Boston Red Sox Announcing Booth Will Be Too Crowded
By DJ Smith
This past season saw the departure of longtime Boston Red Sox television announcer Don Orsillo, who was fired in August. While most fans were vehemently upset at the move, they wondered what the future was for color commentator Jerry Remy.
Read more: Boston Red Sox Announcer Don Orsillo Headed To San Diego
Initially, I thought that it was naturally that NESN would can Jerry Remy and open up the 2016 with a brand new set of announcers, that seemed like a logical choice. But that was not the case, as Remy’s spot at NESN was all but assured during the aftermath of the Orsillo announcement.
I was not a fan of keeping Remy because to Red Sox fans he will always be remembered as Don’s partner, and now that he will be without Don in 2016 it won’t feel the same.
For a few weeks I was thinking how the chemistry would work between new play-by-play man Dave O’Brien and Remy, and I actually convinced myself that they wouldn’t be terrible together. It wouldn’t be the same as Don, but the team of Remy and O’Brien could be watchable.
But now, news of a third man coming into the booth during the 2016 season makes me reconsider my entire belief that Remy should be involved at all.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Remy will be involved in at least 100 games, while fellow NESN analysts Dennis Eckersley and Steve Lyons will fill in as wel,l and during some games will work with both Remy and O’Brien.
I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say that this is an insanely idiotic idea.
If NESN didn’t want Remy in the press box for the entire season, then they should have just let him go. Just get him out of the press box so we can get acclimated to a new play-by-play and color team, but keeping him on for a portion of the season is just idiotic.
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I understand that Remy has been with NESN for close to 30 years, and I understand that he has been a staple for Red Sox fans each and every season listening to him, but it seemed natural that after everything he has endured the past few years, that this be the time to step away.
As for the three-man broadcast team, it works in certain scenarios (Sunday Night Baseball for example), but I don’t see that success coming for NESN in 2016. With this big of a shake up coming next year, NESN should have given Remy and O’Brien a chance to build chemistry through the first year, and after that toy around with the idea of a three-man booth.
I’m surprised at the announcement. I certainly did not see this move coming in Dave O’Brien’s first season, I figured he’d get some time to get acclimated to the same partner. But at the same time, this is the same company that let Don Orsillo go; so is anything they do really surprising?
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