NESN's decision to not have Red Sox play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo return for the '16 season after having been with the team for 15 years is "disheartening for those who appreciate his polished and often humorous approach," but "not a shock to those in the industry," according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Sources said that NESN VP/Programming & Production Joseph Maar last year "implemented the policy of having its broadcasters" -- Orsillo and Jerry Remy, in this case -- "take in-season breaks." A week off during the season "means they must make up the week of work outside of baseball season." Orsillo "was resistant to this approach." Sources said that consideration "was given to removing him from broadcasts immediately." Meanwhile, ESPN said that the on-camera role of Dave O’Brien, who is replacing Orsillo and also works with the Red Sox' radio broadcast team on WEEI-FM, "will be reduced, but he will continue his workload with college basketball." Orsillo "did not mention his impending departure" during the Red Sox pregame telecast last night from U.S. Cellular Field (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/26).
RED IN THE FACE: In Boston, Michael Silverman writes "shabby and awkward barely convey how poorly the Red Sox handled" Orsillo's dismissal yesterday." Silverman: "Welcome to another chapter in a Red Sox season chock full of bad baseball, bad news, bad ideas and bad timing." The Red Sox "have every right to pick and choose who they want in their broadcast booths, and if they preferred O’Brien to Orsillo, that’s their right, no matter how unnecessary and misguided others view it." But sources said that because the ballclub "believes O’Brien will be able to boost sagging ratings better than Orsillo, that’s where viewers ... have every right to cast a skeptical eye on this decision." Red Sox DH David Ortiz said, "Orsillo is really good at it. I can’t really criticize [Team Chair] Tom Werner’s decision because I don’t want to sound like a jackass criticizing something I have no idea about. ... No one is safe unless you are your own boss." Sources said that Orsillo "learned that his contract would not be renewed more than a week ago." He "was supposed to work through the end of the season and not mention it before the end of December, when his contract expires." He "also cannot look for a new job in that time period -- unless NESN does the right thing and allows it" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/26).
FROM DUSK 'TIL DON: ESPN BOSTON's Gordon Edes wrote for a Red Sox fan base that "has absorbed a dizzying amount of change in a really short time ... Orsillo's firing may have been the hardest to comprehend or accept, judging from the angry reaction on social media." The dismissal "came without any warning whatsoever, except perhaps to a handful of industry insiders aware that ... Maar wasn't a card-carrying member of the Orsillo fan club." Even as the team's play "frequently crossed over to the unwatchable this season, Orsillo and Remy remained as dependable as ever." Blaming the broadcasters for NESN's "tanking ratings this season is about as plausible as attributing global warming to a faulty exhaust pipe." Orsillo "has been the connective thread binding this town and its team." Like the best broadcasters, Orsillo "fit like the most comfortable pair of slippers." To have that "seemingly snatched away overnight, and to expect Orsillo to pretend on the air for the season's final six weeks as if his heart hadn't been carved out of him, struck many as unconscionable." In a season of "so many losses, this felt like the worst loss of all" (ESPNBOSTON.com, 8/25). Meanwhile, YAHOO SPORTS' Chris Cwik wrote, "Hopefully, Orsillo won't be out of work for long. The game is better, and a little more humorous, when he's calling balls and strikes from the booth" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/25).
THE THIRD WHEEL: ESPN BOSTON's Edes reported Remy last night "asked to speak with reporters following Tuesday night's broadcast to address the firing of his partner of 15 years." His voice "choked with emotion and his eyes filling with tears, Remy spoke of a relationship he described as far more than professional." Remy: "He's going to land on his feet and he's going to be in great shape. I'm sure they're going to be lining up for his services. ... It's been awfully difficult on him, it really has. It's been difficult on everybody" (ESPNBOSTON.com, 8/25). Meanwhile, O'Brien said, "It’s very exciting for me personally, because in this situation, to be able to continue to do the Red Sox, which has been a dream of mine, I’m just so fortunate that both sides of this equation, it worked out as well as it did" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/26).
