Changes are coming to the Padres broadcast teams. Hall of Fame announcer Dick Enberg will retire at the end of the 2016 season. The team has already found his replacement, and it is a good one.
Former Red Sox play-by-play man Don Orsillo will be joining the group on a limited basis next year before taking over full-time in 2017. Orsillo is a fan-favorite and one of the most popular broadcasters in Boston history. After 15 years in the booth for the Red Sox, the team surprisingly decided not to bring him back.
That upset the Beantown fan base and that is not the group of people you want to get mad at you. Sox fans got more than 60,000 signatures on a petition to keep Orsillo around after NESN made the news public.
Orsillo’s personality should go well with Padres color analyst Mark Grant, who will return for his 21st season on San Diego broadcasts.
“We are excited to add Don to our broadcast lineup,” said Padres President and CEO Mike Dee. “Over his 15 years broadcasting Major League Baseball, Don has established himself as one of the premier play-by-play men in the game. We look forward to both his fun-loving personality and outstanding play-calling ability resonating with Padres fans during what we expect will be a very long career in San Diego.”
There will also be a change in the radio booth. While Ted Leitner returns for his 37th season calling Padres games, his partner Bob Scanlan will not return in 2016. Scanlan, one of the most well-liked members of the Padres broadcast team, will be replaced by Jesse Agler, who moves over from hosting Padres Social Hour on FOX Sports San Diego.
Agler has filled in on TV and radio broadcasts in a play-by-play capacity. The Padres don't see the radio side having a true "color analyst," instead envisioning Leitner and Agler together co-playing the role of play-by-play and color commentator.
Eduardo Ortega, celebrating his 30th season as the Spanish-language voice of the Padres in 2016, will return to the booth for an expanded schedule of Spanish-language telecasts on FOX Deportes San Diego. He will be joined once again by former Padres catcher Carlos Hernández in the role of color analyst.
