PHOENIX — The final out is almost here for longtime Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster Greg Schulte.
But before 'The Gub'nuh' signs off the air for good, the D-Backs surprised Schulte by naming the radio booth at Chase Field after him.
"I'm really overwhelmed by this," Schulte said. "My family surprised me the other night when I was on KTAR and they showed up for the last segment. They showed up for this one, but this was very nice."
Schulte was at KTAR for a special two-hour broadcast.
The Diamondbacks surprised Schulte with the booth dedication on Friday afternoon along with photos from his career lining the walls in the hallway to the booth.
"We could not think of a better way to celebrate a career like Greg's and the impact he has had on the Arizona Diamondbacks organization," Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall said in a press release. "Greg’s voice is synonymous with D-backs baseball and generations of D-backs fans have experienced the game through listening to his calls on the radio. Now, his legacy will live on right here at Chase Field as the next generation of broadcasters make calls from the Greg Schulte Radio Booth."
The Diamondbacks start their final home series of the season with three games against the Houston Astros at Chase Field on Friday night. That series will also be the final home series for Schulte, who has been broadcasting Diamondbacks baseball since they first took the field on March 31, 1998.
"I have a lot of people reminding me, you know, you were the first," Schulte said. "So, I take a lot of honor in that, and hopefully that we'll have many excellent broadcasters along the road that will follow. Again, I go back to when this all started in 1998."
Schulte said he wore a tuxedo to that first game and remembers that even though the Diamondbacks lost to the Colorado Rockies, fans stuck around.
"Everybody stayed to watch the roof close at the end of that game," Schulte said. "It was kind of that way, a love affair first year, won 100 games the next year, (and) won the World Series in '01. It's been 26 very magical years."
Schulte will be recognized with a special ceremony before Friday's game against the Astros and will also throw out the first pitch. But Schulte isn't one to put himself in the spotlight.
"I don't like drawing attention to myself, so this is kind of a situation where I'm not uneasy with it, but, you know, it's all about the game, it's all about the team," Schulte said. "For me, this takes away a little bit for them, but to have the ball club honor me like this, I'm very flattered, I'm very excited about it and again, it's a wonderful gesture. I really appreciate it."
And before he signs off, Schulte did have a message for fans.
"Thank you to everyone who invited me into their homes, into their cars over the years as a broadcaster," Schulte said. "Hopefully I've kept you entertained. I think this ball club's got a great run ahead of it with all these young kids. This has been a heck of a year... I look forward to watching them.
You'll see me at the ballpark. If you see me in town, (my wife) Nancy and I are still going to live here. This will still be our home. Our kids are here, Scott and Stephanie. So, if you see me, come up, say hello and I'll be glad to talk baseball."