Voice Don Orsillo Sez Farewell to Red Sox Nation

In their final act as a team in 2015, the Boston Red Sox, led by interim manager Torey Lovullo, spilled out of the first-base dugout, turned toward the broadcast booth, and collectively tipped their caps to Don Orsillo, who after 15 seasons as the team’s TV play-by-play man was told he wouldn’t be coming back.

The gesture underscores the popularity enjoyed by Orsillo, a native New Englander who said after he was informed by the New England Sports Network (NESN) that they were not renewing his contract that he had aspired to keep this job for life, a la Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully, if not for quite as long as the octogenarian Scully.

"Orsillo rounding third and heading home," Orsillo said on the air as he pointed at the team.

"Unbelievably, I wave to the Red Sox for a final time. Thank you, boys," he said.

According to ESPN, NESN has been taking a beating both in conventional media outlets as well as on social media.  However, Orsillo did not remain without a job for long. Last week the San Diego Padres announced that they had hired Orsillo to join their radio and TV broadcast team next season, with Orsillo going to TV full-time in 2017, replacing the retiring Dick Enberg. Orsillo signed a six-year deal.

Orsillo is being replaced by Dave O’Brien, who was part of WEEI’s Red Sox radio broadcast team for the last nine years as well as a broadcaster on ESPN. O’Brien will continue to have some national baseball assignments for ESPN as well as college basketball and other assignments in the offseason.