A Mets broadcaster has pulled the ultimate ‘April Fools’ prank in March. Howie Rose, who is also a key part of New York Rangers Stanley Cup lore, shared on Thursday that 2026 will be his final season in the broadcast booth. As weird as it may sound, he walked back on it in less than 24 hours.

“I was only kidding,” Howie Rose shared on X Friday. 

The New York Mets had posted a video on Thursday, captioning it “A message from Howie Rose.” In that, we saw Rose reveal his retirement decision. 

“Trust me, I did not arrive at this decision to retire easily,” he said. “I’ve been going back and forth in my mind about it for the last few years. But the simple reality is that I am 72 years old and my wife, Barbara, who has sacrificed so much for so long, deserves to have her husband around a little more often – whether she likes it or not.”

People started pouring their heartfelt tributes and nostalgic moments, reacting to Rose’s retirement announcement. But just as the fans were preparing themselves to cherish the voice of the legendary broadcaster for one last season, Howie Rose took a 360-degree turn. 

Howie Rose waited just long enough to let the panic set in. Then he went back on his word. And tried to cushion it with a warm thank-you note. 

Fans were dumbfounded. It’s like, one minute he was talking about the Mets winning the World Series. Rose would be present in the city hall to address the triumphant parade. It would be his dream-come-true moment. And the next minute, he’s saying “gotcha.” 

Until his clarification, 2026 could have been Rose’s 39th and final season with the Mets. Well, not anymore. He will continue to mesmerize the fans, immortalizing every moment of the game. Every fan would love that. But we’re not sure how they are going to recover from the prank. 

Especially after the promise manager Carlos Mendoza made to Rose. Maybe he is going to walk back on his comment as well. Or maybe the text about Mendoza assuring us, “We’re going to win it all this year,” was a part of the joke, too. 

The only thing we are sure of is that Rose has sent the fans into a frenzy. 

Confused fans offer mixed emotions to Howie Rose’s sudden walk-back

“Please don’t be kidding… time for new blood.” One user was unable to digest the joke. Many were almost ready to have someone else fill in the shoes after this season. 

“Wait, seriously?” read another comment. People are seriously confused about which one is actually the joke. 

“Your wife threw you out? You’re married to the Mets now. 😀 ” Another fan took a sly jab at Rose. Imagine that even his wife is not able to accept the beloved broadcaster parting ways with the Mets. 

“We can only hope,” another fan wrote. While some fans are still not ready to bid goodbye, they are utterly confused about what’s actually going on. 

One comment read, “I wouldn’t be mad if you were.” People just love him so much that they are ready to let the joke slide. It really shows how big an impact he has had on the Mets fans. 

We are not sure if this will have any impact on the New York Mets’ on-field performance. We don’t know if the Mets can overcome their 40-year World Series drought. Yet we are relieved. Howie Rose is not retiring. He’s only threatening the fanbase’s emotional stability.