Dennis Eckersley Opens Up About Life After Red Sox Broadcasting: ‘I Miss Being Alive’

Dennis Eckersley was top-notch, whether on the diamond or in the broadcast booth helping call Boston Red Sox games. However, the 68-year-old Hall of Famer himself hasn’t had the smoothest transition since departing from the game.

After the 2022 season, Eckersley elected to put the microphone down and walk away from NESN’s broadcasting booth, putting an end to a 20-year run, which he now misses, not even a calendar year into retirement.

“I miss it. I miss being alive. It’s like playing,” Eckersley explained to WEEI’s Rob Bradford on Audacy’s “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “There’s nothing you could do that makes you feel like you’re all on cylinders, you’re just alive. Playing, there’s nothing like that. … Broadcasting, I was like, ‘Ooh, careful,’ but I was alive. I miss that. But then again, the other side of it is that I don’t. I guess that’s the way it’s going to be.”

Eckersley remained a fan-favorite after a 24-year playing career, always keeping his commentary blunt and straightforward, regardless of who he felt needed to hear it. During his time spent in the booth, Eckersley created long-lasting memories through his never-ending ability to be quirky on the spot and call it how he saw it.

This again followed a playing career in which Eckersley recorded 197 victories as a starting pitcher and 390 saves as a closer.

But even missing the daily routine of being a key member of NESN’s broadcast crew, Eckersley views his final day in the booth as one he’ll cherish.

“It was sad leaving,” Eckersley said. “That was a great day for me even though it was sad because I look back at it, it wasn’t just broadcasting, it was the end of (50) years.”