Red Sox

O’Brien, Geffner added

By Gordon Edes

December 15, 2006

The Red Sox have called 2 p.m. press conference to announce that New Englander Dave O’Brien and Red Sox VP of communications Glenn Geffner will join Joe Castiglione in the Red Sox broadcast booth next season.

O’Brien, a native of Quincy, MA, who split his time growing up between the Boston area and New Hampshire, was part of the original Florida Marlins broadcast team and does play-by-play on Major League Baseball broadcasts on ESPN. He was also the lead voice on US coverage of the 2006 World Cup soccer tournament. O’Brien is well-known to Sox owner John W. Henry. As Marlins broadcaster from 1993-2001, he was there for part of Henry’s tenure as Marlins owner.

From 2003-2005, O’Brien was the television voice of the New York Mets on WPIX-TV. He has also done play-by-play for the Atlanta Braves and called college football and basketball games for the University of Georgia and the University of Miami.

Geffner was the Sox media relations director in 2005, but previously had been in the broadcast booth with the Padres and Triple-A Rochester. He will serve as Castiglione’s partner when O’Brien has ESPN commitments.

Geffner has spent nine of the past 16 years broadcasting more than 650 games of baseball play-by-play at the major league, minor league, and college levels. The resident of Lexington, MA, holds the distinction of having done baseball play by play at each of the following levels: college (Northwestern, his alma mater), short-season A (Lowell Spinners in ’06 on NESN), full-season A (Greensboro Hornets on a fill-in basis in 1992), Double-A (Portland Sea Dogs in ‘06 on NESN), Triple-A (Rochester part-time in ’90, full-time from ’93 through ’96, and Pawtucket in ’06 for NESN and as a fill-in on radio), and the majors (San Diego on a part-time basis in 2000 and 2001, full time in 2002, and on a fill-in basis with the Red Sox in ‘05).

“Joe Castiglione is synonymous with the Red Sox and we’re thrilled to have him back on board to lead this new team,” said Jason Wolfe, Entercom Boston vice president of AM programming. “I’ve followed Dave O’Brien’s career for many years. He is an incredibly gifted announcer whose experience, credibility, and passion for the game made him a natural choice, and we are also excited to work with Glenn who brings terrific energy, experience, and unsurpassed knowledge of the Red Sox organization to our broadcast team. He drew positive reviews from listeners when he pinch hit on two Red Sox broadcasts on WEEI in 2005.”

Mike Dee, chief operating officer for the Red Sox added, “The new team of Joe, Dave, and Glenn will provide Red Sox fans with both an entertaining and insightful broadcast. Baseball on the radio remains a cornerstone of the team’s connection to its fans, and we look forward to this new broadcast team launching a new tradition on our new flagship station WRKO 680 AM in 2007.”

O’Brien and Geffner will replace long-time Sox radio voice Jerry Trupiano.

Material courtesy of the Red Sox was used to update this report after the announcement.