San Diego Padres release broadcaster Andy Masur
By Joel Burdeos
Photo Credit: .wbez.org
San Diego,CA- After seven seasons as the San Diego Padres play-by-play radio and television broadcaster Andy Masur will not be returning to the booth for the 2014 season. As the team has chosen not to renew Masur’s contract for the upcoming season according to Masur’s twitter.
The news regarding me leaving is true. Deal not renewed. Team going a different direction. I'll miss u all. Thanks for the kind words.
— Andy_Masur1 (@Andy_Masur1) January 29, 2014
I'm blown away by your outpouring of kind words. It means so much to me. I will have a blog post up soon to better thank all of you.
— Andy_Masur1 (@Andy_Masur1) January 29, 2014
Masur has worked for the Padres since 2007 and worked along side the late Jerry Coleman whom he was partnered with, Ted Leitner and Bob Scanlan. Masur joined the Padres in 2007 after spending the previous eight seasons with WGN Radio in Chicago. Masur was a play-by-play voice and a pre- and post-game host for the Chicago Cubs radio broadcasts.
Masur also has been the play-by-play voice for the University of San Diego Torero’s men’s basketball team for the last four seasons.
According to the Padres new senior vice president and chief marketing officer Wayne Partello, Masur will be replaced by Jesse Agler. Agler worked under Mike Dee and Wayne Partello during their time with the Miami Dolphins as the pregame, halftime and postgame host on the Dolphins Radio Network since 2010. Agler according to Partello will serve as the Padres director of content and a play-by-play voice.
In an interview with U-T San Diego’s John Maffei, Andy Masur said that he has no immediate plans, but will continue to call USD men’s basketball on ESPN 1700 through the end of the season.
"“The Padres have been good to me, but the only bad thing is the timing,” said Masur. “I’d like to stay in baseball, but it’s late January.“The person taking my place will do a different job, a hybrid position that includes social media and Internet.“My job is play-by-play.“I loved my time with the Padres, enjoyed the people and the fans. When I moved here from Chicago, I was concerned with how I’d fit in San Diego, but it worked out great.“All I can do now is trust in my talents, and hope for the best.”"
Overall, the move to replace Masur as a Padres fan makes no sense to me. Masur was an excellent play-by-play voice, who was extremely knowledgeable about the game, an absolute pro and always had a way of making the fans feel apart of the game. As evidenced by the mass negative Padres fan reaction on twitter today over the news.