Connector Editor
The Boston Red Sox have done far worse than merely sniff last place in the 2015 season. They have downright set up a “Wally the Green Monster” gift shop at the basement of the American League East.
A lack of effort along with, let’s all face it, a lack of exercise, has led the “homerun” offseason acquisitions of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval to look like a giant bust worth a combined total of $173 million. There was also the signing of supposed “ace” starting pitcher Rick Porcello to a $20 million a year contract; which he has pocketed, and turned into a dismal 5.47 ERA.
Key injuries, most notably to that of star second-basemen Dustin Pedroia, have also played a key role to the teams’ (at the time of writing this article) 69 loses and counting. Unfortunately, with manager John Farrell having to leave for the rest of the season due to a diagnosis of stage I Lymphoma, this season has become one worth forgetting.
However, with Farrell expecting to make a full and successful recovery, perhaps the biggest loss the Red Sox will face this year will come from the press box.
It was just released that the New England Sports Network (NESN) will be terminating longtime play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo’s contract at the end of the season. Orsillo will be finishing the last of his fifteen year tenure as the Sox’s play-by-play announcer on October 4th, much to the dismay of many Red Sox fans.
Known for rarely taking games off during the regular season, Orsillo has left a lasting legacy of professionalism, while still warming hearts with his lighthearted and constantly upbeat personality.
Who could forget the great pizza fiasco of ’09, where Orsillo continued to give the call of the game, while trying to contain his laughter over a fan who got blindsided by a slice of pepperoni? Certainly not Orsillo’s co-host of the Red Sox broadcast, Jerry Remy.
“For the last fifteen years, it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with Don,” Remy said to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe following Tuesday night’s broadcast. “He’s terrific at what he does, he’s been absolutely fabulous to work with.”
Orsillo’s fine work in the booth led to him landing a national job doing play-by-play for the divisional round of the MLB’s playoffs in 2007. Many believed Orsillo was going to leave the Red Sox booth much earlier to pursue a career working for a company such as FOX or ESPN. While news of such an offer to Orsillo was never made public, it is clear that he choose to stay with the Red Sox despite his national attention.
However, it has been no secret that NESN programming and production chief Joseph Maar has been looking to remove Orsillo from the booth for quite some time. The terrible, basically unwatchable at times, play by the Sox’s this year gave Maar the ratings drop he needed to wrongfully blame Orsillo, and finally push him out.
“I know that he’s going to land on his feet and that he’s going to be in great shape,” continued Remy. A sentiment that is most certainly believed to be true by the masses.
Orsillo definitely has the city of Boston, and many more, rallying behind him. Unfortunately, fans only have another month with him before they are forced to welcome a new voice into their living rooms come next April.
