PIRATES BROADCASTERS

Greg Brown is in his 32nd year as a radio and television play-by-play announcer with the Pirates. Only Lanny Frattare (33 years) has called more games as a play-by-play announcer than Brown, who has described the action of over 4,000 games in his career behind the mic.

Known for his outgoing personality and passion for the ballclub, the Emmy award-winning broadcaster has made the phrase “Raise The Jolly Roger” synonymous with a Pirates victory and “Clear The Deck, Cannonball Coming” his signature home run call.

Greg’s association with the Pirates began in 1979, when he interned in the promotions department while attending Point Park University. Following the World Series that year, Brown worked as the clubhouse manager at Pirate City during the Instructional league program in Bradenton, Florida. His 10-year stint in the Bucs front office included work in the Marketing, Public Relations and Broadcasting departments. Greg also served as the team’s public address announcer during the 1987 campaign. In 1988, he was a sports anchor on WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, OH.

Prior to joining Pittsburgh’s broadcast team in 1994, Brown spent five seasons (1989-1993) doing play-by-play and color commentary for the Buffalo Bisons of the American Association (now International League) as well as hosting a sportstalk show on WGR Radio. He also worked as a color analyst and a pre- and post-game show host for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League for five seasons (1989-93). Also during his time in Buffalo, Greg served as a play-by-play announcer for University of Buffalo basketball on WGR Radio and as a broadcaster for the Empire TV Sports Network.

Brown’s dedication and passion for the Pirates extends to his efforts away from the broadcast booth as he makes numerous off-season appearances in the community, both in the Pittsburgh area and in Bradenton during spring training.

Brown is a native of Washington, D.C. He currently resides in Renfrew, PA, with his wife Kim. Their son, Ryan, resides in New Orleans, LA, with his wife Therese.

Joe Block is in his tenth season of calling Pirates play-by-play action, having joined the TV and radio broadcast teams in 2016.

Though having grown up in and outside Detroit, Block considers making his home in Pittsburgh “a dream,” as his grandparents and great-grandparents originally settled in the region, in Wheeling, WV, and Byesville, OH. As a teenager, Block traveled to Pittsburgh on spring break to take in Penguins games at the Igloo.

The 47-year-old Block has called baseball for 21 seasons, previously with the Milwaukee Brewers and in the minor leagues in Billings, MT, Great Falls, MT, Jacksonville, FL, St. Paul, MN, and Charleston, SC. He also broadcast for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New Orleans Hornets, Montreal Expos and for various regional TV networks since graduating from Michigan State in 1999.

He and his wife, Bethany, a nurse practitioner and South Park native, are actively involved in community and charitable endeavors around Pittsburgh and in the South Hills area.

They reside in Bethel Park with daughters Nancy (9) and Mary Claire (7) and son Zeke (4).

Bob Walk is in his 32nd season as a member of the Pirates broadcast crew. He joins Greg Brown as being the third-longest tenured announcer in team history.

The former right-handed pitcher spent 10 of his 14 years pitching in the Major Leagues with Pittsburgh (1984-1993). He compiled a 105-81 lifetime record, which included an 82-61 mark with the Pirates.

Walk’s professional career began with Spartanburg in 1977 after he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 3rd round of the 1976 June draft. He made his big league debut with the Phillies in 1980 and was the starting pitcher in Game One of the World Series that October against Kansas City.

In the spring of 1981, Walk was dealt to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Gary Matthews. He spent three seasons in the Atlanta organization before being acquired by Pittsburgh in 1984.

Bob was a 1988 National League All-Star and he posted six straight winning seasons from 1987 to 1992. One of his finest moments in a Pirates uniform came in 1992 when he pitched a 7-1, complete-game victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game Five of the National League Championship Series.

Walk, a native of Newhall, CA, resides in Wexford with his wife Lorrie. They have three sons; Tommy (45), Johnny (43) and Ronny (35). Tommy and his wife, Dominique, are the proud parents of daughters Makayla (22) and Kylie (19). Johnny and his wife, Nikki, have two children; son Jake (10) and daughter Ella (8).

Pittsburgh native John Wehner is in his 21st season as a member of the Pirates broadcast team. He joined the crew prior to the 2005 season and serves as an analyst on both radio and TV.

Entering the 2025 campaign, John has spent a total of 34 seasons in the Pittsburgh organization (1988-1996, 1999-2001 and 2003- 2023). Prior to being named to the broadcast team, John spent time as a coach with the Double-A Altoona Curve (2003-2004) after serving the Pirates as a special instructor during spring training in 2002.

John saw his last action in the Major Leagues with the Pirates in 2001. He hit the last home run in the history of Three Rivers Stadium on October 1, 2000 off Chicago’s Jon Lieber and also made the final out. In 11 seasons in the Major Leagues, John compiled a .249 batting average, hit four home runs and collected 54 RBI in 461 games. In addition, he shares the Major League record of playing 99 consecutive errorless games at third base (also Jeff Cirillo).

Wehner is a graduate of Pittsburgh’s Carrick High School and attended Indiana University, where he played baseball for three years. He resides in Cranberry Township, PA, with his wife Brandie and has five children; sons Tyler (33) and Brandon (31) and daughters Hailey (26), Brooke (24) and Hannah (22).

Matt Capps is in his fifth season as a rotating color analyst on both the radio and television broadcasts He spent two years (2018-19) serving as a pre- and post-game studio host on AT&T SportsNet.

Capps, who pitched for the Pirates for five seasons between 2005 and 2009, currently ranks ninth on the club’s all-time saves list with 67.

Originally selected by Pittsburgh in the seventh round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Capps made his Major League debut 9/16/05 in game one of a doubleheader vs. Cincinnati.

Capps appeared in a career-high 85 games with the Pirates in 2006; still a club rookie record for most appearances in a season. He also won a career-high nine games in 2006, notching his first big league victory on 5/12 vs. Florida.

Following his final season with the Pirates in 2009, Matt split the 2010 campaign between Washington and Minnesota, saving a career-high 42 games between the two teams.

Capps spent two more seasons with the Twins, pitching in his final big league game on 9/24/12. In 444 career games in the Major Leagues, Matt produced a 29-33 record, 138 saves and a 3.52 ERA (439.2ip/172er).

A native of Douglasville, GA, Capps currently resides in Roswell, GA, with his wife Jennifer, son Wells (13) and daughter Caroline (10). He is a 2002 graduate of Alexander (GA) High School, where he lettered four years in baseball, three years in football, three years in basketball and one year in cross country. Capps signed a letter of intent to play baseball at LSU before signing with the Pirates.

Neil Walker is in his fourth full season as a member of the Pirates broadcast team. He officially joined the crew in August of 2021 and worked a handful of games toward the end of the season.

Originally selected by the Pirates in the first round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft (11th pick overall), Walker made his Major League debut on 9/1/09. He collected his first big league hit off St. Louis’ Jason Motte on 9/6/09 and hit his first Major League home run on 6/1/10 off Chicago’s Ted Lilly.

Walker played 12 seasons in the Majors with the Pirates (2009-2015), Mets (2016-17), Brewers (2017), Yankees (2018), Marlins (2019) and Phillies (2020). In 1306 career games, he produced a .267 batting average, 238 doubles, 22 triples, 149 home runs and 609 RBI.

Walker was converted from a catcher to a third baseman prior to his fourth professional season in 2007 before settling in at second base in 2010. In his Major League career, Neil made 1050 appearances at second base, 131 at first base, 72 at third base, 15 in right field and two in left field. He also retired two of the three batters he faced while making an appearance on the mound with the Phillies on 8/13/20.

In Pirates history, Walker ranks fifth in career games played at second base (802) and his 93 home runs in a Bucco uniform rank third behind Bryan Reynolds (122 entering 2025) and Bobby Bonilla (114) and for most home runs hit by a switch hitter.

The son of former big league pitcher Tom Walker (1972- 77), Neil grew up outside of Pittsburgh and graduated from Pine-Richland High School in 2004. A two-sport star, he was a catcher on the baseball team and a wide receiver on the football team. His baseball #24 was retired from Pine-Richland on 7/22/10.

Walker’s older sister, Carrie, played basketball with Killarney of the Women’s Irish Super League and is married to current Pirates Bench Coach Don Kelly.

Neil and his wife, Niki, reside in Gibsonia, PA, and have two children; daughter Nora (8) and son Nolan (5).

Kevin Young is in his fourth year as a rotating color analyst on both the radio and TV broadcasts.

Originally selected in the seventh round of the 1990 First-Year Player Draft, Young spent 11 big league seasons playing for the Pirates. After being named Pittsburgh’s Minor League Player-of-the-Year in 1991, K.Y. made his Major League debut on 7/12/92 and singled off Cincinnati’s Tim Belcher in his second at bat.

In his 11 seasons with the Pirates (1992-95 and 1997-2003), Young played a total of 1022 games at first base and ranks third on the club’s all-time list for games played at that position, trailing only Gus Suhr (1339) and Jake Beckley (1045).

Young finished his career with a .258 average, 235 doubles, 144 home runs and 606 RBI in 1205 games. He is also one of only two players in team history (also Jason Bay in 2005) to produce at least 100 runs, 40 doubles, 20 home runs, 100 RBI and 20 stolen bases in one season (1999).

Kevin resides in Scottsdale, AZ, and has one son; Kaleb (27) and one daughter; Kaden (19). A graduate of Washington (KS) High School, Young attended Kansas City (KS) Community College for two years where he was an All-American and recipient of the Rawlings Big Bat Award in the Midwest region. He was also an All-American at the University of Southern Mississippi for one year before being drafted by the Pirates.

Hannah Mears is in her second season as the sideline reporter for SportsNet Pittsburgh and the Pirates.

Prior to coming to SNP, Mears was a sideline reporter for the Big Ten Network covering college athletics. She has also spent several years as an on-air talent and sports producer for a local CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, worked freelance for the Penguins, Steelers and Pirates, and served as a sports betting host and analyst for Picks & Parlays.

Mears is a graduate of Penn State and grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. She currently resides in Pittsburgh.