This whole ordeal has been an absolute disaster for NESN, the Red Sox and unfortunately for Don Orsillo. She appreciates how that friendship has permeated the broadcasts over these past seasons despite the adversity Remy has encountered with his health and son.
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Last week, Enberg announced his plans to retire following the 2016 season. Following the tribute, the fans and players gave Orsillo a standing ovation, which just shows you how much he will be missed in Boston.
Ever since the removal of Don Orsillo from the NESN booth has been deemed official, speculation over the long-term future of his partner on Boston Red Sox TV broadcasts have been rampant.
Padres CEO Mike Dee is very familiar with Orsillo’s work, as he worked as an executive for the Red Sox from 2002 to 2009, and the team was clearly looking for a replacement for its 80-year-old announcer.
The Padres met with Orsillo while the Sox were playing in Baltimore earlier this month, and made an aggressive offer that could not be matched by other interested parties such as the Dodgers and even ESPN.
“Over his 15 years broadcasting Major League Baseball, Don has established himself as one of the premier play-by-play men in the game”, Dee said.
WEEI, which broke the news of the Don Orsillo departure, was the first to report on Darling possibly replacing Remy.
Orsillo will replace him full-time on the television broadcasts in 2017. The Ford C. Frick Award victor will return to the FSSD booth for one final season as the Padres’ “primary play-by-play voice”, though the club has not released the number of games he will call.
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Orsillo, who grew up in Madison, N.H., will participate in both television and radio broadcasts during the 2016 season in effort to slowly work him in while Padres play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg wraps up his career. He will be joined once again by former Padres catcher Carlos Hernández in the role of color analyst.
