the voice of Twins baseball on television, and there are a few really solid options for who might be able to step into his shoes starting next season.

Marney Gellner

Marney Gellner is a Minnesota sports legend, full stop.

One of the common refrains when paying tribute to Dick Bremer is how he's been the voice of so many summers and childhoods, and the same can be said for Gellner. There's an entire generation of Minnesota sports fans who have grown up with Gellner and she's an absolute legend for her work over the last two decades covering the Lynx, Twins, Timberwolves, and Wild.

Gellner has done it all, from hosting studio shows to working as a sideline reporter, and she has flexed her play-by-play skills more than a few times in the past. She's the voice of the Minnesota Lynx and has filled in calling Timberwolves games as well, with an iconic call of a Karl-Anthony Towns dunk a few years ago.

Skip ahead to 2:57 in the video for her call of the KAT dunk:

Simply put, Marney rules.

Assuming it's something she'd want to do, Gellner feels like a perfect fit to take over as the voice of the Twins. Fans know and love her, she's deeply embedded in Minnesota sports lore, and she belongs alongside other broadcasting icons who have stepped into the Twins booth.

Jason Benetti

This one is a little outside the box, but Jason Benetti's name has been tossed out by more than a few Twins fans as someone they'd like to see step in for Bremer next season.

Benetti is one of the best play-by-play announcers in the country, making whatever game he's calling a little better. It's a treat to hear him on the Chicago broadcasts of White Sox-Twins games, as there's an unbiased respect to the way he approaches the games even though he's on the opposing side of things. Having him bring his talents to Minnesota to help usher in a new era would be an absolute steal -- not to mention what it would do for the rivalry.

That being said, he already has a pretty sweet gig calling games in a market like Chicago. Benetti works as an alternate on Chicago Bulls games in addition to his national duties with FOX, so the Twins would need to poach him from NBC if he were to switch sides and come to Minnesota.

It seems like a stretch, but it's also not unprecedented for a broadcaster to switch teams. Steve Stone called Cubs games for over two decades before crossing town to join the White Sox and Len Casper also jumped ship from the Cubs to White Sox. Moving across town and moving to another state are two very different things.

Cory Provus

There might not be a more natural fit than Cory Provus. He's already succeeded one legend in the booth, stepping into Jon Gordon's shoes on the Twins Radio Network, and there's s solid chance he goes 2-for-2 in replacing Dick Bremer.

It's an absolutely perfect fit beyond what it would bring to the television broadcasts. Provus has developed into a fan favorite during his time calling games on the radio and routinely finds himself going viral for his electric calls. Not unlike Paul Allen, Twins fans who aren't listening on the radio often seek out the radio replay of a big Twins moment to hear how Provus called it.

I mean, we could post Provus clips for days. They're absolute gold and already fit naturally over the television broadcast of games. This plan was already test run earlier in the season when Bremer needed to miss a few games after catching COVID and Provus filled in on the Bally Sports North broadcasts for him.

The next logical step would be to move him over as Bremer's replacement. Provus has television broadcasting experience too, something he highlighted as recently as this year pulling double duty calling Twins playoff games and college football for the Big Ten Network;

Moving Provus over to television also creates another opportunity elsewhere. Kris Atteberry could replace Provus on the radio broadcast, giving a guy who has been a part of that team since 2007 the shot he's earned over the years. He already fills in alongside Dan Gladden for a few games each season, and he deserves a shot to become the next guy radio announcer for the Twins.

Provus on television and Atteberry on radio is about as awesome a combo as it gets, and requires almost no effort in seamlessly making the transition across the board.

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