December 29th, 2015 by WCBC Radio
Even with interleague play, there is only one stadium from which Tim Neverett has not broadcast a game in his 11 years as a major league play-by-play announcer — Fenway Park.
Next season, he’ll get his chance. The Boston Red Sox’s flagship radio station WEEI-FM 93.7 announced the hiring Monday of Neverett, a Pirates broadcaster for seven seasons, as the new play-by-play man.
The Pittsburgh Gazette reports that Neverett joins Joe Castiglione, who has worked on the broadcast team since 1983, and replaces Dave O’Brien, who in 2016 will join the New England Sports Network’s Red Sox telecast.
He also returns home: Neverett attended Nashua High School in New Hampshire before lettering in baseball for four seasons at Boston’s Emerson College. He began his broadcasting career calling games for the Pirates Class AA Nashua affiliate at age 19. His parents, brother, sister and extended family still live in the area.
“I used to live in that neighborhood,” Neverett said by phone Monday. “I lived right near Kenmore Square, three blocks from Fenway Park, for a number of years, and went to school there. My first major league game was at that park.”
For the past seven seasons, Neverett joined Greg Brown as play-by-play hosts for Pirates television and radio broadcasts.
Beginning with his first year in 2009, Neverett chronicled the final four years of the 20-season losing streak, including the 57-105 2010 season, as well as the recent improvement culminating in three consecutive playoff appearances.
“I saw Brown the first day after I was hired,” Neverett said. “He told me in private, ‘You’re coming at a really good time. Things are going to get much better around here, and they’re going to happen pretty quickly. So be ready for it.’ And it did.”
Neverett said the decision to leave was tough — “There were literally nights I’d pinch myself, saying, ‘Bob Prince once had this job’” — because of the relationships he had built with the Pirates and the city. He cited the game in September 2013 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field that clinched the Pirates’ first playoff berth since 1992, ending on a Justin Morneau relay to Russell Martin for a play at the plate, as a favorite of Pirates games he called.
The Pirates now have only one play-by-play announcer, Brown, in addition to three color commentators — Steve Blass, Bob Walk and John Wehner.
“We have already begun what will be an extensive search to find a new play-by-play broadcaster who brings a high level of energy and passion for the game of baseball, the Pirates organization and making a difference in the lives of those in our community,” Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a statement.
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