In N.Y., Bob Raissman profiles MLB analyst Harold Reynolds, who last week joined Fox Sports, and writes his broadcasting career "from a distance ... comes off as fiction." Nearly eight years ago Reynolds "went from being a rising star on ESPN’s 'Baseball Tonight' studio show to finding himself on the balls of his ass after being fired for reasons ESPN never publicly provided." Last week, the "light of ultimate redemption bowled Reynolds over when Fox named he and Tom Verducci to join Joe Buck as replacements" for Tim McCarver in its broadcast booth. Reynolds said, "I don’t know what else to say to you. God had his hands on me." Included in Reynolds’ "past, present, and future are heavyweight executives who he impressed when he was a player and during his early days in broadcasting." Men like MLB Commissioner Bud Selig; MLB Exec VP/Business Tim Brosnan; SNY Senior VP/Production & Exec Producer Curt Gowdy Jr. and MLB Network President & CEO Tony Petitti "all knew what Reynolds was about and stood by him." Reynolds: “They are powerful men but they are honest men. They really opened some doors. But I had to work. I had to do my part" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/10).
DETROIT ROCK CITY: In Detroit, Tony Paul notes Rob Parker and Mark Wilson -- a "once-popular on-air duo -- are coming back to the airwaves" on locally based WDFN-AM. “Parker and the Man” will debut March 24, airing weeknights from 7:00-10:00pm ET. WDFN "set the standard for local sports talk in the early 1990s and was a power player" until '07, when chief competitor WXYT-AM "flipped to the FM dial" on 97.1. With a "bigger signal, WXYT seized the command of the ratings and hasn’t looked back" (DETROIT NEWS, 3/10).
NOTES: In N.Y., Pat Borzi noted MASN Orioles play-by-play announcer Gary Thorne on Friday was "calling a Class AA semifinal in the Minnesota high school boys hockey tournament" for KSTC-IND. Thorne said, "Hey, if you have the chance to be involved with it, why not?" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/9)....Fox Sports Radio host Seth Everett "will serve as host/reporter" for Mets pre- and postgame shows on WOR-AM (NEWSDAY, 3/8)....Motor Racing Network has added Greg Creamer and Ryan Eversley to its broadcast team (MRN).
