Former Red Sox P Roger Clemens will serve as the team's radio analyst on WEEI-FM for the June 16 game against his hometown Astros and will "accompany play-by-play broadcaster Tim Neverett in the booth,” according to Rachel Bowers of the BOSTON GLOBE. Regular analyst Joe Castiglione is "off for the series, leading to Clemens filling in for him” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/6). YAHOO SPORTS’ Chris Cwik wrote it “should be interesting to see how Clemens is received as a broadcaster” after a public break-up with the team in '96 and his association to PEDs. Alex Rodriguez, who also was linked with PEDs during his career, “has been fantastic" as an analyst for Fox. He “comes across as human and likable, which wasn’t always the case during his playing career.” Clemens could be “looking for a similar boost with this audition” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/5). However, USA TODAY’s Adi Joseph wrote Red Sox fans are "not the biggest Clemens fans” (USATODAY.com, 6/5). WEEI's Christian Arcand said he did not believe there “would ever be a snowball’s chance in hell that you would see Roger Clemens welcomed back with open arms, here or anywhere else that has something to do with the Red Sox." Arcand: "Has enough time really passed that we forgive Roger Clemens, that we’re cool with Roger Clemens now? ... I wasn’t aware that we were at that point yet." Clemens "knows the game" and he likely will be "okay" in the booth. But Arcand asked, "Are Red Sox fans dying to hear Roger Clemens do a game?” (“Late Night," WEEI-FM, 6/5).
RETURN OF THE DON: In Boston, Peter Abraham noted former NESN broadcaster Don Orsillo on June 17 will “call the Red Sox-Astros game at Houston for Fox with Eric Karros and Tom Verducci.” Orsillo “now calls Padres games” on FS San Diego following his departure from NESN after the ‘15 season (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 6/5).
