Cincinnati Reds: Tommy Thrall to replace Marty Brennaman on radio

We all assumed Tommy Thrall would be the new voice of the Cincinnati Reds on radio. That assumption was confirmed and Thrall will take over next season.

If the last two individuals who’ve held down the job of Cincinnati Reds play-by-play announcer are any indication of what we can expect from Tommy Thrall, Reds Country is in good hands. The Athletic is reporting that Thrall will replace Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman in the radio booth next season.

Before Brennaman began his 46-year career as the voice of the Reds, Al Michaels occupied that chair. Michaels took over for Jim McIntyre in 1971 and was replaced by Brennaman in 1974. Michaels has gone on to have one of the greatest broadcasting careers in all of sports and currently anchors Sunday Night Football with former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Cris Collinsworth.

Brennaman announced before the season began that 2019 would be his last year in the booth, but even before that announcement, Thrall was slated to join the Reds radio broadcast. After spending seven seasons covering the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Thrall made the leap to the majors and shared play-by-play duties with Brennaman throughout the season.

Though it was assumed before the season that Thrall would replace Brennaman, no formal announcement was made stating that Thrall was auditioning for a new gig. According to The Athletic, senior vice president of business operations, Karen Forgus, made it official and Thrall will be joining Jeff Brantley in the booth when the Cincinnati Reds kick off the 2020 season.

On March 26, 2020, a new era of Reds baseball will begin in the Queen City. On Opening Day, the Cincinnati Reds will square off against the St. Louis Cardinals, and for the first time in 46 years, Marty Brennaman will not be behind the microphone.

Hopefully, Thrall will be welcomed with open arms and usher in a new era of baseball. For Reds Country, we can all hope that the front office is able to put a winner on the field. Only time will tell, but one addition for next season is already set, and that’s Tommy Thrall in the radio booth.