PHOENIX — The Texas Rangers' World Series win over the Diamondbacks brought no shortage of special moments to a franchise that had never won a championship. And among them Wednesday night was the radio call from Eric Nadel, the longtime voice of the Rangers.
Nadel, who partners with Matt Hicks and Jared Sandler on play-by-play duties, was on the call when reliever Josh Sborz delivered the final punchout to seal the Rangers' title.
"Two balls, two strikes," Nadel said as Sborz delivered. "Sborz kicks and fires. He struck him out looking! It's over! It's over! The Rangers have won the World Series!"
Take a listen to the full moment here, courtesy of the Rangers' audio:
"Ranger fans, you're not dreaming!" Nadel continued.
Hicks' later complemented Nadel's call: "And the Rangers are your World Series champions. Can you believe it?! Wow!"
Then Nadel delivered what was on the minds of so many Rangers fans, who suffered through heartbreak 12 years ago: "May the ghosts of 2011 be forever erased."
The Rangers championship run had to be extra special to Nadel in 2023. Before the season began, he announced he was stepping away to deal with mental health issues.
He returned to the booth in August, saying he was "eternally grateful to the Rangers' ownership and management for their patience, understanding and generosity."
"A huge thank you to my broadcast partners for making it possible for me to take the time I needed," Nadel said. "And my heart goes out to all the Rangers fans for their love, support and prayers."
Nadel is a Baseball Hall of Famer for his broadcasting work, which now spans 44 years with the Rangers. This season was his 29th as the lead radio announcer.
Only two current MLB broadcasters have been with their teams longer. Denny Matthews has been a part of Kansas City Royals broadcasts since the team's inception in 1969, and Bob Uecker has been with the Milwaukee Brewers since 1971.
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