A true sports chameleon, Sean McDonough, has thrived in the booming arenas of college football and the intimate booth of Red Sox radio. After a decade as the Red Sox’s TV voice, he seamlessly transitioned to ESPN, only to return to his baseball roots in 2019. Now, he balances his national college football duties with a part-time Red Sox gig.
McDonough made his weekly appearance on The Greg Hill Show Wednesday, and host Greg Hill expressed concerns about the Red Sox’s expected improvement despite their recent history of poor performance (back-to-back last-place finishes) and lack of increased spending under new leadership. Hill then questioned whether this approach aligns with the expectation of improvement.
McDonough shared those same concerns.
“Yes,” McDonough replied when asked if he was concerned about the expectation that the Red Sox would improve.
“I mean, how have they improved?” he continued. “I think (Vaughn) Grissom is a good player; although this will be the year (Chris) Sale gets healthy and wins 25 games, you can probably set your watch by that now, right? I don’t think they’ve improved. And at the very least, based on what I’ve read, if you’re waiting for these young prospects… Don’t say, ‘We are going full throttle this winter,’ – what did that mean? Don’t raise people’s expectations, and then you don’t do anything, which is what they did. It’s hard to imagine they’re gonna be better. What have they done this winter to be better?
“I’m only salty because I just agreed to do more games for this fine radio station and the Red Sox network. And most of them will be in July and August after I get done with the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And it’s not fun when they are 20 games out of first place in July.”
Admitting a touch of personal ambition alongside his dedication to audience engagement, McDonough craves the opportunity to call games that resonate with viewers and his desire for meaning. But with this Red Sox team, that doesn’t seem feasible.
“The prospect of that is low, given the recent results, as you said, Greg, and the nothing burger that they’ve done this winter,” he said.
So, while McDonough may relish returning to the familiar Fenway Park booth, he faces the grim reality of calling another frustratingly stagnant season for the Red Sox.
[Barrett Sports Media, The Greg Hill Show]
