April 21, 2022

Orsillo: Red Sox Told Me My Remy Tribute "Would No Longer Be Needed"
Red Sox's Numerous Attempts To Explain = Sideshow Bob Stepping On Rakes

There was no mention of longtime Red Sox television play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo during last night's on-field remembrance of Jerry Remy, who passed away last October, at the age of 66.

Orsillo's absence was a glaring omission that has only been made worse by the Red Sox's inability to explain why the wildly popular announcer, who is now a broadcaster for the Padres, was excluded. Remy spent 34 years in the Red Sox broadcast booth, 15 of them with Orsillo, who was unceremoniously dumped after the 2015 season. It boggles the mind to think the Red Sox could be so petty, so childish, after nearly seven years, of seemingly wanting to punish fans of the team (and Orsillo) for strongly disagreeing with the decision to get rid of Orsillo.

WBZ's Michael Hurley called it "a true disgrace". The Red Sox told the Globe that "ultimately, videos weren't part of the ceremony". Except the ceremony did include multiple montages of Remy, some of which included images of Orsillo. So why not show his short tribute?

OTM's Matt Collins says the move "seems more like incompetence than malice". I don't think so. (Does anyone think they simply forgot to include Orsillo?) But, hey, I'm feeling generous, so . . . why not both?
It's hard to put into words how truly shameful this is . . . The duo had the kind of chemistry that can not be faked, and has largely not been replicated in any other booth I've seen in any sport. They made the great moments greater, and they made what should have been dull blowouts must-watch television. . . .

They're forever linked in the hearts and minds of so many Red Sox fans. . . .

The cynic in me found it hard to believe this was anything but pride. The Red Sox have been reminded time and time again by this fanbase what a big mistake it was to let Orsillo go, and he certainly would have received a large applause had he been present, whether in-person or on video. That would have looked bad for the team. . . .

There is absolutely, 100 percent no reason for the team to have not played the video. . . . [It's] a sign of an organization that, at least in this instance, can't help but trip over themselves. . . .

The Red Sox blew it, plain and simple, and it's something that will take a long, long time to forget and forgive, if it ever even gets to that point.
Collins quotes Red Sox senior vice president Pam Kenn's initial response: "Two sides to all stories."

Really. That's what she said, which is more of an insult than explanation. Kenn later posted a longer, but no less feeble, excuse.
Yes, you read that right. Kenn is implying Orsillo wanted to grab all the attention for himself on a night devoted to Remy. (For christ's sake, Pam, quit digging.) A quick scroll indicates that exactly 100% of of the replies to her tweet (correctly) recognized it as Grade-A, Unadulterated Horseshit.
Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy's mealy-mouthed response:
Strike 1: Purposefully excluding Orsillo.
Strike 2: Lying about not using videos.
Strike 3: Kenn's nonsense (including insulting Orsillo).
Strike 4: Kennedy's blathering.
Strike 5: [It's best if you shut the fuck up now, Red Sox]
by allan at 9:35 AM
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3 comments:

johngoldfine said...

Yeah, if they weren't the only team I could ever be interested in, care about, follow, agonize over--I wouldn't. The things they've done that infuriate go back decades.

April 21, 2022 at 1:32 PM
laura k said...

I was wondering about this. Really. They suck. As an organization, they really and truly suck.

April 25, 2022 at 8:10 AM
laura k said...

There's no escaping this observation: this is truly Yankees-esque.

April 25, 2022 at 8:12 AM

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