Dan Hasty Will Call His Final Whitecaps Games in 2026

Baseball fans rally around their team, the food, the beer, and, of course, the voice that brings every game to life. Sadly, West Michigan Whitecaps fans will soon say goodbye to their beloved play-by-play announcer at season’s end.

History of West Michigan Whitecaps Play-By-Play Announcers

Baseball wasn’t invented on a single date or by one person. Instead, it evolved throughout the mid-19th century. Nearly 150 years later since baseball began, the West Michigan Whitecaps brought professional baseball to Grand Rapids.

In 1994, the Whitecaps hired Rick Berkey as the team’s original voice, calling the first 11 seasons. He left in 2004 to pursue entrepreneurial ventures and sports broadcasting opportunities throughout West Michigan.

Dave Skoczen took over the Whitecaps’ broadcast booth in 2005, calling games for four seasons. He left the team to pursue his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball announcer. While he never reached the majors, Skoczen did spend a brief stint as an ESPN host.

Steve Lloyd-Jones followed Skoczen in 2009, spending just one season in the Whitecaps’ broadcast booth. He left Grand Rapids to pursue play-by-play opportunities with Laker football and basketball at Grand Valley State University.

In 2010, Ben Chiswick took over the Whitecaps’ broadcast and media relations duties, spending five seasons with the team. He eventually left the Whitecaps, and broadcasting altogether, to spend more time with his family and joined PetCure Oncology.

The announcer who replaced Chiswick has been with the team the longest will call his final Whitecaps game at the end of the 2026 season

2026 to Be Final Season for Longtime Whitecaps Announcer

Dan Hasty is the longest-tenured voice of Whitecaps baseball since taking over the microphone in 2014. As Hasty told WOOD TV8, “This was never really just baseball. It was your summer. Year after year. And I got to be a part of it.”

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Hasty also made history as the first Whitecaps announcer to call a Major League Baseball game, stepping in to broadcast a Tigers game in Minneapolis.

He will call his final home game with the Whitecaps on August 30. He said he isn’t leaving the area, but fans will have to find him at a different game..

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