Photo: New York Post
Howie Rose has been one of the voices of the Mets since the mid-90s. But in 2021, Rose was forced to take a leave of absence multiple times for an undisclosed medical reason. As it turns out, that reason was that the Mets’ play-by-play legend was dealing with bladder cancer.
Rose revealed the diagnosis publicly for the first time this past weekend at the Baseball Writers’ Association of America dinner, when he was the co-recipient of the Arthur & Milton Richman “You Gotta Have Heart” Award with the New York Post’s Mike Vaccaro.
Rose underwent a radical cystoprostatectomy in September 2021, a surgery that removes the cancerous bladder along with the prostate, and inserts a new bladder that is created from the intestines. As Rose tells The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand, he’s recovering as well as can be expected, noting that while he does have some limitations, he does not require a catheter.
“The bottom line, after the pathology came back after the surgery, the doctor basically said, ‘You’re good to go,'” Rose told Marchand, “The surgeon, he says, ‘You have no restrictions, do whatever you want.’”
Rose will be continuing his WFAN duties in 2023 alongside new broadcast partners Keith Raad and Patrick McCarthy, though he plans to continue to work a reduced schedule due to his age and his medical condition.
“I know what I have to deal with now,” Rose told Marchand, “It’s not ideal, but it’s manageable and makes travel a little more difficult, which is one of the reasons that I’ve cut back a little bit and the fact that I’m about to turn 69. And, you know, I’m not ready to fade into the sunset yet.”
Rose, along with Mets TV play-by-play legend Gary Cohen, Al Leiter, and Howard Johnson will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame during the upcoming season.
