In the midst of an ongoing celebration for 30 years of the Today Plaza (plus their new Today scented candle), the hosts of NBC News' Today Show celebrated one of their own the morning of Wednesday, June 5 in a segment that looked at what one of their former anchors was up to.
Longtime NBC News anchor Kerry Sanders, now 63, worked with the network for over 32 years, working as a correspondent for MSNBC, Dateline, and Today.
In January 2023, it was revealed on the show that the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist would be retiring from the network and broadcast journalism to spend time with his wife Deborah.
© NBC NewsHowever, he became the center of attention once again on Today when anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Craig Melvin spoke about his latest achievement — getting to throw the first pitch at a Miami Marlins game.
"Apparently, Kerry has been playing a little baseball," Craig quipped alongside footage of Kerry giddily throwing out the pitch, and Savannah and Hoda couldn't help but coo over how good and proud he looked.
© Instagram"Kerry's making us proud," Craig remarked, with the trio breaking out into light applause after seeing his "almost perfect strike," and the anchor joked that he "could pick up another job, it looks like."
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Savannah quipped that it didn't seem like he was ready to hang up his boots just yet, but added: "Retirement looks good on him!" The adorable moment came just before the anchors took to the Plaza to continue celebrating 30 years outside Rockefeller Center, where many memories, including with Kerry himself, have been made. Watch a snippet from Kerry's farewell below...
They were all present last January for a tribute to Kerry and his legacy on the network, from election and trial coverage to his renowned reports on hurricanes and natural disasters. An entire segment was dedicated to his work, with Kerry sitting by their side as his co-workers praised his decades of fearless and intelligent reporting.
Savannah said of her former colleague: "You have brightened our mornings, Kerry, on-screen and off, and we cannot let you go without celebrating your many, many highlights."
Kerry, clearly on the verge of tears after being shown several of his career high points, stated that it was "a dream" to have been part of the team for so many years.
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The other co-hosts took to vouching for how nice and kind he'd been to them over the years as they started off with their positions. "The amazing thing about this job," Kerry added: "Was that I got the chance to go everywhere. I reported from every state in the country, 65 countries, every continent, and even the North Pole," leaving the team amazed.
© NBCOn social media that day, Al Roker took to sharing a personal tribute to the veteran journalist, writing: "I cannot even begin to tell you how much I am going to miss @kerrynbc for his wit, grace, curiosity, drive, honesty and versatility. Truly one of a kind. Here's to the next chapter for you and your dear wife, Deborah."
