The beard was the same, but there was something different. Mike Napoli had the look of a television analyst.
The former Red Sox slugger returned to Fenway Park Friday to make his debut as a pregame and postgame analyst for NESN.
"I told my agent to get me a chance to be on some kind of broadcast or pregame or postgame to see if I can handle this gig and see what is next for me in my life," Napoli said on the Bradfo Sho podcast. "I'm going into something I have not even thought about doing."
Napoli retired this past offseason after attempting to come back from a torn ACL. He last played in the major leagues in 2017 for the Rangers, hitting 29 home runs.
The 37-year-old explained on the Bradfo Sho that he has been filling a good chunk of his time of late tending to the stable of 20 racing horses he purchased.
"I bought a bunch of horses," he said. "When I was growing up my grandfather took me to the track all the time. ... I've actually won a lot."
One of Napoli's horses, Mertz, actually won his race at Gulfstream Park just as his TV debut was kicking off at appoximately 6 p.m.
.@MikeNapoli25 reliving 2013 World Series memories and sharing insights on the 2019 Red Sox w/ Jim Rice and @TomCaron all weekend on the pre- and post-game show pic.twitter.com/bEfGivZAUN— NESNPR (@nesnpr) June 21, 2019
