Entercom Boston announced today that WEEI mid-day host Dale Arnold will be part of the Red Sox radio announcing rotation this season, filling in the majority of games that Dave O’Brien will miss this season due to his ESPN duties. Entercom studio host Jon Rish will fill in during the remaining games.
O’Brien will be greatly increasing his Red Sox duties, calling a minimum of 135 games this season alongside Joe Castiglione, who enters his 26th season of calling Red Sox radio broadcasts. As mentioned, Arnold will fill in for most of the games that O’Brien misses, and likely for any that Castiglione might miss as well, with Rish picking up the rest.
“Dave is an outstanding announcer, and I’m very excited to hear him take on a much larger role on our radio broadcasts this season,” said Jason Wolfe, Entercom Boston Vice President of AM Programming. “When we hired Dave a year ago, I knew that he would make an immediate impact in this marketplace and he’s done that and more. I’m looking forward to working with him for many years to come. He drew rave reviews from Red Sox fans during his first year, and with the additions of Dale and Jon, I’m excited to get the baseball season going.”
Wolfe continued, “I’ve worked with Dale Arnold for nearly 20 years. His professional play by play resume is lengthy, having spent 11 years with the Bruins and 4 with the Patriots. He is a truly professional announcer and will do an excellent job, and Jon Rish is one of our young stars. His addition as host of the pre and post game shows has made a significant difference in the quality of our overall broadcast. I’m very happy to give him this opportunity.”
Arnold said on his WEEI show today that he’ll be going with the team to Japan for the season opener over there, as well as for the first two games of the season in Oakland.
Popularity: 96% [?]
As if the Superbowl outcome wasn’t bad enough, now I have to hear that the Red Sox are going to pollute the airwaves with the most annoying sports announcer in the history of broadcasting. Dale Arnold’s high-pitched, elfin voice, coupled with his smug, presumptuous, expert-who’s-never-played-the-game arrogance made my once treasured pastime of watching the Boston Bruins sheer drudgery for eleven years. Please, Red Sox… stop putting this nattering, chattering Bob Costas wanna-be (and who’d wanna be him?) on the air, and send him back to Maine to call high school basketball games into a cassette recorder, like Rupert Pupkin. I’m sure Dale Arnold is a nice man. But I can’t stand the sound of his voice.
Why do these guys get recycled instead of giving talent with more potential than Dale a chance. I was glad to see NESN make the change on Bruins telecasts. I am not a fan of Dale as a play-by-play guy, as far back as his stint with the Pats. Bad move.
Amen, Ron! Thank you! And thank God for the “mute” button.
I don’t know what you idiots are talking about! You obviously just have a personal issue with him as a talk show host, because as an announcer he’s very, very good!! I’ve been listening to him since he did Pats games and he did a great job with those horrible seasons. He does his homework and always seems to have a feel for the tempo and emotion of the game and also knows when to shut-up when the moment calls for it. Now for the “never-played-the-game” factor…give me a break! How many “play-by-play” announcers “played the game”?? Usually the ex-jocks are the commentators with just a few exceptions. Get a life!
It’s not personal, I like Dale on his talk show, but as a play by play guy, I can not stand him. Idiots??? It is just my opinion.
I could not agree with the first comment more. I can not stand Dale Arnold. I listen to his show in the afternoon during the commercials for Colin Cowherd. Sometimes it gets to the point where I can’t even take listening to his whining anymore so I change the channel outright to something else, until Cowherd comes back. I actually like Michael Holley. Its to bad Jason Wolfe doesn’t see that more people actually dislike Dale than like him. I would love a poll to be put on the WEEI website and see how people would actually vote. This crap about them being #1 is only due to the success of the Boston sports teams and the passion of its fans. Nothing else. Dale Arnold is a no talent loser who must have some pretty revealling pictures of Jason Wolfe if he keeps on getting gigs from WEEI.
I think the Red Sox & WEEI made a very poor choice by choosing Dale Arnold to announce a handful of upcoming games this season. The Red Sox are the most popular team in Boston, and they should have chosen a superior (voice) and personality to represent the “World Class Organization” they have become. Dale Arnold should go back to Hockey (even the NJ Devils) and leave Baseball to the “Professionals.” He is arrogant, pompous, and thinks that this is “his world and we are just living in it.” Red Sox Baseball on the radio this season with Dale Arnold will no longer be as colorful, entertaining, and enjoyable by the pool, at the beach, and especially in the car. As a Sports enthusiast myself I am saddened by the choice and hope the Red Sox & WEEI will consider this a one year decision.
Thanks for the opportunity to voice my opinion via this forum, hopefully other TRUE fans agree and exhibit their enthusiasm for the Red Sox in the same manner.
Enthusiastically,
CoolBreeze1620
So the verdict is out after the first game of the season- and what do you know… Dale Arnold did an excellant job. All the haters should pay more attention to the action and less to who is calling it. It really seemed like an effortless transition for him and I never once thought to myself, “Man, this guy can’t call a game.” Personally I was to busy hootin for my home team who was rallying for the victory in extra innings!
George..
Sorry but you missed the boat on Dale…wow that first game was a poor example of professional excitment, description and the effort to make me feel like I was there…weak at best and thank goodness it was the wee hours of the morning and today too, so far…what verdict are you talking about….and Dale just babbles on…this is not sports talk radio…leave some to the imagination….thank goodness he has Michael Holly to carry him during the 10-2 slot….cuz if it wasn’t hockey he is lost…although he likes to cackle when talking to the Patriots and likes to call things the “best on the planet”…he is awesome huh…this will really stink when people are up and about during normal baseball hours and want to listen to a game…I guess, thank goodness for satellite radio and we have the option now to switch to the opposing broadcast team…
I think any discussion of Dale Arnold’s qualities as a baseball announcer are irrelevant as long as Joe Castiglione is still there. I am disgusted that the Red Sox have chosen to retain such a weak announcer for so many years, a person whose ability to call a game is just as bad now as it was when he was first hired. Maybe someday he’ll learn how to gage whether a fly ball is an easy out or a home run. I often have to depend on the crowd noise in the background to determine what is really going on.
Sine the horrid Castig has been now around so long, a whole generaltion of fans do not realize how bad he is because he’s all they’ve ever heard. Most seemingly do not remember Ned Martin or Coleman in their primes. This is sad. What makes it even sadder are the comments about Arnold. Arnold may not be a Martin or a Coleman but he is far more able than Castiglione. He doesn’t get highly excited about pop-ups or blaze about ohme runs he thinks are pop ups. When I first heard him calling games I had the faint hope that Castiglione had retired or finally been fired, but then he piped in.
i do wish the Sox would come up with new talent, not to replace Arnold, but to replace Castiglione.
I have a torch and pitchfork and I am looking for JJ. Uncle Joe is the best.
Well another boring Sox game this week on the radio huh…there was Dale again…imagine the Tigers, “the worst team on the planet”….boy nothing like Opening Day with Dave and Joe…pretty descriptive job by the two professionals….and did you hear Dale get all upset at a caller on WEEI on Thursday…boy that professional Dale, does he forget it is a sports call in show and “ordinary folks” can call in with an opinion, even if its about Dale…Dale still doesn’t realize in his position, he has to take criticism from the fans and the listeners…oh, I forgot, we are all stupid out here in listener land and we are lucky he is on the air and barking ffrom 10-2……maybe where it is playoff time in hockey, Dale will remind us how he worked for the New Jersey Devils one more time….
…cmon carl, tell us how you really feel about the whining, sniveling Dale Arnold..couldn’t believe when the Sox announced that Arnold was joining the broadcast team..for years now, I’ve tried to listen to EEI after the John and Jerry show..unfortunately, Dale is just oo painful to listen to..michael Holly can’t carry this ham-and-egger so the switch is often made to eagen and Braude talking politics..Bob Nuemeir was so much more entertaining and informative, but looks like we’re stuck with Dale for the time being
My wife listens to the Red Sox at work each night. Last night she came home and announced “F” Dale Arnold! Where did they get him? Nuf said!
Well earlier this week, Wednesday, the Sox were at Detroit and John Risch (not sure of his spelling on the last name), was on with Joe and what a nice broadcast to listen to. Hope Dale resorts back to the Revolution or something else, maybe the Baby “B’s”….Red Sox baseball is to interesting and fun for Dale to be tagging along. Good job by John and good back up to Dave O’Brien…Dale do us all a favor and step aside please..next thing you know Dale will be complaining about KG swearing and not bring it up in studio when the guy is on hand….
I think that joe and dave are a great broadcasting pair and i hope they are together on the radio for years to come, but what the red sox radio network has a problem with is the volume balance between Joe c. and whoever is with him. Joe and Jerry sounded like they had their microphones on the same volume, but Dave Obrien sounds like he has his mic turned up extra loud every day and it almost startles me when im listening to the games and he starts talking. I know Joe has a softer voice than Dave’s booming radio voice, so maybe dave should have his mic turned down a bit so they sound more equal. dale arnold has that same problem, since his voice is similar to glenn geffner’s voice, so maybe this will help the sound of the games on the radio.
I used to love Sox on the radio with Joe and Jerry but now I barely ever listen to games any more. The lackluster announcing and inconsistency of a broadcast team just doesnt make the radio worthwhile any more. To think- I used to be one to turn down tv volume to listen to game on radio too!
John Sterling in New York. Now there is a great announcer. I hate the Yankees but would rather listen to John and Suzan Waldman (and she is tough to take..listen to her go nuts )than listen to that wheeny Dale Arnold. Sad part is I am an avid Sox fan. Dale Sucks!