Get to know Gary
Biography
Cohen, a Queens, NY native, is SportsNet New York's play-by-play announcer for all SNY-produced Mets telecasts. In addition, Cohen also contributes to SNY's Mets pre-and post-game shows, Mets Hot Stove and to www.sny.tv. Prior to joining SNY, Cohen was a member of the Mets' radio team for 17 seasons. Previously he has done play-by-play on major league baseball broadcasts for CBS Radio from 1991-1997, and for ESPN Radio since 1998. Cohen has also served as the play-by-play announcer for the NCAA Basketball Tournament for CBS Radio and Westwood One from 1991-2003, and has been the radio voice for Seton Hall University basketball since 2003, as well as the radio voice of St. John's University basketball from 1995-2002. Cohen has also done play-by-play for Rangers games, as well as served as the men's and women's hockey play-by-play announcer at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics for CBS Radio.
Before coming to the Mets, Cohen broadcast minor league baseball for the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) of the International League (1987-1988), the Durham Bulls of the Class-A Carolina League (1986) and Spartanburg Spinners (A) of the South Atlantic League (1983-1984).
A graduate of Columbia University, Cohen resides in Connecticut with his wife Lynn, their children Trevor, Kira, Jess, Jaclyn and Zach and their dogs Wryly, Cubby, and Angie.
Q&A with Gary
Now that its the off season what will you do to fill your time?
as little as possible
What expression do you normally have on your face?
Quizical
What is guaranteed to happen tomorrow?
Sun up, market down
What television show have you strangely never seen?
Cheers
If you were at a garage sale, what would you look for?
Nothing
What is the nicest thing someone has done for you?
My wife was kind enough to marry me
What’s the best thing about having children?
Seeing their joy at each new accomplishment
What is the next book you hope to read?
Ragtime by E.L.Doctorow
What helps you heal?
deep cleansing breaths
In two words, how would you describe your day yesterday?
slow and relaxing
What movie deserves a sequel?
None. Sequels are the scourge of American film.
What is your most common expression or saying?
Are you kidding?
If you could be an expert on one form of dance, what would it be?
Breakdancing
What one thing have you surprisingly never done before?
Operated a motorcycle
If you could set your alarm clock for an ideal time, what would that time be?
Noon
What fruit do you always pick around in a fruit salad
None
If you could have a remote control for anything, what would you choose?
The windows in my house
What do you not eat enough of?
Vegetables
Where can you find the best hamburger?
Sycamore Drive-In- Bethel, CT
What healthy habit are you most proud of?
Flossing regularly
When is it ok to bend the rules?
When the rules stand in the way of logic and the general welfare
On what tv-game show would you like to be a contestant?
Jeopardy
What is your favorite time of the day?
2 am
I've never been able to ______
execute a two-fingered taxicab-hailing whistle
What do you bring most to a friendship?
I'm a wonderful listener
Rap music makes me want to? __________
Depends. There's some great rap music out there, and some scary, violent misogynistic junk.
Who is your favorite comedian?
Jerry Seinfeld
What one thing can you draw very well?
A stick figure
Use one adjective to describe the game of baseball ___________
Unpredictable
Who should be this years person of the year?
Barack Obama
What one thing did you never get as a child?
Calculus
Rollerblading is __________
something I would love to be able to do better. I have trouble stopping.
What is the strongest bond you have with an inanimate object
My pillow. I take it on the road with me.
If you could perform one heroic act, what would it be?
To cure the world of hate, violence and hunger. Is that too ambitious?
What book do you frequently recommend to people?
The Great American Novel by Phillip Roth.
What is the gift that keeps on giving?
Love.
If you picked up a guitar right now, what would you play?
Noise. I can't play a single chord.
What is the best thing about your mom?
Her unrelenting devotion to her children.
I'm always amused when I see people _______
With piercings of vital body parts. What are they thinking?
What favor should never be asked of someone?
To do anything that would cause harm to an innocent party.
Growing up, what was your favorite TV show?
I was a huge Mission Impossible fan. Never missed one, every Saturday night. Gives you an idea about my social life.
Saturday or Sunday? Why?
Saturday. The weekend is still spread out before you, with endless possibilities.
On a scale of 1-10, how hard of a worker are you?
I have two speeds; 1 and 10.
What one holiday tradition would you never want to give up?
Anniversary burger at The Sycamore
If the statement, 'You are what you eat' was true, you would be a _______.
Coffee bean.
If you could read the private diary of any person in the world, whose would it be?
John F. Kennedy.
Is it easier to forgive or to forget?
Way easier to forgive.
Which of the seven dwarfs personifies you best – Dopey, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Grumpy, Happy, or Doc?
all of them at different times.
Watermelon or Cantaloupe?
Tough one. Probably watermelon, but only if it has the good black seeds to shoot across the backyard.
If you could rid the earth of 3 creatures, which 3 would you dispose of?
Mosquitoes, cockroaches and intolerant people.
How many times a day do you check your email?
Way too many.
Do you read the blogs?
Only the good ones.
What do you do for exercise?
Run.
Other than Shea, which ballpark is your favorite? Why?
Jacobs (now Progressive) Field in Cleveland. It feels open and intimate, and is everything I hope Citi Field will be (minus being in Cleveland)
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I used to have very long hair.
Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?
To embarrass bald people.
What are you most proud of?
My family.
Who has impacted you most in your career ?
A guy you've never heard of. His name is Gary Sparber. He was my boss in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1983. He admonished me to stop talking like a sportscaster, and more like myself. I owe him everything.
How many licks does it take to get to the middle of a Tootsie pop?
274 for me, three for Keith.
Are you named after anyone? If so- who?
I'll have to ask my Mom, but I don't think so.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Three. Rudeness, laziness, and the DH.
Day or Night? Why?
Day for baseball, night for movies.
East or West? Why
East. New York, duh.
Odd or Even? Why?
Odd is always more interesting.
Lucy or Ethel? Why?
Lucy. She might be a handful, but Ethel is boring.
Sonny or Cher? Why?
Cher. Sonny couldn't have handled Moonstruck.
Batman or Robin?
"Batman. He got to drive. And nobody ever flashed the "Robin signal" .
Open or Close? Why?
Always open. Never know what you might find.
Straight or Crooked? Why?
Crooked. See: Lombard St.
Right or Left? Why?
Right for fastballs, left for jumpshots.
Buy or Sell? Why.?
Buy low, sell high.
What was the happiest day of your life?
Two. The day I met my wife Lynn, and the day my kids were born.
Most embarrassing moment of your life
Too many to mention.
If you knew the world would end in a day- what would you do?
Hug my wife and kids...and go skydiving.
Do you have any Superstitions?
"No
One word to describe Keith
Unique
One word to describe Ron?
Brilliant
One word to describe yourself?
Obsessive
One word to describe the Gary, Keith and Ron team?
Unconventional
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
"In the booth, or on a beach with my wife."
If not a baseball sportscaster, what would you have done?
"I would have sat in the upper deck and been a fan. Oh, you mean what would I have done for a living? Something infinitely less exciting, no doubt."
What do you do during the off-season?
"Hang with my wife, kids and dogs. Also, I broadcast Seton Hall basketball."
Who were your heroes growing up?
"Marv Albert, George McGovern"
Favorite food?
"Sushi, fried oysters"
Favorite book?
"Slaughterhouse Five"
Favorite movie?
"American Grafitti"
Favorite actor?
"Mark Ruffalo"
Favorite author
"Richard Ford"
How do you get ready for the baseball season?
"Lots of reading"
How do you prepare for each game?
"Lots of reading and chit-chat."
Favorite thing to do while on the road?
"Running"
Hobbies?
"Reading, running"
Do you watch the games if you have a day off during the season?
"That's what I'm doing right now."
Do you watch baseball games other than the Mets games?
"Yes"
Favorite sports teams i.e: football, basketball, etc.?
"Jets"
Why did you choose the Women's Shelter of Greater Danbury?
"I chose the Women's Shelter of Greater Danbury because of the enormous life-changing impact a safe house has on a women and her children. They are greeted unconditionally, often after they are forced to flee from their homes with only the clothes on their backs. They are provided with clothing, food, toiletries, as well as safe housing for up to 90 days. They are cared for and nurtured with the goal of establishing a new and violence-free life. These women are not just in need of shelter, but also in need of counseling and support. The Women's Shelter of Greater Danbury provides critical safety planning, individual and group support, counseling and advocacy. Domestic violence does not discriminate. It touches everyone, be it a close relative or an acquaintance."
Charity website: Women's Shelter of Greater Danbury
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