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‘Forever grateful’: Red Sox broadcaster, Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley to retire from booth

BOSTON — Boston Red Sox broadcaster and Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley will reportedly retire from the NESN booth at the end of the baseball season.

The beloved color analyst’s final broadcast will be on Oct. 5, the final game of the 2022 regular season, NESN announced.

“After 50 years in Major League Baseball, I am excited about this next chapter of my life,” Eckersley said in a statement. “I will continue to be an ambassador for the club and a proud member of Red Sox Nation, while transitioning to life after baseball alongside my wife Jennifer, my children and my grandchildren. I’m forever grateful to NESN, the Red Sox, my family and the fans for supporting me throughout my career and through this decision and I look forward to remaining engaged with the team in a variety of capacities for years to come.”

Eckersley is slated to discuss his retirement with NESN’s Tom Caron on the pregame show before Tuesday’s game.

Eckersley plans to return to his native California after the season to spend more time with his young grandchildren, The Boston Globe reported.

“Having grandkids in the Bay Area and visiting them in the offseason, that pushed me along. I just knew, you need to go and be with the kids,” he told the newspaper.

Eckersley started contributing to the NESN broadcast in 2003. He was recently awarded a New England Emmy Award in 2021 for his role on the Red Sox broadcast team.

He spent two stints pitching in Boston over the course of his 24-year career, as well as nine years in Oakland, among other stops.

Eckersley was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.

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