DETROIT – Matt Shepard will not return to the broadcast booth as the play-by-play voice of the Detroit Tigers next season, according to reports.
READ: 13 reasons to be excited about future of Detroit Tigers despite another losing season
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Shepard spent the last five seasons on the Fox Sports Detroit and Bally Sports Detroit television broadcast teams, calling games alongside Craig Monroe, Kirk Gibson, Dan Petry, Jack Morris, and others.
His tenure calling Tigers games included Miguel Cabrera’s 500th home run, 3,000th hit, and retirement ceremony. The Tigers never contended for a playoff spot or finished with a winning record while Shepard was on the call.
The news that Shepard will not return was first reported by Tony Paul, of the Detroit News.
Shepard took over midway through the 2018 season after an altercation between longtime Tigers broadcasters Mario Impemba and Rod Allen. He was officially given the full-time job the following offseason.
Fans had mixed opinions of Shepard during his time in the booth. It didn’t help that everyone has been generally frustrated by the team’s play for the better part of a decade.
This was actually Detroit’s best season with Shepard calling games. The Tigers finished 78-84 and earned second place in the AL Central Division.
Bally faces a critical decision with its next play-by-play announcer. Whoever is hired will likely be the voice of the next competitive Tigers team, and that makes this a great opportunity.
