Philly Radio: Ricky Bottalico Re-Ups At The Fanatic

Former Philadelphia Phillies closer Ricky Bottalico has signed a multiyear contract extension to continue serving as co-host with Tyrone Johnson of the afternoon drive show on WPEN 7.5 The Fanatic, parent company with Beasley Media Group said Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Business Journal reports Bottalico and Johnson have led the show since August 2022, when they were hired to succeed Mike Missanelli after his contract was not renewed. Co-host Hunter Brody was part of a round of Beasley layoffs last July while update anchor Jen Scordo was impacted by another this past May.

Fanatic Program Director Scott Masteller said in an interview Tuesday that the 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. show, dubbed "The Best Show Ever," has seen some momentum in audience growth. He believes Bottalico and Johnson have a good chemistry and sees “a lot of upside in them working together for the foreseeable future.” He added that the duo have been receptive to making strategic changes. For example, newcomer Sylvana Kelleher has replaced Scordo as producer and update anchor.

Ricky Bottalico

The program still trails rival SportsRadio 94 WIP-FM’s afternoon drive trio of Spike Eskin, Ike Reese and Jack Fritz in the ratings.

“We have several new shows on our station and they do on their station,” Masteller said. “We’ve done the market research in terms of what the audience is looking for, and it reinforced that what we are doing is right. This is a marathon and not a sprint. We’re encouraged by the progress.”

After the Connecticut-born right-hander retired in 2005, he moved over to broadcasting. For the past several years, he has served as an analyst on Phillies pre- and post-game shows on NBC Sports Philadelphia. With most Phillies games starting at around 7 p.m., Bottalico often does his radio show from NBCSP studios inside the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia rather than The Fanatic’s Bala Cynwyd studios.

Masteller acknowledged in March that the station had discussed the possibility of Missanelli returning to the station. He said Tuesday that he had "on and off conversations with Mike for the past several months" but declined further comment.

Since departing from The Fanatic, Missanelli has worked for Rush Street Interactive, parent of Fishtown’s Rivers Casino, as a podcaster and brand ambassador for its BetRivers Network.