Report: Don Orsillo to join San Diego Padres’ broadcast team
As expected, it didn’t take long for Don Orsillo to find a new gig calling baseball games after being unceremoniously jettisoned from the Boston Red Sox’s broadcast booth.
ESPN.com’s Gordon Edes reports that Orsillo will join the San Diego Padres’ broadcast team and eventually succeed Dick Enberg as the club’s lead play-by-play voice. The job will include calling select national games for the Fox Sports network as well.
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It’s been just over a month since news leaked that 2015 would be Orsillo’s final season working Red Sox games for NESN, a position he’s held since 2001. Citing the need to “re-energize” the broadcast, the Red Sox tabbed Dave O’Brien as his replacement. O’Brien is currently the team’s radio play-by-play man and also does work for ESPN.
The fans in Boston have made it known they’re not happy to see Orsillo go. They were heard loud and clear on Sunday at the Red Sox’s final home game this season.
The Fenway crowd chanted Orsillo’s name. A video tribute played on the stadium’s videoboard – a video tribute that by the way, NESN refused to air. Orsillo was clearly moved by the adulation coming his way,
“It was unbelievable,” Orsillo said later. “I tried to talk. Nothing was coming out. I think I missed a batter.”
It was a fitting goodbye for a man who was the soundtrack for three World Series titles, including the curse-breaker in 2004. It was a goodbye that came much too early. On top of being a great game-caller, Orsillo has a way of naturally injecting humor into his broadcasts. There have been a number of laugh out loud moments over the years.
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A native New Englander, being the play-by-play voice of the Red Sox was his dream job. We’re sure the 46-year-old Orsillo envisioned remaining in that role for a long time before riding off into the sunset.
But as we’re sure he knows since he makes his living calling balls and strikes, sometimes life can throw you a curveball.
So he’s off to San Diego, where it likely won’t take long to ingratiate himself with the Padres’ fans.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
