Reds hire Thom Brennaman

Per Marc, the Reds have hired Thom Brennaman, son of Reds' Hall of Fame announcer Marty Brennaman, to an interesting TV/Radio assignment beginning in the 2007 season. He was signed to a four-year contract. Due to Thom's commitments with the national Fox Sports telecasts, he won't be available for all games with the Reds -- it sounds like he'll be working ~50 radio broadcasts with his dad, and about 45 games in the Reds' television booth.

That he won't be working more than about 95 games is the one thing I'm not crazy about with this deal. I've said this before, but it bears repeating, as a lot of people in the blogosphere seem pretty down on Thom: I've watched him regularly in my 5+ years living here in Arizona as he does his Diamondbacks broadcasts. I feel very confident that Thom is going to be a tremendous addition to the Reds' broadcasting teams. He is articulate, engaging, very energetic, and has excellent knowledge of the history of the game. The thing I like the most about him is that he has the ability to make any player sound like an absolute stud, just by how he says his name. He isn't afraid to comment on poor play, but he's generally a guy who will promote a team's players and highlight their best qualities. I think he'll bring a lot of positivity to the booth. And remember, this is a guy who grew up around the Big Red Machine--he is a genuine Reds' fan.

Furthermore, there is definitely something to be said to bringing a nationally recognized TV announcer -- and a good one at that -- to a small market team like the Reds. Like a lot of things that have been done since Castellini's group took over, this move brings genuine credibility to this franchise.

And, of course, it should be a lot of fun to listen to Marty and Thom talk it up next year on the radio. I'm definitely going to tune in more often than I have this season, just to hear those guys. So bravo to the Reds in their first move of the offseason -- it was a good one.