MLB People & Personalities: Reds' Brennaman Sees Long Future

Brennaman Plans To Keep Working Through '13

Reds radio announcer Marty Brennaman said that he "envisions calling Reds games fulltime through 2013 and part-time thereafter." Brennaman: "I can see myself working indefinitely, as long as I have my health." He added Reds Owner Bob Castellini "said to me four years ago, 'You can work as long as you want to. You tell us when you want to retire.'" Brennaman, the team's radio voice since '74, has a contract through the '10 season (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/11). Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Tom Groeschen noted changes in the Reds' TV and radio announcing crews have "brought different faces to the broadcasts in recent years." Brennaman said, "We have gotten very little negative feedback" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/11).

KIND OF BLUE: The GLOBE & MAIL's Bruce Dowbiggin wrote Rogers Sportsnet's Blue Jays broadcasts, led by play-by-play voice Jamie Campbell, are "unsatisfying." Campbell has "staked no claim to the team with either a flair for language or his keen insight into baseball," and the "patter with his analysts is painful." Perhaps a "permanent sidekick would help." The rotation of Pat Tabler, Rance Mulliniks and Darrin Fletcher as analyst is "tough enough for viewers; how must it be for Campbell to frame each analyst properly?" (GLOBESPORTS.com, 7/12).

RUFFLING FEATHERS: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar notes FS Midwest analyst Al Hrabosky “remained angry Monday that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa had blasted him for critical on-air comments" about Cardinals C Yadier Molina not running out a pop fly during Friday's game against the Cubs. La Russa on his KTRS-AM program Sunday said Hrabosky “should be ashamed of himself.” Hrabosky said that he was “merely doing his job by bringing up the fact that Molina had stopped running, with bat in hand, on a popup that was dropped and resulted in a forceout.” Hrabosky said that he "hasn’t discussed the matter with La Russa since, and probably won’t do so until the Cards return to action Friday” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/14). La Russa said of Hrabosky criticizing Molina, "I think it's a bunch of malarkey. ... Nobody gives more effort than Yadier Molina" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/13).

NOTES: WGN-AM Cubs radio broadcaster Ron Santo missed the team's weekend series against the Cardinals after leaving Friday's game "with what later was diagnosed as a gall bladder infection." Santo is slated to return after the All-Star break (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 7/12)....In St. Petersburg, Tom Jones wrote ESPN's MLB broadcasting crew is "full of mediocre talent." Fox' Tim McCarver is "probably the best in the bunch," and Fox' Eric Karros is "closing fast" (TAMPABAY.com, 7/12).