Veteran broadcaster Mike Breen joined the SNY television booth to fulfill a lifelong dream of calling a New York Mets game. The native New Yorker partnered with Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez at Citi Field during a matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Breen called the game as a guest caller alongside Cohen and Hernandez. It marked a personal milestone for the broadcaster, who grew up supporting the team.
Speaking on the broadcast, Breen expressed deep admiration for the Mets’ production team. “I love that booth,” Breen said. “It’s one of the great booths of all-time.” He explained that joining the SNY broadcast was high on his personal bucket list. During the game, Breen admitted that Hernandez intimidated him back in 1986 when Breen worked radio broadcasts for WNBC, revealing he referred to the star back then as “Mr. Hernandez.”
Best known as the lead play-by-play voice for the NBA on ESPN, Breen has spent over 30 years calling high-profile basketball games. Yet his broadcasting roots in New York run deep across multiple sports. The Mets themselves hold a historic broadcasting pedigree, featuring legends like Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner, Bob Murphy, and Howie Rose. The current trio of Cohen, Hernandez, and Ron Darling stands as the longest-running broadcast crew in franchise history.
For Breen, step-in appearances like this celebrate regional sports broadcasting while honoring the lineage of New York media. The guest spot provided fans with a rare cross-sport crossover during a key point in the Major League Baseball regular season. As the Mets continue their campaign, the stability and quality of their broadcast coverage remain an enduring staple for supporters across the region.
