Boston Red Sox lose broadcasting Icon

On Oct. 4, the MLB season ended for the many teams who failed to make the playoffs.  The Boston Red Sox failed to make it to the post season for a second consecutive year, but the Fenway faithful lost much more than another season, they lost an icon.
Don Orsillo began broadcasting for the Red Sox in 2001, as the play-by-play announcer for the New England Sports Network (NESN).  Along side Red Sox legend Jerry Remy, Orsillo brought an energy and sense of humor to broadcasting that simply cannot be replicated.  His deep and articulate voice called nearly every great or significant (regular season) moment in the last 15 years of Red Sox baseball and every word he spoke resonated with passion and joy in homes all across New England.
I have been a Red Sox fan my entire life and Don Orsillo has been there for most of that time.  He called the game when Jason Varitek took down Alex Rodriguez.  He called the game when Manny Ramirez took a bathroom break inside the Green Monster and he called the game when David Ortiz hit his 500th home run.
When the Red Sox were winning, Orsillo was there, announcing every pitch and every swing of the bat with a signature blend of professionalism, aodration and nostalgia.
When the going got rough, fans still tuned in every night if only to find comfort in the antics of the legendary duo.  I will never forget watching a slow mid-season game where Orsillo and Remy spent two whole innings laughing hysterically at a fan who had a piece of pizza thrown at him.  It was that joy and that willingness to laugh that made Orsillo such an icon and role model for fans everywhere.
Orsillo is moving on to San Diego, where next season he will begin broadcasting for the Padres.  However, his last game with the Red Sox was both emotional and touching.  A group of fans even went so far as to hire a plane to fly the words “Red Sox Nation Loves Don Orsillo” past the ball park.
In the ninth inning, on the verge of tears, yet as clear and articulate as ever, Don Orsillo adressed the team and the fans that he has served for the past decade and a half:  “To the fans of Red Sox Nation, thank you for your incredible support and your loyalty.  I heard all of you and never forget your words, as they touch me so very deeply.”
When the game concluded, the Red Sox players stepped out of the dugout and waved their hats up to the broadcast booth, as a final farewell to the man who has been a part of the team longer than anyone, and with his signature childish charm, Don Orsillo spoke his final words to the team and fans that adored him.  “Thank you boys.  Orsillo rounding third and heading home.”
-PJP