Carroll’s Column: Howie Rose to retire after 2026 Mets season

Image Credit: George Napolitano/Latino Sports

NEW YORK, NY — A big congratulations goes out to the incredible Howie Rose, the longtime radio voice of the Mets. 

Last Thursday, the Mets’ radio play-by-play voice, Rose, a Cardozo High School and Queens College alum, announced he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2026 season. Previously, he stated he would only be calling Mets games played in New York City this season. 

Rose’s decision to “put it in the books” for good at the end of the current season can be attributable to several factors, even though his voice is still strong and youthful, and his observations and humor are as sharp as ever. 

He has been public about his recent bout with bladder cancer, which while successful, has taken a toll on him physically. In a Zoom conference call, Rose spoke emotionally of the loss of his dad from Alzheimer’s Disease in 1978. Time is a finite resource, and that played a huge part in his decision. He can now spend more time with his family and enjoy more months in his South Florida home. I have a feeling his golf game will improve. 

Mets send Ronny Mauricio down to Triple-A Syracuse 

The Mets sent Ronny Mauricio down to their Syracuse farm team to start the season. Mauricio had a so-so spring training both offensively and defensively, but that may not have been the reason he will not be starting the season in Flushing.    

Mauricio, who has long been near the top of the Mets’ prospect list, is down to his last option.

That means if the Mets call him up to Queens, they can no longer demote him to the minors for any reason outside of a rehabilitation assignment in the event of injury. If they try to do so, Mauricio will undoubtedly be claimed on waivers by another team, and the Mets will get nothing back for him.

New Eats at Citi Field for 2026 MLB season

Mets Hall of Famer Mookie Wilson will be having a food kiosk at Citi Field this season. Legacy Catering by Mookie Wilson and Family, will serve southern cuisine favorites as pulled chicken sandwiches, collard greens, and cornbread.    

Wilson follows in the footsteps of former baseball players as Boog Powell, Greg Luzinski, and the late Randy Jones, who opened food concessions in the ballparks where they played after they retired, Wilson told me he had not spoken with either Powell or Luzinski about being a stadium restaurateur. He did say he would be at Citi Field as often as he could to greet fans and get their feedback. 

Pat LaFrieda, the king of sports facility meat purveyors, will be serving its tomahawk steaks for those with big carnivorous appetites at their Chop House shop at Citi Field. As is the case when they are serving patrons at the US Open, you can enjoy their filet mignon steak and sliced steak sandwiches as well. They are also serving cheesecake for those looking for dessert. Another dessert option is Hildebrandt’s ice cream. Hildebrandt’s has been making ice cream in its Williston Park, Long Island store for 99 years.

New Citi Field Public Transportation Promos offered by Mets

With gas prices high, and Citi Field parking neither being plentiful or cheap, the Mets are offering public transportation promotions.

You can take $5 off the price of a Long Island Railroad ticket if you purchase a Mets ticket on their website. The suburban ferry line, Seastreak, is offering service from Staten Island, Stamford, CT, and Highlands, NJ to the World’s Fair Marina. It would be nice if the Mets could partner with NYC Ferry to offer ballpark boat rides. 

Yankees’ HOPE Week initiative receives prestigious MLB honor

Major League Baseball honored the Yankees last week for their many years of Project HOPE with the Allan H. “Bud” Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence.

Project HOPE Week is the brainchild of Yankees vice president of media relations, Jason Zillo, and it is the gold standard in community service. HOPE is an acronym for “Helping Others Persevere & Excel.” 

Project HOPE Week honors those who generously give their time and energy to worthy causes which tend to fly under the radar. This year’s HOPE Week will take place during the Yankees’ June 15-19 homestand. 

Madison Square Garden to host “Thank You, NYPD” concert

Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan has always been known for his philanthropy. His creation, The Garden of Dreams Foundation, benefits underprivileged New York City children. He has held fund-raising concerts at MSG following 9/11, and Superstorm Sandy.

In that same spirit, Dolan is organizing a private concert at the Garden this Saturday evening, March 28th, as a kickoff to his “Thank You, NYPD” campaign.

Police officers and their families will be his guests. Among the performers will be former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty, and Ozone Park native Cyndi Lauper. Both artists are Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Also performing are rapper Fat Joe, and comedian Chris Distefano who professed his diehard Mets fandom subbing for Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night ABC show last summer. 

WNBA players reportedly vote in favor of new CBA agreement

The 2026 WNBA season will start on time after all now that the league and its players association have reached a tentative accord. Salaries will rise dramatically as top-tier players like Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Aja Wilson, and Angel Reese will be eligible to earn more than $1,000,000 per year from their teams. They all do far better than that with their endorsement deals but getting paid bigger bucks from their teams is only right. The teams benefit as well because it has been proven that sports fans pay more attention to leagues where athletes make a lot of money. 

“Meal Ticket” out now on Prime Video

Prime Video has a new documentary on the history of the McDonald’s High School All-American Game titled “Meal Ticket.” Given the incredible number of NBA superstars who received their first national acclaim by participating in the game, the title is far from hyperbole. The status of being invited to play in it is a guarantee of both college scholarships and serious NIL money even if an NBA career does not materialize. 

It is fun to see the film of Lefrak City native and Archbishop Molloy star Kenny Smith (yes, he had hair back then!), and St. John’s University legend Chris Mullin (who still looks like he did in 1981), taking part in the McDonald’s game. It is a shame the “Meal Ticket” producers did not find footage of Queensbridge’s Metta World Peace, then known as Ron Artest, when he played in the game.

Not surprisingly, Michael Jordan’s exploits at the 1981 game get a lot of attention, as it marked the first time he got national attention by scoring 30 points, which was a record which stood for years. The “Meal Ticket” team fails to disclose that MJ would eventually create a serious spring competitor to the McDonald’s All-American High School Game,” the Jordan Brand Classic, which is still going strong.

Knicks fans take over Barclays Center as Nets players take notice

Nets forward Josh Minott, who was acquired from the Boston Celtics in February, expressed frustration in his postgame press conference following the Nets’ one-point loss to the Knicks Friday night. Minott was ticked at the sea of fans wearing blue and orange and cheering for the Knicks at Barclays Center. “We feel like the visiting team every night!” Minott complained. 

Minott is not wrong, but he must realize it is hard to develop a fan base when you have a bunch of faceless players who rarely win, especially in the nation’s largest market where entertainment options are plentiful. 

The Nets organization does little to improve matters as they show no interest in marketing their team outside of Brooklyn, even to neighboring Queens, The fact we share a lengthy border with Kings County and have over two million residents seems to mean nothing to their executives. 

From Connecticut to Ontario: Islanders announce the move of their AHL minor league affiliate

The New York Islanders announced they will be moving their American Hockey League minor league affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Hamilton, Ontario., which is an hour’s drive from Toronto. I don’t know the behind-the-scenes reasons for the relocation, but it does seem strange. Moving your top minor league farther away from your home base makes it harder to call up a player in a pinch. It also does not help you develop fans who would be willing to drive a few hours to see the Islanders. 

Remembering and Paying Tribute to Chuck Norris

I was sorry to learn of the passing of action star Chuck Norris last Friday. Norris was a US Air Force veteran and a martial arts expert. He had no interest in acting until one of his karate students, Steve McQueen, encouraged him to try acting. 

Norris was surprisingly good at it. He was more relatable to the average filmgoer than contemporaries like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. 

His 1985 film, “Code of Silence,” was as fine a police drama as you will see. When his box office appeal started to dim, he made a seamless transition to television where he starred for years on CBS’s “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

Chuck Norris was 86.

Manischewitz Passover Products: A Must Try

You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy the Manischewitz Passover products. Their chicken matzo ball soup is tasty and has curative properties. The company’s coconut macaroons are a pleasant change from cookies and pastries. They closely resemble many Hispanic sweets.

You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.