Page 260 - 1975 BoSox

’75—THE RED SOX TEAM THAT SAVED BASEBALL 253
nal game of the season as the Twins’ Rich Rollins hit a popup:
“ e pitch is looped toward shortstop. Petrocelli’s back ... he’s got it! e Red Sox win! And there’s pandemonium on the eld! Listen!”38
Johnny Pesky replaced Mel Parnell and joined Martin and Coleman in the booth from 1969 through 1971. In 1971 Martin was nearly red by WHDH for saying “bullshit”on an open microphone.39 In 1972 WBZ-TV replaced WHDH as the agship station for Red Sox television and shook up the broadcast teams. Martin nally became the Red Sox number-one radio an- nouncer on WHDH, while Coleman became the number one TV announcer on WBZ. Martin was paired with John Maclean, who resigned because of illness and was replaced by Dave Martin (no relation).40
e 1974 season brought together what is considered one of the best broadcast teams of the era, as Martin was paired with Jim Woods. Woods had spent the previous 21 seasons as the number-two broadcaster supporting legends Mel Allen, Red Barber, Russ Hodges, Bob Prince, Jack Buck, and Monte Moore.41 Clark Booth called Martin-Woods the “best play-by- play combination in the history of American sport.”42 Baseball Magazine named them the baseball broadcast- ing team of the 1970s.43 Years later Martin fondly remembered Woods. “Jim was one of my closest friends and one of the best guys I ever worked with. He told me his ve years in Boston were second only to his 12 in Pittsburgh. He really enjoyed his work and he was a throwback to the old days. I really enjoyed his company.”44
As Red Sox fans listened to the 1975 Red Sox’ pennant- winning season, they were again treated to many memorable Martin calls, including a catch by Fred Lynn on July 27:
“Swings, drive to left-center eld. May be a gapper! Lynn is running, Lynn is going! He’s got it in a great catch! A great catch by Freddie Lynn! Oh, mercy, what a catch by Lynn! He outran that ball in the alley
in left-center and Red Sox fans are going ape out here. ... is is World Series time!”45
On September 18, 1975, WMEX (which later became WITS) became the radio agship station instead of WHDH, which had broadcast the Red Sox games continuously since 1945.46 WMEX considered dumping Martin and Woods. A public outcry prevented the change. But WMEX jazzed up the broadcast with pregame and postgame shows, and ads were now read during innings. “It prostituted the product, hurt our rhythm, thus the game” Martin said.47 For a man known for articulation, this watered-down writing was an insult and Martin once asked, after reading an ad, “Who the heck wrote the copy for this?”48
NBC’s 1975 World Series coverage included a rotation of announcers for both radio and TV coverage, with Martin and Dick Stockton of the Red Sox and a Cincinnati Reds announcer, Marty Brennaman, joining NBC’s Joe Garagiola, Curt Gowdy, and Tony Kubek. When Carlton Fisk hit the historic home run at Fenway Park in Game Six, it was Martin at the radio microphone:
“ ere have been numerous heroics tonight, both sides. One-0 delivery to Fisk. He swings. Long drive, left eld! If it stays fair it’s gone! Home run! e Red Sox win! And the Series is tied, three games apiece!”49
Martin also did play-by-play with Ernie Harwell for the American League Championship Series from 1976 to 1978 for CBS Radio.
e Bucky Dent home run that ended the Red Sox’ season in the one-game playo against the Yankees in 1978 was summed up well by Martin: “Dent, a borrowed bat, and a little y ball into the net, and the silence was deafening. Maybe Fenway’s greatest silence ever—unless you were honoring someone who had passed away.”50
e stunning playo loss was also the nal game for the Martin-Woods team and also Martin’s last Red Sox radio broadcast. ey were both red by WITS, as general manager Joe Scallan said they needed better marketing exposure “for dealing with clients in the