ESPN fires Harold Reynolds

[Wheelhouse]

Reason not known...per Lance's blog
http://www.lance1530homer.com/blog.asp

[HBP]

I guess that's what happens when you predict Bobby Crosby as MVP

[WVRed]

http://www.nypost.com/sports/espn_fires_reynolds_sports_andrew_marchand.htm


July 25, 2006 -- ESPN yesterday fired analyst Harold Reynolds from Baseball Tonight, sources told The Post. The reason was not immediately known.

"We are not going to comment," ESPN VP Josh Krulewitz said.

When asked how they are going to explain that Reynolds will never be on the air again, Krulewitz still declined comment.

Reynolds did not return calls.

Reynolds, 45, had been with ESPN 11 years. He had been a fixture on the show, which is a gathering spot for baseball fans, players and team executives.

The program already is dealing with the loss of information man Peter Gammons. Gammons is recovering from a brain aneurysm that occurred at the end of last month. The show's main analysts had been Reynolds, Gammons and John Kruk.

In Gammons' absence, ex-Met GM Steve Phillips has played a bigger role on the show. The program uses several analysts, including Orel Hershiser, Tino Martinez and Jeff Brantley.

Last night, host Karl Ravech was joined by Kruk and Phillips. Reynolds usually is on Monday nights.

Reynolds was known for a smooth style that usually was player friendly. He never found himself in too much controversy for what he said on the air. In fact, ESPN was so high on him he was expected to stay with the network through its just signed eight-year deal with MLB.

Now, after yesterday, Reynolds is no longer welcome in Bristol.

[WVRed]

I guess that's what happens when you predict Bobby Crosby as MVP

Nah, Griffey is healthy and providing no drama for ESPN to pounce on. They didn't need his best buddy anymore.:)

[ED44]

I enjoyed listening to Reynolds...moreso than the others on that show. I wonder what he did to warrant the firing...if anything?

[pahster]

Reynolds was far from perfect, but I actually enjoyed listening to him for the most part, despite disagreeing with a good deal of what he said.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

One more reason for me not to watch Baseball Tonight anymore. Too bad

[Carin4Narron]

Reynolds was a schill! A players groupie! Good for ESPN for getting rid of him!

[Joseph]

He was the only one that didn't cause me to cringe when he spoke.

[savafan]

He was the only one that didn't cause me to cringe when he spoke.

I feel the same way. Reynolds was the best "analyst" on BBTN, which is faint praise, I admit.

[smith288]

Reynolds was a schill! A players groupie! Good for ESPN for getting rid of him!
Uh...ok. I much prefer a bunch of pencil neck nerds who never played sports in their life covering sports than a guy who's been there and can relate to the sport being covered.... </sarcasm>

[dabvu2498]

I'll miss Reynolds' analysis of the College World Series as much as anything.

[Carin4Narron]

Uh...ok. I much prefer a bunch of pencil neck nerds who never played sports in their life covering sports than a guy who's been there and can relate to the sport being covered.... </sarcasm> He wasn't objective, he took the players side everytime. He didn't provide anything to the program like Steve Phillips,Jeff Brantely,and Tim K. do

[Joseph]

Brantley and Phillips are terrible as analysts, as is Kruk. I don't mind Timmy K, he's ok too.

[goreds2]

Uh...ok. I much prefer a bunch of pencil neck nerds who never played sports in their life covering sports than a guy who's been there and can relate to the sport being covered.... </sarcasm>

:clap: (I agree with your sarcasm)

[Rob Dicken]

Uh...ok. I much prefer a bunch of pencil neck nerds who never played sports in their life covering sports than a guy who's been there and can relate to the sport being covered.... </sarcasm>

Yes, I agree also.

[Hey Meat]

They probably fired him because he wasn't enough of a Yankee lover. They will fire Kruk too if he keeps sticking up for A-Rod. I am tired of the stuff they are stirring up over his rough skid lately--which they are making worse. Leave the guy alone.

[BrooklynRedz]

I'll miss Reynolds' analysis of the College World Series as much as anything.

Ditto.

[lollipopcurve]

Not an ESPNY fan at all, but I liked Reynolds.

Definitely agree that he was very good at the College World Series.

[TRF]

Little league world series too. His analysis lends itself well to kids viewing without talking down to them. And it works well with adults too.

[dabvu2498]

Little league world series too. His analysis lends itself well to kids viewing without talking down to them. And it works well with adults too.
And his enthusiasm shows that he is as much a fan as anyone watching.

He may be a little "player-friendly" as some have suggested, but that's OK, because most times, he's the only one who is.

[M2]

I assume this is over something other than what we see on the screen. I agree with those saying Reynolds generally is the best analyst ESPN puts on its baseball coverage. IMO he's always done a nice job of dissecting the action on the field (e.g. the mechanics of a swing or a DP turn).

[HalMorrisRules]

Did he kick puppies and kittens in his spare time or something???

[ThatPitchIsDunn]

From inside the Worldwide Leader up in Bristol, we were as shocked as anyone. I always thought his analysis was fine, but what shined through about HR was off the camera. Nicest guy in the world, always upbeat, joking around. He'd buy the crew dinner sometimes, even had a few parties as BBTN ended for the year at his place. We'll surely miss him.

Rumors around here (and they're exactly that at this point) was that it was a money issue. I find that hard to believe, but that's what's swirling around in the air.

[markymark69]

Now I do not have a reason to watch Baseball Tonight.

[Tom Servo]

As others have said, Reynolds was just a good on-air personality on ESPN and BBTN, much more tolerable than other "analysts" *coughStevePhillipsJeffBrantleycough*.

Someone on Deadspin had the best line about it though:
In the anchors clubhouse the other day he wrote, "this is a sinking ship" but backed down when Karl Ravech challanged him to a fight.

[Chip R]

Rumors around here (and they're exactly that at this point) was that it was a money issue. I find that hard to believe, but that's what's swirling around in the air.

Don't you find it odd they would fire him in the middle of the season, right at the trade deadline because he wanted a raise? Wouldn't they just tell him they aren't renewing his contract when it's up at the end of the year?

[KoryMac5]

His agent might have taken a hardline with ESPN in negotiating a new contract or more money so they decided to cut bait and fire Reynolds. They have quite a log jam of player friendly talking heads so letting go of Reynolds would not be perceived as a big loss by them.

[dabvu2498]

Tony Bruno (former ESPN employee) was just discussing Reynolds on his SNRN show. He says there are two things that are fishy: 1) No press release from ESPN... it just "leaked" out. 2) The "no comment" from ESPN.

He was also talking about how difficult it is to get fired from ESPN and based on what he could gather, it wasn't a contractual issue or a legal issue.

He also had a great line -- "Who are they going to send to the Little League World Series? Stephen A. Smith???"

[Chip R]

He also had a great line -- "Who are they going to send to the Little League World Series? Stephen A. Smith???"

:laugh:

[cincy09]

Once again ESPiN screws up!

[savafan]

He was also talking about how difficult it is to get fired from ESPN and based on what he could gather, it wasn't a contractual issue or a legal issue.



No kidding, Keith Olberman had to basically force their hand.

[TeamBoone]

Well, IMHO, that was a mistake... he's actually the only one whose opinion I respected.



Rumors around here (and they're exactly that at this point) was that it was a money issue. I find that hard to believe, but that's what's swirling around in the air.

Doesn't that type of issue usually end in a resignation rather than a firing?

[Cigar2]

Geez, This sounds like what happen to Rob Dibble when was let go of.
Woking on a new contract and poof he was gone. Still miss the French Dibbler on the Dan Patrick show (but having Keith Olberman for the one hour a day has been great for baseball stuff this year).
But I am going to miss HR has the former baseball guy's on BBTN he was the most thoughtful
of the bunch in a baseball sense.

[bigdaddy]

He and Kruck will going at it over the "Will A-Rod come back" stuff. It sounded very heated. I wonder if that had something to do with this.

[steig]

Kilborn was fired from ESPN for joking about how bad it was to live in Bristol.

I liked Reynolds on BBTN, i never expect the guys on BBTN to know everything about each team but he made an effort and seemed to be the guy who gave the reds the most credit out of the entire bunch. It does seem odd to get rid of him at the trade deadline. I just wish BBTN would get back to highlights and trade rumors only.

[RichRed]

An ESPN official released a statement today regarding the Reynolds firing:

"We did an extensive analysis and the bottom line is that Harold just didn't rank high enough in yells per second (YiPS). He just refused to interrupt his colleagues and raise his voice, even though we told him time and time again that the louder argument is always the right one. There's simply no room in the organization for someone who refuses to be a team player.

But we wish Harold all the best."

;)

[bigdaddy]

Maybe harold can get a job on TBDSSP. They took Rodney Peete.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

They should just drop the charade and call it "Yankees/Red Sox Tonight."

[crazybob60]

IMO he's always done a nice job of dissecting the action on the field (e.g. the mechanics of a swing or a DP turn).

I too also enjoyed Harold doing these as well. At least I always thought at least they have someone out there demonstrating how to do these instead of like a John Kruk or whoever who probably never did a DP turn (unless of course catching it at 1B) in his entire career.

[Jr's Boy]

I guess that's what happens when you predict Bobby Crosby as MVP

Kruk oughta be gone too for his prediction about Carlos Zambrano winning the Cy Young.

[Jr's Boy]

Yes i'll miss Harold and his ''hands talk'' style of commenting.

[ThatPitchIsDunn]

Yes i'll miss Harold and his ''hands talk'' style of commenting.

Jeff "T-rex arms" Brantley should give you more than enough hands talking. Steve Phillips too.

[VI_RedsFan]

Wow. I'm definately not watching baseball tonight anymore. HR was the only guy I liked on that show. ESPN better have good reasons for firing him.

[markymark69]

They should just drop the charade and call it "Yankees/Red Sox Tonight."


That's outstanding:thumbup:

[KoryMac5]

One internet rumor regarding why Reynolds was let go from Deadspin nothing confirmed yet on this.

We can't say for sure why Harold Reynolds was fired from ESPN yesterday, because ESPN hasn't put out a statement or anything (and they don't have to), but we can tell you what the chatter in Bristol is: Everyone is hearing sexual harassment. Every single email we've received from the inside about this today has used those very two words.

Again, nothing concrete on this. But that is definitely what they're whispering in Bristol. Some highlights:

• Thirdhand info, but I'm told it's sexual harassment. There were allegations of inappropriate actions between him and female PAs on a couple different occasions, so I'm not entirely shocked.

• It's apparently sexual harassment, but no one knows who the victim was. It went down over the course of the weekend.

• I have on good authority that HR was fired for all things, hitting on girls. Allegedly, this has been going on for a while. The last straw was when a new PA was having none of what Harold had to offer and turned him in.

• Harold Reynolds was fired more or less for copious amounts of sexual harassment. Apparently, he brazenly hits on female employees constantly, despite the fact that his wife just had a kid six months ago. He was warned by the big-wigs on numerous occasions to cool it with the ladies, but someone finally lodged a complaint, and he was canned immediately.

• It's very difficult to get fired from ESPN. It takes multiple offenses ... they're usually so worried about getting sued for unlawful termination that people are suspended multiple times for the same repeated behavior before it finally comes to getting fired. Within the walls of the campus, there are only a few on-air talent guys that had an honest reputation as being overly friendly with the ladies, and HR was one of them.

So anyway, that's what they're saying on the Bristol campus. But since ESPN doesn't have to say anything -- in-house or otherwise -- and neither does Reynolds, we might never know for sure. (No announcement, we're told, has been made to the staff.) That's what they're saying, though; we didn't receive a single email suggesting anything but that.

But that's not what we're saying, because we don't know. To be clear.

Say Goodnight, Harold [Deadspin]

[BUTLER REDSFAN]

It's very difficult to get fired from ESPN. It takes multiple offenses ... they're usually so worried about getting sued for unlawful termination that people are suspended multiple times for the same repeated behavior before it finally comes to getting fired.------------------tell that to Limbaugh

[TeamBoone]

If that's true, all I can say is... Wow! He certainly doesn't come across as that kind of guy and that reason would never have occurred to me.

I hope it isn't true. He seems to smart to keep it up once he was warned.

[BuckWoody]

They should just drop the charade and call it "Yankees/Red Sox Tonight."
I've posted this before but I've always found it pretty funny so I'll post it again.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f307/buckwoody/BBtonight.jpg
Sad to see HR go. Maybe he'll end up on the FSN Baseball Report.

[howyoufreelin]

I hope the sexual harrassment thing isn't true, he really doesn't seem like that kind of guy. he definately was my favorite BBTN analyst. But, that is what I have been hearing.

[RicFlair]

Now on Deadspin...

Anyone who is saying sexual harassment either has been given bad third-hand info or is lying. Harold has had a couple of rather heated arguments with the producers at "Baseball Tonight," and some of the suits at ESPN over the program's coverage of Alex Rodriguez. At the last production meeting, when it was made clear they were going to really play up the A-Rod angle during coverage of the Yankees-Texas series, Harold had a colossal meltdown, which led to his dismissal. The sexual harassment allegations are even more laughable when you consider that he is being replaced by Steve Phillips -- a man who has never met a skirt he wouldn't chase and who was caught in one of the more embarrassing front office sexual harassment scandals in MLB history."

Maybe I've took one too many chair shots from Terry Funk, but this makes a little bit of sense...

[Team Clark]

The sexual harassment allegations are even more laughable when you consider that he is being replaced by Steve Phillips -- a man who has never met a skirt he wouldn't chase and who was caught in one of the more embarrassing front office sexual harassment scandals in MLB history."[/I]

This is exactly what I was thinking. I do not know Harold very well but I know he is a very well rounded person. I have no idea if he was "skirt chasing" but if that were true Steve Phillips would be working at Fox, NOT ESPN.

[Maldez]

Maybe Reynolds pulled a Mike Tirico.

[919191]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AuhPMNqeJ9USZEi8CF.Yi.0RvLYF?slug=ap-espn-

[Aceking]

From the AP:

Report: Reynolds fired by ESPN amid sexual harassment accusation

July 26, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- Harold Reynolds was fired by ESPN from his job as a baseball analyst after he was accused of sexual harassment, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

The former Gold Glove-winning second baseman, a member of the "Baseball Tonight" team for 11 years, said he didn't do anything to warrant his dismissal and wants his job back.

"It was a total misunderstanding," Reynolds told the Post. "My goal is to sit down and get back. To be honest with you, I gave a woman a hug and I felt like it was misinterpreted."

The newspaper, quoting sources, reported that the woman is an ESPN employee.

On Tuesday, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said Reynolds, 45, made his last on-air appearance for the network Sunday night. ESPN refused to comment on previous reports that Reynolds was dismissed, or to provide any details regarding his departure.

"All I can say is he is no longer working here," Krulewitz said.

Reynolds, who played 12 major league seasons, joined ESPN in 1996. In addition to his work on "Baseball Tonight," he also covered the College World Series and the Little League World Series.

ESPN already was dealing with the loss of another baseball analyst, Peter Gammons, who has been off the air since he was stricken with a brain aneurysm on June 27.

[dabvu2498]

On Tuesday, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said Reynolds, 45, made his last on-air appearance for the network Sunday night. ESPN refused to comment on previous reports that Reynolds was dismissed, or to provide any details regarding his departure.

"All I can say is he is no longer working here," Krulewitz said.

That would lead me to believe that there is some civil litigation in the works.

[BigREDSfaninKY]

Now on Deadspin...

Anyone who is saying sexual harassment either has been given bad third-hand info or is lying. Harold has had a couple of rather heated arguments with the producers at "Baseball Tonight," and some of the suits at ESPN over the program's coverage of Alex Rodriguez. At the last production meeting, when it was made clear they were going to really play up the A-Rod angle during coverage of the Yankees-Texas series, Harold had a colossal meltdown, which led to his dismissal. The sexual harassment allegations are even more laughable when you consider that he is being replaced by Steve Phillips -- a man who has never met a skirt he wouldn't chase and who was caught in one of the more embarrassing front office sexual harassment scandals in MLB history."

Maybe I've took one too many chair shots from Terry Funk, but this makes a little bit of sense...

I can't believe they (ESPN) would fire someone for voicing their opinion on a player, even if it is an elite player. The sexual harassment allegations seem more plausible than a production meeting meltdown. It had to be a MAJOR meltdown to get fired.

[Ltlabner]

That would lead me to believe that there is some civil litigation in the works.

Agreed Dabvu. I'm reading the tea leaves but if it were a producion meeting meltdown they probably would have had something to say about it, even if only obliquley (to avoid legeal issues of their own). But if they are this closed mouthed it certinally smells like pending civil issues.