It was a long, painful night in Seattle, and by the time the Detroit Tigers’ playoff hopes officially came to an end, even one of the most respected voices in baseball had reached his limit.
Veteran broadcaster Dan Dickerson, the longtime play-by-play man for the Tigers, was overheard dropping an expletive into a live microphone after Detroit’s 3-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners in Game 5 of the ALDS on Friday night. The Tigers’ season ended on a walk-off single by Jorge Polanco in the 15th inning, capping a marathon game that stretched past the five-hour mark.
Frustration Boils Over on the Air
During a commercial break following the game’s conclusion, Dickerson, unaware that his mic was still hot, could be heard venting about having to record the postgame recap alongside his radio partner, Dan Petry.
“I don’t have to do a game … ah (expletive),” Dickerson said as quoted by the Detroit Free Press, before adding, “(Expletive) this game recap … oh, I’m sorry, was that out loud?”
— 𝒟 (@DetSparty_) October 11, 2025
Dickerson Issues Apology
Not long after the incident gained attention, Dickerson released a statement through the Detroit Free Press, taking full responsibility for the language and clarifying what happened.
“I want to sincerely apologize for swearing during a break in the post-game last night,” Dickerson said. “Our mics were inadvertently left open — but I know better than to swear into an open mic. It was said in a moment of frustration, and not a reflection about how I feel about doing the game recap — just how I felt about doing it in that moment after a five hour, 15 inning, season-ending loss. I’m very sorry any fans had to hear it — my apologies again.”
It was a professional and humble response from a broadcaster known for his composure, passion, and respect for the game.
A Real Moment After a Brutal Loss
After watching Tarik Skubal deliver a record-breaking performance only for the Tigers to fall short in extra innings, emotions were running high across the organization, from players to fans to broadcasters.
For Dickerson, whose voice has narrated the highs and lows of Tigers baseball for more than two decades, that brief moment of frustration simply showed that he feels every pitch just like the rest of Detroit does.
Even the pros have bad nights, especially after five hours of heartbreak.
One Response
Too much has been made about Dan’s unfortunate on air mistake. He’s apologized sincerely, can we please just stop posting it again, again, and again??? To what end are you looking for??