Gerry Sandusky, the familiar face and voice of Baltimore sports, is calling it a career at WBAL-TV. The station's longtime sports director and radio play-by-play announcer for the Baltimore Ravens announced Wednesday that his final 11 p.m. newscast will air on April 17, closing out a broadcasting run that stretches nearly 42 years.
WBAL Sends Off A Fixture, Successor To Come Later
According to WBAL-TV, Sandusky said stepping away will let him “pass those batons” and spend more time with his family. The station confirmed his final 11 p.m. newscast is set for April 17 and noted that his successor will be named at a later date. WBAL's announcement traces his tenure at the station, from his arrival in 1988 to his promotion to sports director in 1993 and the addition of Ravens play-by-play duties in 2006, while also including praise from station president Dan Joerres.
From Miami Newscasts To Baltimore Mainstay
Sandusky's on-air career kicked off in Miami in 1984, and he has been a steady presence on WBAL since the late 1980s, a span chronicled by outlets including Sports Illustrated. Across four decades, he covered the arrival of the Ravens, Oriole milestones, and plenty of defining Maryland sports moments, all while building a straightforward, no-frills play-by-play style that Baltimore fans came to know by ear.
Voice Of The Ravens For A Generation
Baltimore Ravens press materials list Sandusky as a mainstay on the team's gameday broadcast crew and highlight his knack for “illustrate with words,” underscoring the role he has played calling games on radio and television. The Baltimore Ravens have also noted his work alongside partners such as Rod Woodson in recent seasons.
A Trophy Case And A Local Legacy
Sandusky's work has earned multiple honors, including Emmy Awards in 1992 and 2003 and two Edward R. Murrow Awards, and he added “author” to his resume with the 2014 memoir “Forgotten Sundays.” WBAL-TV also highlights his community work and the Joe Sandusky Fund he and his wife founded to support local students.
Both the station and the team offered praise after his retirement announcement. Ravens president Sashi Brown credited Sandusky with being able to capture every emotion of Baltimore football, while WBAL leadership pointed to his decades of service on and off the air. Sandusky's final 11 p.m. newscast in April will give Baltimore one more chance to hear his signature call, “The hay is in the barn,” a phrase that has long since found a home in the city's sports vocabulary.
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