Here is a press release from NESN about their hiring of former Boston Red Sox hero Dave Roberts as a studio analyst for Red Sox games:

BOSTON, MA – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, announced today that former Red Sox outfielder and post-season hero, Dave Roberts, has joined NESN to serve as a Red Sox studio analyst. Roberts will join Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley and Jim Rice for the network’s popular pre and post game shows.

“We are thrilled to have Dave join our team of outstanding studio analysts,” said Joel Feld, NESN’s executive vice president of programming and executive producer. “Dave is an icon in Red Sox Nation. He has a deep knowledge of the game and understands the passion of Red Sox fans.”

Roberts will make his NESN debut this Monday from the new Yankee Stadium when the Red Sox play the Yankees. During the game, he will also join NESN’s Red Sox broadcast team of Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy in the booth for a couple of innings.

Best known to for his stolen base in the 9th inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees, Roberts recently retired after a 10 years in the major leagues. He played for 5 different teams compiling a .266 career batting average with 243 stolen bases while only being caught 58 times for a very impressive 81% success rate. He enjoyed his best year in 2006 with the San Diego Padres when he hit .293 as the team’s leadoff hitter and collected 49 stolen bases.

Here’s a press release from NESN announcing that they will expand their coverage of Boston Red Sox Spring Training:

50 Days of Coverage Highlighted by Live Coverage of the Red Sox on Field Workouts from Fort Myers

BOSTON – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, will expand its spring training coverage of the Boston Red Sox in 2009 with 50 days of coverage that will include seven days of Red Sox Spring Break LIVE specials, daily reports on NESN SportsDesk, timely updates on NESN.com with exclusive blogs written by NESN broadcasters and coverage of nine of the team’s spring training games. NESN’s preseason game coverage concludes on April 3rd with a live telecast of the first game ever at Citi Field, the new home of the New York Mets.

A 30-minute Red Sox Spring Break LIVE special kicks off NESN’s coverage from Fort Myers on Thursday, February 12 at 7:00 PM- the day pitchers and catcher report, followed by live two-hour morning editions of the program on six of the next ten days that are scheduled to coincide with the team’s on-field workouts. The specials are hosted by Tom Caron and will feature exclusive access and interviews with players and coaches, and lively opinion from NESN analysts and the Boston Globe’s expert columnists.

“Last year we introduced the first ever live coverage of spring training workouts and it proved to be a big success. This one of a kind coverage gives our fans a live look at spring training as it happens and allows us to start building the story of the 2009 season,” said Joel Feld, NESN’s executive vice president of programming and executive producer. “With our expanded coverage on NESN and NESN.com, we plan to give fans deeper access as the Red Sox prepare for what promises to be another exciting season.”

NESN’s spring training game schedule will feature nine games beginning Wednesday, February 25th at 7:00 PM when the Red Sox play the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium and concluding with a game in New York against the Mets at their new stadium Citi Field on April 3, 2009 at 6:00 PM.

About NESN
NESN is owned by the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins and delivered to over 4 million homes throughout the six-state New England region and nationally via DirecTV and Dish Network. The definitive source for New England sports programming, NESN is the top rated regional sports network in the country delivering award winning Red Sox and Bruins coverage, a popular sports news and highlights program NESN SportsDesk, over 100 NESN University college sporting events each year, distinctive Original NESN Entertainment (ONE) productions and NESN.com where New England sports live online.

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NESN’s Red Sox Spring Training Break

No More Captain? According to the Inside Track gals, NESN’s Heidi Watney is dating former Boston Red Sox grounds crew member Paul Williams. He is most famous for being arrested during Game 3 of ALCS in 2003 when he got into a fight in the bullpen with former New York Yankees Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia. [Inside Track]

Last time I looked the Boston Red Sox owned 80% of NESN, the regional cable station that carries all of the team’s games except for the FOX Saturday and ESPN Sunday exclusive games.  So each season, NESN has roughly 155 Red Sox games on their airwaves.

With that fact, you’d think that with 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia in town to announce the signing of a six-year, $40.5 million contract extension that will keep him here through 2014, that the very network the team owns would carry the press conference live from Fenway Park at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.  Well if you thought that like me, you’d have thought wrong.

Now don’t get me wrong, NESN does a great job covering the Sox but this was something special today that they should have brought to Red Sox fans through out the region.  It was a no-brainer and some no-brain at NESN must have made a decision along the way to not bring it live.  What’s the matter was Heidi Watney busy with her boyfriend?

We get a live trade deadline show, we get live preseason shows, we get an hour pregame show and about 45 minutes of postgame show, every game but we didn’t get Pedroia’s press conference on Wednesday and that was a crying shame.

NESN has extended the contract of Boston Red Sox field reporter Heidi Watney.

Here is the press release:

NESN SIGNS HEIDI WATNEY TO CONTRACT EXTENSION

BOSTON, MA – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, announced today that Heidi Watney and NESN have agreed to a multi-year contract extension.

Watney joined NESN in May 2008 and served as the network’s Boston Red Sox game-day reporter delivering pre-game, in-game and post-game updates and interviews from the ballpark. Heidi also works as an anchor/reporter for NESN SportsDesk and contributes to NESN.com with a weekly column.

“Heidi is a talented reporter whose versatility and work ethic help her deliver the news and stories that consistently connect the fans with the team,” said Joel Feld, NESN’s executive vice president of programming and executive producer.

“We are very happy to extend her contract and expect her to take on an even larger role with NESN and NESN.com.

Watney came to NESN from Fresno, California where she has served as a sports anchor and reporter for KMPH Fox-26 News and a sports talk radio show host for 1430 ESPN Radio KFIG. The University of San Diego graduate began her career as a sports reporter/assistant producer for KUSI News in San Diego, California.

I am thoroughly disappointed with this.  She was a poor choice to begin with as she had no real large market experience, she appears to be clueless about the sport she covers and she can not conduct an interview to save her life.  But she’s our’s and apparently for a few more seasons, probably three, as I’d imagine she didn’t come cross country for a one year deal.

So for arguements sake if she had a two year deal to start and got a two year extension we’re going to be Watney watching through the 2011 season at the very least.

Ugh my head hurts.  Is Scott Boras her agent too?

The New England Sports Network (NESN) has reached an agreement with a new Sports Desk anchor to replace the departed Hazel Mae.  Cole Wright, the sports director at WVLA TV in Baton Rouge LA, will take control of the late night highlight show in November. 

Wright is a former minor league pitcher having toiled with the Rockford Riverhawks of the Frontier League.  He also has worked for KETK TV in Tyler TX and KLST TV in San Angelo TX as the assistant sports director and weekend anchor. 

A native of Chicago, Wright graduated with a B.A. in Communications from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa where he also pitched for the baseball team.

that Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona will be chatting live over at the NESN Playground at 12:30 PM today.

With Tina Cervasio and Hazel Mae having moved on to other places, NESN finally did something right with its air talent and announced yesterday that they signed Kathryn Tappen to a multi-year contract extension.  She will continue to host the Bruins pre and post game shows and in between period recaps as well as being involved with Sports Desk and other NESN projects. I have two words:  THANK YOU!