Joe Castiglione, the Red Sox radio announcer for the last 42 seasons, announced his retirement last week. Julie Nikhinson/Associated Press

Joe Castiglione probably tucked many of us New England kids into bed more often than our parents. Maybe the Boston Red Sox were playing on the West Coast, and you turned on the clock radio next to the bed and dozed off listening to Castiglione call the action out in Seattle, Oakland or Anaheim.

Castiglione, 77, recently announced his retirement. When Boston’s season ends next Sunday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park, so will Castiglione’s long career, including 42 seasons as the radio voice of the Red Sox.

Playing Terrence Mann in “Field of Dreams,” the late James Earl Jones was right. Baseball marks the time. No matter what insanity is going on in the world at any given time, baseball is there.

In New England, for Red Sox fans of my generation, Castiglione was the constant. I was 10 years old when Castiglione called his first Sox game. I celebrated my 52nd birthday a couple weeks ago. The Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots rotated through multiple radio play-by-play voices over the last four decades. Even Castiglione had numerous partners in the Red Sox radio booth, but he was always there.

Carl Yastrzemski played in the first game Castiglione called for the Red Sox, back in 1983. So did Wade Boggs and Jim Rice and Dennis Eckersley and Dwight Evans. That’s four Hall of Famers and another (Evans) who can make a strong argument that he should be there. It’s hard to say if anyone bound for Cooperstown will be in the Red Sox lineup next Sunday, especially with Rafael Devers done for the season. Still, I’d love to hear Castiglione’s personal all-Red Sox lineup from his 42 years calling the team.

His was the voice in the background when we were at our bedroom desk doing homework in the spring or fall. Castiglione kept us company on long drives or while we did yard work. He was there for warm days at the beach and cool nights around a campfire. Castiglione’s voice sounds like the crack of a bat. His voice sounds like summer.

On YouTube, there is a compilation of some of Castiglione’s best calls. It’s 2 hours and 7 minutes long, and probably not close to long enough. It’s a Joe Castiglione movie. Every scene is a classic. You can watch the entire thing and evoke memories of where you were when each of those moments happened. Were you listening to Castiglione call the game live? Chances are for a lot of them, you were.

The fortunes of the Red Sox rose, fell, and rose again, and Castiglione was there. When Aaron Boone crushed our hopes with the home run that ended the 2003 American League Championship Series, Castiglione was our frustration. When the Red Sox rallied to win the ALCS a year later after being down three games to none, Castiglione voiced our joy. When he called Dave Roberts’ stolen base in the ninth inning of Game 4, Castiglione was the sigh of relief we all exhaled when Roberts was safe.

“Rivera to the set. He goes! The pitch, taken outside, here’s the throw, Roberts dives… and he is safe! Stolen base Dave Roberts!”

The most memorable moment of the last World Series run, in 2018, was the catch left fielder Andrew Benintendi made to win Game 4 of the ALCS. Castiglione made the call while falling out of his chair.

“Swing and a line drive to left field, Benintendi coming on… dives… and did he make the catch? He did! He got it! And the Red Sox win! And I just went head over heels in my chair. Oh, wow! What a catch by Andrew Benintendi.”

Over the last 20 years of his career, Castiglione called four Red Sox World Series titles. Who else had Castiglione’s call of the final out of the 2004 World Series as their cell phone ring tone? Who else played it over and over just to annoy friends who cheer for that team from the Bronx?

Castiglione kept it simple and clear, every time, and never got in the way of the biggest moments.

“Ground ball, stabbed by Foulke. He has it. He underhands to first, and the Boston Red Sox are the world champions! For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox have won baseball’s world championship! Can you believe it!”

We can believe it, Joe. Because we heard it from you.