As expected, the Reds will replace radio announcer Jim Kelch with an in-house move, adding Jim Day from Fox Sports Ohio's Reds TV team to the radio booth.
Day will do play-by-play when Marty Brennaman is off, and do radio games with Brennaman when analyst Jeff Brantley does TV games on FSO. He subbed as host of the Reds Radio Network's weekly "Hot Stove League" program earlier this month.
Kelch was not renewed at the end of the season as the club prepares for a successor to Brennaman, 75, who enters his 45th season next year on a one-year contract. Kelch was a versatile announcer who did play-by-play last year on TV with Brantley or Chris Welsh, and on radio with Marty Brennaman, Brantley or Doug Flynn.
I see this as a transitional move to fill the Reds Radio Network needs until Marty retires, and the club needs to hire a No. 1 play-by-play person.
The Reds announcement Wednesday did not say who will do TV games when Thom Brennaman is away doing NFL football games for Fox Sports or other assignments. Last year Kelch, Day and George Grande did some TV play-by-play in Thom's absence.
Kelch, a Reds broadcaster for eight seasons, told Enquirer baseball writer C. Trent Rosecrans last month: "They simply told me that with Marty nearing the finish line that they were going to go in another direction in setting up the person who was going to follow him, and I was not that person."
The Reds announcement:
JIM DAY'S BROADCASTING ROLE
EXPANDS TO INCLUDE REDS ON RADIO PLAY-BY-PLAY
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds have added veteran broadcaster Jim Day to the Reds on Radio broadcast team.
In addition to continuing as part of the FOX Sports Ohio broadcast lineup, Day will cover Reds on Radio play-by-play duties during Hall of Famer Marty Brennaman' off days, will join Brennaman in the booth when Jeff Brantley moves to the television broadcast and will contribute content for the pre- and post-game radio shows.
"The Reds broadcasters are the faces and voices of our franchise. We work very closely with Fox Sports Ohio in managing our broadcast talent, sharing announcers between radio and television," said Reds President and Chief Operating Officer Phil Castellini. "Adding Jim Day as our fill-in for radio play-by-play brings familiarity and credibility to the booth, while simplifying the mix of talent for our fans."
Brennaman said, "I have always enjoyed working with Jim, and I know our fans on radio will enjoy listening to him as well."
The 2018 season will be Day's 17th as a host of Fox Sports Ohio's Emmy Award-winning pre-game show, "Reds Live," and his 15th season behind the mic of the "Reds Live" post-game show. In each of the last 7 seasons, Day filled in as a TV play-by-play commentator during game broadcasts. He is a 29-year veteran of the sports broadcasting industry.
