Charley Steiner’s cancer went into remission in October 2024, but it took a whole lot more time before he was able to call nine innings at Dodger Stadium.
That wait ended this past Saturday when the longtime Los Angeles Dodgers radio voice called a full game for the first time in three years.
“I get home after a game, and I’m sitting with three ice packs on my back,” Steiner told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times afterward. “It’s like I’ve completed playing.”
Steiner initially returned to the booth for opening day in 2025 but had to leave midway through. He followed a similar pattern for a few games this season and had worked himself up to six innings last Thursday. Per Shaikin, the former SportsCenter anchor said he wanted to shoot for seven innings the next time, but producer Duane McDonald encouraged him to consider going for all nine.
“It means the world to me,” Steiner told USA Today Sports, adding it was “the most meaningful game of my career.”
While his voice was raspy at times, Steiner was back in rare form, offering up several bon mots, including a dig at Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski, who gave up two home runs on the day, saying during an advertisement: “Toyota dealers: they make it easy. Wrobleski makes it hard.”
As a Brewers fan as cool as it was to see Milwaukee and the Miz beat the Dodgers yesterday, what was cooler was that LA announcer Charley Steiner, fighting cancer, called his first full 9 inning game since 2023. pic.twitter.com/3YODxRX9iI
— Steve Palec (@stevepalec) August 16, 2026
The 77-year-old, who has called Dodgers games since 2005, can walk but uses a wheelchair to get to and from the stadium after years of debilitating back pain (He’s suffered three back fractures to go along with battling multiple myeloma blood cancer). He told the LA Times that while his pain has “gone from intolerable to tolerable,” he’s still taking things slowly.
“The last three years have been P.T. [physical therapy],” Steiner said. “Every day. Social life? Scratch that. If I want to go out to eat, it’s not necessarily where, but what’s the seating like? I can’t sit in a wooden chair.”
Steiner said he’ll continue to pepper appearances during the season but isn’t committed to a strict schedule. Regardless, even in a limited capacity, he’s just happy to be able to come back to the ballpark.
“It’s just nice being back at the park,” he said. “It’s home.”
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