As the Boston Red Sox continue preparations for the 2026 season in Fort Myers, a familiar voice inside the WEEI studios will soon become a new one on the radio broadcast.
During Wednesday morning’s edition of The Greg Hill Show on WEEI, Brand Manager Ken Laird announced he will make his Boston Red Sox radio play-by-play debut on March 8 when the club faces the Pittsburgh Pirates in Grapefruit League action. The spring training matchup will air on the Red Sox Radio Network, giving Laird an opportunity to move from behind-the-scenes leadership into one of the most visible roles in Boston sports media.
“When the spring training schedule comes out of announcers, it’s always kind of piecing it together,” explained Laird on WEEI Wednesday. “I’m down there for our suite holders weekend with our clients. So I suggested I just do that game. This is the team of my youth, the Pirates and the Red Sox. So it was suggested to Red Sox brass, and they said, you know, it’s a good idea.”
For listeners in New England, Laird’s name is hardly unfamiliar. He has been a fixture at WEEI for years, contributing on-air while also helping guide the station’s programming strategy during a competitive and evolving era for sports radio.
However, calling a Red Sox game represents a different level of responsibility, particularly in a market where baseball coverage carries generational weight and daily scrutiny.
“I got a call a couple days ago from Colin Burch of the Red Sox. He said if you really want to do that game, we can make that happen. So I thought, well, that’s kind of cool,” explained Laird.
The March 8 broadcast serves as a springboard moment. While spring training games often provide room for experimentation and guest appearances in the booth, they also function as auditions of sorts, especially within a flagship property as significant as Red Sox baseball.
Laird clarified he didn’t choose himself for the role, and attempted to not take opportunity from others. The role provided was based on timing, location, and availability. Laird’s lone play-by-play experience lies two decades ago with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League.
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