Categories: News

Scott Franzke, Tom McCarthy reportedly sign long-term contract extensions

Scott Franzke (left) is the radio voice of the Phillies. (Cheryl Pursell)

Philadelphia Phillies broadcasters Scott Franzke and Tom McCarthy have received long-term contract extensions, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

The exact terms of the deals are unknown, but Gelb reports that the “extensions will keep them in their current roles for most of the 2020s.”

Franzke joined the radio broadcast team for the Phillies in 2006, and has since become one of the most respected voices in the sport. His previous contract concluded at the end of the 2022 season, although there was never much of a thought that the 50-year-old wouldn’t be retained given his popularity.

Back calling postseason games for the first time since 2011, Franzke authored what may go down as the defining call of his career in Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS, describing the scene after Bryce Harper’s go-ahead home run in the eighth inning as “bedlam at the Bank:”

Meanwhile, McCarthy’s second stint with the Phillies is proving to be a tremendous one. McCarthy left the Phillies to serve as the No. 2 radio play-by-play voice for the New York Mets in 2006 and 2007, backing up the great Howie Rose when the team’s broadcasts were still on WFAN. But he returned when a TV opportunity opened up in 2008, and became the full-time play-by-play announcer on what was then called Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia when Harry Kalas passed away in April of 2009.

McCarthy has called NFL games on TV for CBS, while calling a variety of sports on the radio for Westwood One. But in a wide-ranging interview with Phillies Nation last September, the 54-year-old said that he doesn’t have aspirations of climbing up the ladder in CBS‘ NFL coverage if it doesn’t make sense with his schedule calling Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

“My commitment is to the Phillies, and their commitment is to me — so this is my foundation,” he said. “I’ve been the seventh crew my entire time doing the NFL, and I’m perfectly content with being the seventh crew. Would I like to do more? Yeah, maybe — but only it if fits. And quite frankly, it doesn’t fit for me to leave the entire month of September.”

All MLB playoff games are telecast nationally, so McCarthy obviously didn’t get the chance to be the TV voice during the 2022 postseason run. However, he called the middle innings of games on the radio in the playoffs aside Larry Andersen, with Franzke stepping aside to give him the opportunity to return to the biggest stage in the sport.

McCarthy’s oldest son — Pat — recently accepted a position serving as “the WCBS pre-and-postgame host and swingman game-caller” for Mets radio broadcasts. Pat had previously been the voice of the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, while also filling in on both TV and radio for the Phillies when his dad was away with other broadcast responsibilities.