The Minnesota Twins made their broadcast plans a little clearer on Thursday, announcing the talent that will make up their telecasts as they will have their broadcasts produced by Major League Baseball next season.
While a lot of the faces will remain the same, one familiar voice will not be part of the tradition as Roy Smalley introduced his retirement as part of a statement on his X account Wednesday night.
"As I reflect on my career – playing the game and then later talking about it on television – I am so grateful for the opportunities that the Twins family has given me and I'm struck by what a great run it has been," Smalley wrote. "You welcomed me as a green 23-year-old and it was here that I grew up as a player.
"...And now, as I reflect on the fact that I have done baseball analysis on Twins broadcasts for a quarter of a century I think the new direction the Twins/MLB broadcasts are taking makes it a bit easier for me to acknowledge that this great run is like all great runs...they come to an end. A heartfelt thank you to the Twins organization and to all of you for the opportunity given to me for the better part of my adult life to try and contribute for your love and enjoyment of this great game that I have cherished since I was five years old.""
Smalley began his career with the Twins television networks in the 1990s, serving various roles, such as color commentator and pregame/postgame host.
The former Twins shortstop, who appeared in 1148 games with the franchise, played for 10 seasons in Minnesota. Smalley’s 793 games at shortstop are the fourth-highest in franchise history behind Cristian Guzman, Greg Gagne, and Zoilo Versalles. In 1979, Smalley earned his first and only All-Star nomination.
Twins broadcasts to feature Corey Provus, Justin Morneau and several former players
Back in October, Twins fans received excellent news when Major League Baseball announced they will produce the broadcast for Minnesota Twins games. This was welcomed news after Comcast dropped all Bally Sports networks, meaning many baseball fans, including Twins fans, literally could not watch their favorite team play via cable.
2025 will be the debut for Twins.TV, where Cory Provus will return for his second season on television and 14th as the play-by-play radio announcer. 2006 MVP Justin Morneau will be the primary analyst, and hosts Katie Storm and former Twins catcher Tim Laudner will remain on Twins Live.
In addition to Morneau's return, a stable of former Twins including Trevor Plouffe, Denard Span, Glen Perkins and LaTroy Hawkins will rotate to team with Provus for Twins broadcasts.
A nine-year MLB infielder and a 2004 Twins first-round draft pick, Plouffe hit .247/.308/.420 with 96 home runs with the Twins.
Span was an 11-year veteran who played five years with the Twins. In 2008, he finished sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting and led the American League with 10 triples in 2009. Span hit .284/.357/.389 during his time in Minnesota.
Perkins pitched all 12 seasons with the Twins, where he was a three-time All-Star and third all-time in franchise history with 120 saves behind Joe Nathan and Rick Aguilera.
Hawkins was a 21-year veteran but began his career with the Twins posting a 44-57 record with 532 strikeouts in 818 innings pitched.
While other teams have announced their intention to return to FanDuel Sports Network in recent weeks, it appears the Twins' plans to partner with MLB are full steam ahead. The team plans to announce their distribution plans including a new stand-alone streaming option later this month.