Bob Kurtz (broadcaster)
Encyclopedia
Bob Kurtz is an American
sportscaster
, currently broadcasting games for the Minnesota Wild
hockey team. He has previously been a play-by-play announcer for the
Boston Red Sox
, Minnesota Twins
, Minnesota North Stars
, University of Minnesota
and Michigan State University
.
Kurtz's broadcasting career began at his alma mater Michigan State University
, where he called Spartans hockey, football, baseball and basketball from 1974 to 1979. In 1979 he joined KMSP-TV
, where he called Minnesota Twins
games from 1979–1986 and Minnesota North Stars
games from 1979–1984. He was also the North Stars play by play announcer on KXLI-TV during the 1987–88 NHL season. From 1988–1989, he was the sports director at KSTP radio, where he also called University of Minnesota
hockey, football and basketball.
Kurtz spent 11 years at the New England Sports Network
. He was the network's studio host for Red Sox games from 1989–1992 before becoming the play-by-play announcer. He remained with NESN until joining the Minnesota Wild in 2002. While at NESN, he also called Boston Bruins
hockey, Boston University hockey, the Hockey East
Game of the Week and the American Hockey League
.
Kurtz returned to Minnesota in 2000 when he was hired to become the first radio play by play announcer for the Minnesota Wild
. He was reunited with Tom Reid
, who he previously worked with while calling games for the North Stars as wells as University of Minnesota and Michigan State hockey broadcasts.
When the Twins' first PA announcer, Bob Casey
, died before the start of the 2005, Kurtz was appointed interim PA announcer for the 2005 season. Wild PA announcer Adam Abrams replaced Kurtz as PA announcer for the 2006 season.
Kurtz returned to broadcasting for the Twins in 2011 as a part time radio play-by-play announcer to go along with his work with the Wild.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
, currently broadcasting games for the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
hockey team. He has previously been a play-by-play announcer for the
Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
, University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.
Kurtz's broadcasting career began at his alma mater Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, where he called Spartans hockey, football, baseball and basketball from 1974 to 1979. In 1979 he joined KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV, channel 9, is the Fox-owned-and-operated television station serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota designated market area, owned in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WFTC...
, where he called Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
games from 1979–1986 and Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
games from 1979–1984. He was also the North Stars play by play announcer on KXLI-TV during the 1987–88 NHL season. From 1988–1989, he was the sports director at KSTP radio, where he also called University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
hockey, football and basketball.
Kurtz spent 11 years at the New England Sports Network
New England Sports Network
The New England Sports Network, or NESN [NESS-en], is a regional cable television network that covers the six New England states except Fairfield County, Connecticut and Southbury, Connecticut, a town in New Haven County, Connecticut which is covered by New York City sports networks...
. He was the network's studio host for Red Sox games from 1989–1992 before becoming the play-by-play announcer. He remained with NESN until joining the Minnesota Wild in 2002. While at NESN, he also called Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
hockey, Boston University hockey, the Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
Game of the Week and the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
.
Kurtz returned to Minnesota in 2000 when he was hired to become the first radio play by play announcer for the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. He was reunited with Tom Reid
Tom Reid
Thomas Allan Reid is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 690 games in the National Hockey League...
, who he previously worked with while calling games for the North Stars as wells as University of Minnesota and Michigan State hockey broadcasts.
When the Twins' first PA announcer, Bob Casey
Bob Casey (baseball announcer)
Bob Casey was the only public address announcer in Minnesota Twins history until 2005. He started announcing Twins games when the franchise moved to Minnesota from Washington, D.C., in 1961....
, died before the start of the 2005, Kurtz was appointed interim PA announcer for the 2005 season. Wild PA announcer Adam Abrams replaced Kurtz as PA announcer for the 2006 season.
Kurtz returned to broadcasting for the Twins in 2011 as a part time radio play-by-play announcer to go along with his work with the Wild.