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Broadcaster Bob Costas, whose highly decorated career includes inclusion in the broadcasters’ portion of baseball’s Hall of Fame, is retiring from doing play-by-play of that sport.

Costas, who began his professional career in ºüÀêÊÓƵ in 1974 when KMOX (1120 AM) hired him as the play-by-play announcer for the Spirits of ºüÀêÊÓƵ club in the American Basketball Association and lived in the area for many years afterward while his career blossomed nationally, confirmed to the Post-Dispatch what first was by The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.

He said he was not ready to comment about the developments but indicated he will address the situation publicly Monday on MLB Network. That outlet plans to re-air the “Sounds of Baseball� documentary it did on Costas’ career at 4 p.m. that day, with Costas expected to discuss his decision on the “MLB Tonight� show that begins at 5 o’clock.

Costas, 72, has been calling games and contributing to other MLB Network programming since it debuted in 2009, and is expected to continue to make periodic studio appearances there.

He has been broadcasting baseball since his early days at NBC, in the 1980s, and last called the Yankees-Royals American League Division Series in early October for TBS. He faced some criticism for his delivery — much of it from younger fans who thought he wasn’t enthusiastic enough.

But Costas has had immense success throughout his versatile career, with high-profile positions on NBA and NFL productions plus roles in entertainment broadcasting as well as with baseball. He even has dabbled in news. He’s best known to the widest audiences as being NBC’s prime-time host for its Olympics coverage a record 11 times, through the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, and has been honored with countless accolades and awards for his many achievements.

Through all that baseball has remained his favorite sport, so in 2016 when it was announced that the following summer he would be receiving the Ford C. Frick Award — the Hall of Fame honor for baseball broadcasting excellence — he was humbled.

“Because of my love of baseball and because of the other names that (have won the Frick Award), this is at the top of the list,� he said then. “No disrespect of any other award that I’ve been lucky enough to receive, they all mean a great deal to me. This one means the most.�