For fifteen years, Don Orsillo has been a constant during Red Sox TV broadcasts. He’s a top-notch play-by-play man, able to both call a great game with ease, and liven up dull blowouts. During his tenure at NESN with his partner Jerry Remy, the Sox won three championships, and he called countless highlight moments. For boneheaded reasons as-yet-unexplained, the Red Sox opted not to renew his contract. When word of this leaked back in August, as the Sox began to close out a miserable season, fans were incensed. We remain so. Nevertheless, what was done was done, and Orsillo has now called his final game as a Red Sox broadcaster.
Yet through it all, Orsillo has remained a consummate professional. In a final speech to Red Sox fans, Orsillo was as classy as ever.
I’ve been asked many times over the last six weeks how I would like to be remembered. To be remembered at all is enough for me.
Don is landing on his feet in San Diego, and good for him. Good as well for the folks who will be enjoying his future broadcasts with the Padres. But while Don was too gracious to do anything but leave the team and management out of his final thanks, it must be stated that he was treated incredibly poorly. Orsillo was a great broadcaster for a decade and a half, and he will be sorely missed. Let this be one more tribute to a man who has been an integral part of the Red Sox baseball experience since 2001.
And if this post is only of passing interest to most folks, that’s alright. Give the “Here Comes The Pizza” tale a read to experience the kind of fun the tandem of Orsillo and Remy shared with viewers.
