Broadcasters

Dave O'Brien enters his 33rd year of Major League Baseball broadcasting and his eighth in NESN's play-by-play role after nine years with Red Sox radio network. O'Brien also works for ESPN as play-by-play announcer for its college basketball coverage. Between 2002 and 2017 he served as a play-by-play commentator for ESPN, working Major League Baseball telecasts and college basketball. He has called the LCS and World Series for Major League Baseball's International broadcasts, as well as select MLB playoff series on ESPN Radio. He worked as both a radio and television announcer for the Florida Marlins between 1993 and 2001 and was the television voice of the New York Mets on WPIX-TV between 2003 and 2005. He also did radio play-by-play on Atlanta Braves games in 1990 and 1991 as well as college football and basketball action for the University of Georgia and University of Miami. A Boston native, O'Brien received the Georgia Associated Press "Best Sports Play-by-Play" honor in 1988 and 1991 and the Achievements in Radio (A.I.R.) award for Best Play-by-Play for his call of Mark McGwire's 59th home run in 1998. O'Brien and his family reside in Rye, New Hampshire.

Tom Caron (Twitter: @TomCaron) joined NESN in 1995 and has been a member of the NESN team for 28 years. For the past 22 seasons he has been a member of NESN's Red Sox broadcasts, serving as the network's first baseball sideline reporter before moving into the role of host of the pregame and postgame shows in the championship season of 2004. Caron served as studio host for Boston Bruins hockey between 1997 and 2004 and has been the play-by-play announcer for two of New England college hockey's biggest tournaments: the Beanpot (for 15 years) and the Hockey East championship (25 seasons). Prior to NESN, Caron was the play-by-play voice of the Portland Pirates of the AHL and was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2014. An eight-time New England Emmy Award winner, Caron has been awarded New England's Favorite Local TV Sports Personality seven times by Channel Media Sports Research's New England Sports Survey and was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. Caron is involved in many local and regional charities, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Mass Mentoring Partnership and the MetroWest YMCA.

Jahmai Webster (Twitter: @WebsterOnTV) returns to the broadcast team for his sixth season as a Red Sox sideline reporter. He joined NESN in October of 2016 and served as an anchor/reporter on NESN's sports news programs. He has also served as host of NESN's award-winning and commercial-free Red Sox pregame show for kids, "NESN Clubhouse," which airs on Sundays 90 minutes before game time. Before joining NESN, Webster worked at Denver's ABC affiliate KMGH Denver7 and KITV 4 News in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Cal-State Northridge graduate got his start in sports broadcasting at two ABC affiliates in central Texas, KRHD-TV 40 in College Station and KXXV-TV 25 in Waco.

Lou Merloni (Twitter: @LouMerloni) is in his first season with NESN as color analyst in the NESN broadcast booth. A native of Framingham, MA, Merloni has been working in the media for 15 years, including one year at NESN as a commentator on the Red Sox pregame and post-game shows and 14 years as an analyst for NBC Sports Boston. Merloni also spent nine years with WEEI in the Red Sox radio booth and 15 years as host of WEEI's midday and afternoon drive talk shows. He was drafted by the Red Sox in the 36th round of the 1992 MLB Draft. He played his rookie year in 1998 and hit a home run in his first at bat at Fenway Park. Merloni played nine years in the MLB with the Red Sox (6), Padres, Indians (2), and Angels. He also played one year in Japan for the Yokohama Baystars. Merloni spent two years playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League and is a member of the Cape Cod League Hall of Fame. Merloni attended Framingham South High School and graduated from Providence College. While in college, he was named Rookie of the Year in the Big East and MVP of the Year his senior year at Providence. He also earned the honor of being inducted into the Providence College Hall of Fame.

Will Middlebrooks (Twitter: @Middlebrooks) is in his first season in the NESN broadcast booth and second season as NESN pregame and postgame analyst. Middlebrooks also serves as a baseball analyst for CBS Sports HQ and is a co-host of the "WAKE and RAKE Podcast." Selected by the Red Sox in the 2007 MLB Draft, Middlebrooks spent eight seasons in the organization, including the first three of his six years in the majors. The Texas native burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2011, batting .288 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI in 75 games. He was a key contributor to the 2013 World Series championship team, serving as the team's primary third baseman. When the Red Sox returned to play after the Boston Marathon in 2013, Middlebrooks tweeted, "I can't wait to put on my jersey today... I get to play for the strongest city out there. #BostonStrong," with the hashtag becoming a rallying cry for the season.

Kevin Millar (Twitter: @KMillar15) is in his second season as analyst in NESN's broadcast booth. Millar has co-hosted "Intentional Talk" on MLB Network since the show's inception in 2011. The 2004 World Series champion spent three of his 12 major league seasons with the Red Sox, batting .282 with 52 home runs and 220 RBI in 432 games for Boston from 2003-05. The former first baseman and outfielder used "Cowboy Up!" as a rallying cry for the 2003 Red Sox team that advanced to the American League Championship Series and had a vocal role in helping the 2004 team overcome an 0-3 series deficit to the New York Yankees in the ALCS, eventually winning their first World Series in 86 years.

Tim Wakefield (Twitter: @TimWakefield49) joined NESN's pregame and postgame team in 2012. His 19-year MLB career included 17 years as a member of the Red Sox (between 1995 and 2011). He ended his career with 200 wins, 186 of them with Boston, which ranks third behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens on the Red Sox all-time career win list. He was the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 1995, an All-Star in 2009 and a two-time World Series champion. He was also honored as a champion off the field as one of the most-charitable players in the league, winning the Roberto Clemente Award in 2010 after being nominated eight times during his career. He currently serves as a special assignment instructor as well as honorary chairman of the Red Sox Foundation and was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2016.

Kevin Youkilis (Twitter: @GreekGodofHops) is in his second season as analyst in NESN's broadcast booth after one season in 2021 as a weekly contributor to NESN's pregame and postgame shows. Inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2018, Youkilis spent nine of his 10 MLB seasons in Boston and became a two-time World Series champion (2004, '07) and three-time All-Star (2008, '09, '11). The Red Sox franchise leader in fielding percentage at first base (.997), he holds the AL record at first base for consecutive games without an error in a season (135 in 2007) and career (238 from July 2006-June 2008), and was rewarded for his defensive prowess with the 2007 Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Following his playing career, Youkilis spent time as a scout and development consultant for the Chicago Cubs (2015).

Lenny DiNardo (Twitter: @DinardoLenny) returns for his seventh season on NESN after joining the network in 2017 as a pregame and postgame analyst. DiNardo was a pitcher for the Red Sox and a member of the 2004 World Series championship team. He also pitched for the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals before retiring from baseball in 2013.

Darnell McDonald (Twitter: @MacDime54) is in his first season as a NESN pregame and postgame analyst. McDonald had a 16-year career in professional baseball (1998-2013), including three years with the Boston Red Sox (2010-2012). In 2010, McDonald was named the recipient of the Jackie Jensen Spirit Award (for extraordinary spirit and determination) as voted on by the Boston chapter of The Baseball Writers Association of America. He was drafted in the first round, 26th overall, by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1997 MLB First-Year Player Draft and chose to sign with the team instead of attending the University of Texas at Austin on a baseball/football scholarship. The Colorado native also spent time playing for the Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs throughout his career. After retiring in 2014, McDonald spent several years coaching for the Chicago Cubs and was on the staff when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016. McDonald was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

Jonathan Papelbon will serve as an analyst for select pregame and postgame coverage in Boston throughout the season, after serving as a weekly contributor in 2021 remotely. The 12-year MLB veteran spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Red Sox, earning four of his six All-Star selections with Boston. A member of the 2007 World Series championship team, Papelbon recorded a save in all four games of the Sox's Fall Classic series sweep against the Colorado Rockies. His 219 saves in a Red Sox uniform are a franchise record, with his 368 career saves ranking 9th all-time. The Florida native also pitched for the Phillies (2012 to 2015) and Nationals (2015 to 2016) following his time in Boston.

Jim Rice is in his 21st year as a pregame and postgame analyst on NESN. In 2009, he became the 32nd member of the Red Sox to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Rice played 16 seasons in the major leagues, all with Boston. The eight-time All-Star finished his career with a .298 batting AVG, 382 home runs and 1,451 RBI. Rice was voted the AL MVP in 1978 and helped lead the Red Sox to two AL pennants (1975 and 1986). He ranks third behind only Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski on the Red Sox all-time leaders list in hits and total bases, and fourth in home runs and RBI. Since retiring after the 1989 season, Rice has remained active in the Red Sox organization, serving as a minor league hitting instructor between 1992 and 1994 before joining the parent club as hitting coach between 1995 and 2000. He currently serves as a special organizational instructor for the team.

Mike Monaco (Twitter: @MikeMonaco_) joined NESN for the 2020 season for select play-by-play games. The Cohasset, MA, native spent three seasons between 2017 and 2019 with the Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A) and also broadcasts NHL for ESPN, plus college sports for ESPN and the ACC Network. Before joining ESPN, Monaco broadcast college sports for FOX Sports and the Big Ten Network and has also called college basketball for NBC Sports. Monaco has called select games for NBC Sports Chicago's coverage of the White Sox, Blackhawks and Bulls. Monaco served as a broadcaster in the Cape Cod Baseball League (2013 and 2014) and for the Chicago Cubs' (2015) and San Diego Padres' (2016) Single-A affiliates in the Midwest League. The University of Notre Dame graduate has also served as a play-by-play broadcaster, reporter and host for his alma mater, including nationally syndicated Notre Dame football shows.

Adam Pellerin (Twitter: @AdamPellerin) serves as a host for NESN's pregame and postgame shows. Adam fills a number of different roles at the network including hosting "NESN Clubhouse" and the "Ultimate Red Sox Show." The Massachusetts native joined NESN in 2012 after serving as general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor at FOX 25 for five years. His television reporting career began in Portland, Maine, at CBS affiliate WGME. Adam is a graduate of Suffolk University, where he was the starting catcher on the baseball team.

Joe Castiglione is in his 41st season on Red Sox radio (1983-2023), the longest tenure of any Red Sox radio broadcaster and of any Boston broadcaster. Prior to coming to Boston, Castiglione called television games for Cleveland in 1979 and 1982 and for Milwaukee in 1981. The Hamden, CT native has also announced television games for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and did college basketball on NESN for 6 years. During the offseason, Joe taught classes in broadcast journalism at Northeastern University for 29 years (1985-2013), at Franklin Pierce University for 15 years (1996-2010), and at Emerson College in 1996. Since 1990, he has also served as a Jimmy Fund staff member in fundraising. A graduate of both Colgate (undergraduate) and Syracuse Universities (graduate), Joe is the author of Broadcast Rites and Sites: I Saw It on the Radio with the Boston Red Sox, which was published in 2004, and Can You Believe It? 30 Years Inside Red Sox Baseball, published in 2012. Castiglione was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2014. He and his wife, Jan, have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. They reside in Marshfield, MA.

Sean McDonough, a Hingham, MA native, is a nationally renowned and Emmy Award-winning broadcaster who is a leading play-by-play commentator for ESPN/ABC calling NHL, college football and basketball games in addition to the PGA Championship and the annual Par 3 Contest at The Masters. McDonough has covered the World Series, NCAA Final Four, the Olympic Games, Monday Night Football and all four major golf championships, among other marquee events during his accomplished career. Sean served as the television play-by-play announcer for the Red Sox from 1988-2004 and is now in his fifth season back calling Sox games with WEEI.

Will Flemming graduated from Stanford in 2002 and has been in the sports broadcasting industry ever since. He's had a vast experience of play calling throughout the years with CBS Sports and ESPN, expanding his reach through multiple sports (baseball, basketball, hockey). From 2013 - 2015, he served as the play-by-play broadcaster for the NCAA Championships. Will has been a part of the WEEI Red Sox Radio Network since March 2019. Prior to WEEI, he worked as the play-by-play announcer for the Pawtucket Red Sox for almost 4 years. Will also has a brother in the sports broadcasting industry, Dave Flemming, who works for ESPN and is the broadcaster for the San Francisco Giants.

Lou Merloni, the pride of Framingham, MA, enjoyed a 10-year MLB career that included a six-year stint with the Red Sox. Merloni was one of the top utility players in the Sox organization, having the ability to play multiple positions well. Nicknamed "Sweet Lou" by Red Sox fans, he graduated from Providence College in 1993 and still holds several single-season records for the Friars baseball team. Merloni joined WEEI in March 2008, first appearing on Glenn Ordway's "Big Show" before moving into full-time roles hosting in both midday and afternoon drive. Merloni has also worked in television as a Red Sox analyst for both NESN and NBC Sports Boston.

Nilson "Junior" Pepen (Twitter: @JuniorPepen) is a lifelong resident of Boston and a native of the Dominican Republic. He started covering sporting events upon his arrival to the city, being the host of sport segments for local Latino television. In 2000, he became a member of the radio show "Conversando De Deportes," Boston's only Spanish sports talk radio show, which aired on 99.9 FM and 1300 AM. Since then he has been the producer and host of the show for 20 years. Through those years, he has covered Pan American Games, Baseball Caribbean Series, the World Baseball Classic, MLB World Series, and also NBA games. From 2006-10, he was part of the Red Sox Spanish-language broadcast team. Since 2019, he has returned with the Red Sox and is in his 5th season as the day to day Spanish broadcaster. Most recently, Nilson served as the Sports Presenter of the Univision Network, where he participated in the news with his segment, "The Baseball Report," and conducts the weekly "Unideportes Program".