NESN has confirmed that Red Sox reporter Jenny Dell "has been reassigned and the station is actively looking for her replacement" for the '14 MLB season. The move for the "uber-popular" reporter comes just weeks after Dell and Red Sox 3B Will Middlebrooks "went public with their romantic relationship." The decision to reassign Dell reportedly "was mutual" and "she will be staying at the station, at least for now" (BOSTONHERALD.com, 1/30). In Boston, Chad Finn writes while a sideline reporter "isn’t necessarily a journalist, the effect that fraternizing with the players has on genuine female journalists who have fought for access and credibility is palpable" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/31).
BOB & WEAVE: In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley reports Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker, who Thursday said he will work fewer road games in the '14 season, "did not put a number on how many" he will miss. Uecker said that he "intends to call all 81 home games, and to make the shorter road trips, against division opponents in Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh." Brewers VP/Communications Tyler Barnes said that the team and WTMJ-AM "have not settled on who will replace Uecker in his absence." Barnes said that the replacement "'most likely' will be an analyst." Meanwhile, the team and FS Wisconsin announced that Univ. of Wisconsin TV broadcaster Matt Lepay "had been hired to take the place of Brian Anderson, whose role at Turner Broadcasting has been expanded." Lepay "will work the estimated 35 telecasts Anderson will miss this season"(MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 1/31).
MAKING AN EXCEPTION: Dodgers radio broadcaster Vin Scully said that he "will broadcast" the team's two games in Sydney, Australia, to open the season March 22 against the D-Backs. In L.A., Steve Dilbeck noted Scully "normally only makes road games to cities in the West." Scully said, "They asked me to go because they’re the first games to be broadcast by Time Warner. So I said, 'Sure, I’ll go.'" Scully added that he would be in Phoenix Feb. 25 when the Dodgers’ RSN "makes its debut and then broadcast the first spring games the next two days." He also said he "would return for one game" against the Giants on March 9 and "return one week later for the final game in Phoenix" on March 16 against the Rockies before the Dodgers leave for Sydney (L.A. TIMES, 1/30).
HATS OFF: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes for "all the bogus credit ESPN regularly gives itself for breaking or 'confirming' stories, this week it had every good reason to boast about a story for which it was largely responsible, but failed to do so." MLB's approval of padded safety hats for pitchers "came after a year’s worth of strong pestering and reporting on the subject" by ESPN’s "Outside The Lines." Mushnick: "Credit producer and investigator Willie Weinbaum, correspondent Steve Delsohn and host Bob Ley" (N.Y. POST, 1/31).
