Lou Merloni loves calling Red Sox games. So why isn't he interested in becoming part of NESN's booth this season?
It all comes down to flexibility.
“We just had a good talk. I wasn’t ready. That’s all. I’m not ready to sit there and say, ‘This is my schedule. Boom. Gotta do it. Gotta do the games,’” Merloni said Wednesday. “I have flexibility now. I enjoy it now.”
For years, Merloni has called a select number of games on WEEI’s Red Sox radio broadcasts. He’s also been a longtime Red Sox analyst for NBC Sports Boston.
But at this stage in his life, he’s not ready to take on a heavier travel schedule.
“I love calling games. It’s one of the things I love doing, probably more than anything. But the thing I love doing more is watching my kid play baseball, and being around,” he said. “I can’t be there and say, ‘Sorry. I can’t coach you anymore, I can’t watch you anymore.’ He’s 12 years old. I’m just not there. And until I have to be there, which could happen any day. This is the business we live in. Who knows? I might walk in tomorrow and they might say, ‘Well, you better start thinking about it, because you’re outta here.’ If that’s the case, that’s the case. But right now, I don’t want to do it.”
