Report: This is Don Orsillo's last season

shaggydog2000

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Apr 5, 2007
11,482
What would you trade to the Padres to get Orsillo back? Top 100 (team) prospect? Top 20 (team) prospect? Top 5 (team) prospect? Roster player? Starter?

To make every game more entertaining, I think I would give up one of the team's top 20 prospects, but would that get the job done?
 

moondog80

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Sep 20, 2005
8,094
What would you trade to the Padres to get Orsillo back? Top 100 (team) prospect? Top 20 (team) prospect? Top 5 (team) prospect? Roster player? Starter?

To make every game more entertaining, I think I would give up one of the team's top 20 prospects, but would that get the job done?
Nothing. Ultimately I don't care who calls the game.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

has big, douchey shoulders
Lifetime Member
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What would you trade to the Padres to get Orsillo back? Top 100 (team) prospect? Top 20 (team) prospect? Top 5 (team) prospect? Roster player? Starter?

To make every game more entertaining, I think I would give up one of the team's top 20 prospects, but would that get the job done?
I'd give them O'Brien AND throw in Timlin.
 

the1andonly3003

New Member
Jul 15, 2005
4,371
Chicago
What would you trade to the Padres to get Orsillo back? Top 100 (team) prospect? Top 20 (team) prospect? Top 5 (team) prospect? Roster player? Starter?

To make every game more entertaining, I think I would give up one of the team's top 20 prospects, but would that get the job done?
Throw San Diego a slice of pizza
 

Byrdbrain

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Jul 18, 2005
8,588
O'B wanted a TV gig so when his radio contract was up they had to choose between the two of them.
I'm sure there is more to it than that but I think that is the basic gist.
 

Van Everyman

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Apr 30, 2009
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The ongoing nitpicking of O'Brien is so over the top. He's a very solid announcer. He knows his stuff. He works with multiple guys effectively. And he has a flair for the dramatic. He has his ticks for sure but everyone does, especially early on.

Lest we forget: Orsillo was a McDonough clone for a number of years. He became a very dependable PBP guy who had the advantage of being present for three WS title teams over the course of 15 years. People are (perhaps understandably) mistaking sentimentality for those moments and the fact that he appeared to be a good guy for talent. Don't get me wrong: Don is talented but it's not like we're talking about a HoF-worthy guy. It's too bad he got kicked to the curb the way he did but it's great that he landed on his feet so fast.

Meanwhile, DOB came into an awkward situation, has his main partner get sick a number of times and people on the game threads act like we just got stuck with Hawk Harrelson. Right now he is being asked to work with a new, completely inexperienced color guy every few games. That's not his decision, and I almost can't imagine how hard that must be. But the fact that it's still been largely watchable (if not must see) is almost entirely due to DOB.

The odds are strong that DOB is going to be seen as exceptional by the time his tenure is over. Give it time.
 

charlieoscar

Member
Sep 28, 2014
1,339
I've been following baseball for a very, very long time, from days when the switch-over from radio to television was just beginning and the television announcers were former radio announcers. In televison's baseball beginnings there was probably one camera covering the action and there were no video replays, no insets on the screen showing you the count, inning, batters's stats, and so on. All that was up to the announcer.

As time went by and technology advanced, the announcer had less to do and became more of a personality. Now we have ESPN and Fox baseball broadcasts that have three anouncers, all of whom consider themselves celebratories who babble on trying to prove their importance.

I had thought for some time that Remy/Orsillo needed to be broken up as together they spent to much time discussing what shirt they were going to wear, or packing, or.... And when they'd invite a comedian, friend or whoever into the booth, we would get games where we'd see about one-third of the game with the rest of the camera centered on the booth the rest of the time.

Each was quite competent but they got too familiar. I actually thought that Remy would retire, given his health problems, and we might see an Eckersley/Orsillo combination but we ended up with O'Brien, who might be more tolerable if paired with a strong personality but as himself is a person with a tendency to make silly mistakes in twisting the score, the count, or using the same phrases repeatedly. Unfortunately, I do not think Eckersley wants a full-time job and the travel and it appears they are trying out new options (Jonny GoHomes).
 

the1andonly3003

New Member
Jul 15, 2005
4,371
Chicago
The ongoing nitpicking of O'Brien is so over the top. He's a very solid announcer. He knows his stuff. He works with multiple guys effectively. And he has a flair for the dramatic. He has his ticks for sure but everyone does, especially early on.

Lest we forget: Orsillo was a McDonough clone for a number of years. He became a very dependable PBP guy who had the advantage of being present for three WS title teams over the course of 15 years. People are (perhaps understandably) mistaking sentimentality for those moments and the fact that he appeared to be a good guy for talent. Don't get me wrong: Don is talented but it's not like we're talking about a HoF-worthy guy. It's too bad he got kicked to the curb the way he did but it's great that he landed on his feet so fast.

Meanwhile, DOB came into an awkward situation, has his main partner get sick a number of times and people on the game threads act like we just got stuck with Hawk Harrelson. Right now he is being asked to work with a new, completely inexperienced color guy every few games. That's not his decision, and I almost can't imagine how hard that must be. But the fact that it's still been largely watchable (if not must see) is almost entirely due to DOB.

The odds are strong that DOB is going to be seen as exceptional by the time his tenure is over. Give it time.
Many will argue that when Orsillo had a rotating cast when Remy initially got sick, Orsillo was the bright spot - being able to work relatively seamlessly with different partners.

I've been following baseball for a very, very long time, from days when the switch-over from radio to television was just beginning and the television announcers were former radio announcers. In televison's baseball beginnings there was probably one camera covering the action and there were no video replays, no insets on the screen showing you the count, inning, batters's stats, and so on. All that was up to the announcer.

As time went by and technology advanced, the announcer had less to do and became more of a personality. Now we have ESPN and Fox baseball broadcasts that have three anouncers, all of whom consider themselves celebratories who babble on trying to prove their importance.

I had thought for some time that Remy/Orsillo needed to be broken up as together they spent to much time discussing what shirt they were going to wear, or packing, or.... And when they'd invite a comedian, friend or whoever into the booth, we would get games where we'd see about one-third of the game with the rest of the camera centered on the booth the rest of the time.

Each was quite competent but they got too familiar. I actually thought that Remy would retire, given his health problems, and we might see an Eckersley/Orsillo combination but we ended up with O'Brien, who might be more tolerable if paired with a strong personality but as himself is a person with a tendency to make silly mistakes in twisting the score, the count, or using the same phrases repeatedly. Unfortunately, I do not think Eckersley wants a full-time job and the travel and it appears they are trying out new options (Jonny GoHomes).
A lot of this I point the finger at the producers at NESN. It's the director in the truck who chooses to show the booth instead of the action. It's the booth who are in the ears egging them on their giggle fests. I guess I preferred ESPN/WEEI version of DOB than NESN's.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Apr 17, 2003
31,191
Lest we forget: Orsillo was a McDonough clone for a number of years. He became a very dependable PBP guy who had the advantage of being present for three WS title teams over the course of 15 years. People are (perhaps understandably) mistaking sentimentality for those moments and the fact that he appeared to be a good guy for talent. Don't get me wrong: Don is talented but it's not like we're talking about a HoF-worthy guy. It's too bad he got kicked to the curb the way he did but it's great that he landed on his feet so fast.
I would say Orsillo was a McDonogh wannabe his entire stay in Boston, and he never did it especially well. McDonough is a lot better than O'Brien, who is better than Orsillo, who is himself better than many of the guys I hear for other teams when I travel. But McDonough is perhaps the best PBP guy around, still....neither O'Brien or Orsillo is in his class. McDonough largely made Remy with consistent setups, good questions to prompt him, and a sense of when to make jokes and be silly and when to focus on baseball. Orsillo translated this into 'giggle all the time no matter the game situation' and that's a big dropoff.
 

JohntheBaptist

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SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
11,399
Yoknapatawpha County
The ongoing nitpicking of O'Brien is so over the top. He's a very solid announcer. He knows his stuff. He works with multiple guys effectively. And he has a flair for the dramatic. He has his ticks for sure but everyone does, especially early on.

Lest we forget: Orsillo was a McDonough clone for a number of years. He became a very dependable PBP guy who had the advantage of being present for three WS title teams over the course of 15 years. People are (perhaps understandably) mistaking sentimentality for those moments and the fact that he appeared to be a good guy for talent. Don't get me wrong: Don is talented but it's not like we're talking about a HoF-worthy guy. It's too bad he got kicked to the curb the way he did but it's great that he landed on his feet so fast.

Meanwhile, DOB came into an awkward situation, has his main partner get sick a number of times and people on the game threads act like we just got stuck with Hawk Harrelson. Right now he is being asked to work with a new, completely inexperienced color guy every few games. That's not his decision, and I almost can't imagine how hard that must be. But the fact that it's still been largely watchable (if not must see) is almost entirely due to DOB.

The odds are strong that DOB is going to be seen as exceptional by the time his tenure is over. Give it time.
It's the difference between having a personality and being the most vanilla human being walking the planet. Orsillo was great.

It isn't nitpicking, O'Brien is a tremendous bore. I'll take him over others, but he's corny and boring and never stops talking.
 

staz

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Dec 2, 2004
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The cradle of the game.
I would say Orsillo was a McDonogh wannabe his entire stay in Boston, and he never did it especially well. McDonough is a lot better than O'Brien, who is better than Orsillo, who is himself better than many of the guys I hear for other teams when I travel. But McDonough is perhaps the best PBP guy around, still....neither O'Brien or Orsillo is in his class. McDonough largely made Remy with consistent setups, good questions to prompt him, and a sense of when to make jokes and be silly and when to focus on baseball. Orsillo translated this into 'giggle all the time no matter the game situation' and that's a big dropoff.
This is absolute gospel. The biggest issue I had with Orsillo wasn't the silliness, it was the manufactured feel he brought to the booth: the bigger the play, the more sound-bite-friendly his exclaim. I'm sure he's a fine guy, but he came across as plastic.

ITS ANOTHER MAGICAL NIGHT AT FENWAY
 

joe dokes

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Jul 18, 2005
30,240
O'Brien is fine in the big moments. But most of the game isn't big moments.
He doesn't seem to have shaken off the "must keep talking" aspect of radio. I expected more because he was really good with Joe C.
 

Vandalman

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Apr 23, 2010
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Sad News:


Don Orsillo‏Verified account @DonOrsillo 35m35 minutes ago


Diagnosed Aug of 2015, last night my dad lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Thanks to Smilow Cancer Hospital for doing all they could.
 

Chipper1

New Member
Aug 13, 2017
13
I would say Orsillo was a McDonogh wannabe his entire stay in Boston, and he never did it especially well. McDonough is a lot better than O'Brien, who is better than Orsillo, who is himself better than many of the guys I hear for other teams when I travel. But McDonough is perhaps the best PBP guy around, still....neither O'Brien or Orsillo is in his class. McDonough largely made Remy with consistent setups, good questions to prompt him, and a sense of when to make jokes and be silly and when to focus on baseball. Orsillo translated this into 'giggle all the time no matter the game situation' and that's a big dropoff.
 

Chipper1

New Member
Aug 13, 2017
13
Orsillo was the worst Red Sox announcer in the 50+ years that I have followed the Sox. I have enjoyed the games much more this season until NESN started bringing in the likes of Gomes and others. Too bad Remy is off until next season. Also too bad that Eck doesn't want to work more games.
 

Curt S Loew

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Orsillo was the worst Red Sox announcer in the 50+ years that I have followed the Sox. I have enjoyed the games much more this season until NESN started bringing in the likes of Gomes and others. Too bad Remy is off until next season. Also too bad that Eck doesn't want to work more games.
Thanks, Dave.
 

GRPhilipp

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Jan 30, 2007
87
Old friend Don Orsillo was the victim of some on-camera, broadcaster-on-broadcaster violence during the bottom of the 6th of tonight's (4/4/2018) Rockies-Padres game. He was a good sport. Pretty funny stuff. I recommend it.
 

joyofsox

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I got extremely tired on Don's schtick before he headed west, but I'd welcome him back to his old job in 1.4 seconds if he wanted it.
 

joe dokes

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Jul 18, 2005
30,240
I didn't see it til last night, but O'Brien's call of the GWH was a bit subdued. Maybe its a function of closed windows in the booth, but because I'm not a nice person, I think it's because O'B the Scold loves crapping on Hanley.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
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Dec 22, 2002
21,588
I don't find him funny at all and don't miss him on Red Sox telecasts at all.
You aren't alone. This board was full of people wanting to replace Don and Jerry a few years back. Absence makes the heart grow fonder I guess. Don Orsillo was boring and vanilla.
 

Bunt4aTriple

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Jul 15, 2005
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I didn't see it til last night, but O'Brien's call of the GWH was a bit subdued. Maybe its a function of closed windows in the booth, but because I'm not a nice person, I think it's because O'B the Scold loves crapping on Hanley.
Tim Neverett had to be the worse call, despite him being fairly animated. He just said that it was over, no indication as to where it was hit. It took several minutes for someone to say it was on the warning track.
 

joe dokes

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Tim Neverett had to be the worse call, despite him being fairly animated. He just said that it was over, no indication as to where it was hit. It took several minutes for someone to say it was on the warning track.
That, too. (Thats the one I heard live.)
 

The Napkin

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Jul 13, 2002
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right here
The whistled S thing DOB does just drives me absolutely bonkers. I hate whoever it was that pointed it out to me because I can't hear anything else when I hear him speak now.