Eck to retire from booth

[longgame]

Just saw that Eck is retiring from broadcasting Sox games for NESN at the end of the season.  Even the announcers want to get away from this team!

[elktonnick]

Just saw that Eck is retiring from broadcasting Sox games for NESN at the end of the season.  Even the announcers want to get away from this team!

And O'Brien. There has been talk that no one wants  to work with him.

[SeaBeachFred]

Just saw that Eck is retiring from broadcasting Sox games for NESN at the end of the season.  Even the announcers want to get away from this team!

And O'Brien. There has been talk that no one wants  to work with him.

O'Brien is sickening to listen to and he always seems to make a statement that blows up in his face the next instant.  So many times I've heard him praise a pitcher for getting ahead of a batter and then seeing the next pitch banged off the Green Monster; not to mention a batter looking good and disciplined at the plate only to swing at a pitch in the dirt and strike out.  There are so many of these instances that I always am ready for the next shoe to drop.  Plus he is boring as hell to listen to, but he fits perfectly with John Henry's mantra of total unity within the Red Sox family.  Remember, Prune Face fired popular Don Orsillo after the 2014 season because the now Padre broadcaster had the temerity to shake his head and mutter some unpleasantries at the team's miserable hitting that season----probably for other things as well.  As for Eck, the guy was a no nonsense winner who when a mistake was made by him, fessed up to it and went on from there.  I wonder if there might have been some tension between Eck and the front office.

[MongoLikeSox]

That broadcast has been iffy for most of the year. The Jahmai factor makes it worse. The chemistry there is naught. TC was refreshing in that role last week, and I've never thought much of him when he's filled in one way or the other. 

I think I've been one of the few who have liked OB in the past, at least to some extent. This year has been different. Too many partners, maybe, and some obvious pre-speak editing from above. The one guy who doesn't edit himself(Maz) is a hot potato. No way they can fire him as he'll wage WW3 from his radio show and tells everyone what he REALLY thinks about them.

As for Eck, he's been different this year. They all have. There are a lot of silence, not going there moments. I certainly have enjoyed listening to him all this time, though. He was different, that's for sure. I like having an ex-player in that role, and really liked that him a Remy were from back in the late 70's. It suited me perfectly.

With Eck retiring, it seems like another layer of the Red Sox we know is being stripped away on top of the players we're already seeing go down. It's sort of bumming me out. Buckley wrote what I think is a fluff piece on Eck today, but I've not gotten the desire to read it yet. Maybe tomorrow. If he's leaving because it's become untenable, shame on the Red Sox again. (ps Bring back Heidi.)

[longgame]

I think Jamai or however you spell it is fine.  In fact he seems to get along pretty well with the players and has grown into the job.   But O'Brien has chemistry with nobody and they've had a real wide variety of people in there.  One thing that seems certain is that when they have guys who have done TV for a living and are good at it (Eck and Millar), it goes pretty well.  Youk just isn't up to the job yet, but Remy wasn't when he started either, so I'm willing to cut him some slack, but you need some excitement to make up for O'Brien.  Mass isn't as bad as I thought he would be but I'd much rather have a former player in that spot. 

But it's just another sub-standard part of the organization as Henry drives the whole team into mediocrity. 

[MongoLikeSox]

You're right about having to grow into it. I remember Rico and then maybe Bob Montgomery taking over on Radio, IIRC. Was rough at first, but not so much that I would not listen.