A familiar voice from Boston sports radio will be part of the Red Sox’s NESN broadcast team this upcoming season. Tony Massarotti, half of 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger & Mazz, will be one of the new analysts, along with former Red Sox favorites Kevin Youkilis and Kevin Millar. (He’ll remain on the enormously popular radio show. His summers will just be busier.)
Earlier this month, Massarotti revealed to Felger & Mazz listeners that he auditioned for one of the NESN analyst positions.
“I’d love to tell you that this is like a done deal and it’s – but I don’t know that yet,” Massarotti said on-air. “I think there’s still some things that we have to figure out. But I am, first of all, I’m flattered to even be considered for it.”
Massarotti was excited about the possibility, but was cautious because media — writers, reporters, radio hosts, etc. — aren’t typically considered for TV analyst positions anymore. More often than not, an ex-athlete, someone who played for the team (in the case of regional sports coverage), and more recognizable name gets those jobs.
But Massarotti certainly has bona fides with Boston fans and knowledge of the Red Sox. Prior to becoming part of Boston’s top-rated sports radio program (and BSM’s No. 1 major market afternoon show of 2021), Massarotti covered the team for 14 seasons with the Boston Herald and as a columnist for the Boston Globe.
(Felger and Massarotti were also honored with the first Mike & The Mad Dog Award for the country’s best local sports radio show at the 2022 BSM Summit. Mike Francesa and Chris Russo were on hand to present the award.)
While Massarotti can’t offer the insight of a former Red Sox or major league player, he brings the perspective of a fan and outside observer. That’s not always heard on MLB game telecasts and fans will likely enjoy a broadcaster calling something as they see it at home.
“I think I can offer the perspective of what a fan feels and what a fan thinks when they watch the game,” Massarotti told NESN’s Mike Cole. “I was (a fan), I like to think I can separate the two, but I grew up knowing what the team means to the people here and what sports mean to people in this market.”
Will Massarotti be as candid or critical on NESN telecasts as he can be on 98.5 The Sports Hub or was as a reporter and columnist? The presumption is that the network knows who they hired and expect him to be fair, but tough in his analysis and commentary.
“I just think as a member of the print media, in particular, you can be really harsh sometimes, let alone in talk radio, said Massarotti. “Heaven knows I’ve probably lost control of my emotions on multiple occasions over the years for things that have happened with the Red Sox.”
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
