Boston Radio: WEEI's Kirk Minihane Suddenly Takes 'Personal Time'

Kirk Minihane

Button-pushing WEEI 93.7 FM co-host Kirk Minihane has disappeared from the airwaves after insulting the owners of his station’s multimillion-dollar partner, the Red Sox, on his morning-drive show Monday.

But yesterday, Minihane’s bosses insisted that the sports yakker hasn’t been sanctioned and is instead taking some “personal time.”

Minihane, who declined to comment to the Boston Herald, has a previously scheduled vacation next week that will keep him off the air until Aug. 7.

On Monday’s show, Minihane went ballistic on the Red Sox organization, blasting everyone from owner John Henry to his wife, Linda Pizzuti Henry, to co-owner Tom Werner.

Minihane’s scathing tirade came after a story appeared on DigBoston.com about the team’s — and WEEI’s — history of racial controversy. The piece mentioned Adam Jones, a Baltimore Orioles outfielder who said he was the target of racial slurs during a game at Fenway Park in May.

What appeared to set Minihane off was the statement from Red Sox corporate spokeswoman Zineb Curran, which read, “None of the opinions or sentiments expressed on WEEI or any of the 57 radio affiliates throughout New England are those of the Boston Red Sox. We understand the frustration of those who feel the opinions expressed are offensive and out of line. At times, we feel the same way.”

That did not sit well with Minihane.

“There is an institutional arrogance from the Red Sox. It starts at the top and it bleeds all the way down to the bottom,” Minihane said on the Red Sox’ flagship airwaves. “All we did was say we don’t believe that Red Sox fans are inherently racist. The Red Sox disagree. Red Sox fans, your organization thinks you’re racist or, by and large, think many of you are racist.”