ESPN fires Harold Reynolds

AlexanderTheGreat13 · July 25, 2006

EDIT: FIRES****

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.

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

ORS · July 25, 2006

Man it sucks when you get fired, but I'm sure getting fried is even worse.

AlexanderTheGreat13 · July 25, 2006

Man it sucks when you get fired, but I'm sure getting fried is even worse.

If you noticed I put the edit in prior to your post. Take it easy.

ORS · July 25, 2006

If you noticed I put the edit in prior to your post. Take it easy.

Sorry, that edit occured after I clicked on the page. Since I didn't refresh the page before posting, it wasn't there. Don't get upset; I was just having a little fun with a funny typo. I would expect others to do the same when I make one.

AlexanderTheGreat13 · July 25, 2006

Sorry, that edit occured after I clicked on the page. Since I didn't refresh the page before posting, it wasn't there. Don't get upset; I was just having a little fun with a funny typo. I would expect others to do the same when I make one.

I'm not upset I just point the edit out. I did get quite a laugh at how it looks.

On topic: I really liked Reynolds. I always thought when he did the college world series he did a great job. They should have put him in the booth more often.

ORS · July 25, 2006

Yeah, I liked Reynolds in the booth. I think he'd make a very good color commentator. Hopefully Fox picks him up.

I was not a fan of his analysis. He struck me as a big name ball washer. What I mean by that is, despite current performance or stats, he would always pick the biggest names for 'his' teams, etc. I think it showed that he doesn't really follow the game as closely as an analyst ought to.

riverside sluggers · July 25, 2006

I'm not upset I just point the edit out. I did get quite a laugh at how it looks.

On topic: I really liked Reynolds. I always thought when he did the college world series he did a great job. They should have put him in the booth more often.

He is an ESPN analyst that I actually enjoyed watching. And thats a rarity to find one there

Joe Morgan: Thats a fastball, ah now he tried a curveball to change things up a bit, haha speak of the devil here comes a change up

:stop:

a700hitter · July 25, 2006

Maybe he had sex with the cleaning lady.

jimmycarter05 · July 25, 2006

He was usually the only guy on Baseball Tonight that made sense, him and Kruk made the best ones. Harold really knew what he was talking about.

Anuj09 · July 25, 2006

wow hard to imagine a baseball tonight without him. f*** he was the man !

SchillingIsTheNatural · July 25, 2006

That sucks I liked Harold Reynolds. He was a good one but wow....he must have done something really bad.

Cocos Disciples · July 25, 2006

Maybe he had sex with the cleaning lady.

The only plausable explanation!

RoyNHSox · July 25, 2006

Has this story been confirmed by any other news source than the NY Post?

26 to 6 · July 25, 2006

I hope Harold knows that there is a spot for him at YES

..but seriously, this is terrible. Harold Reynolds is the man and has always done a fantastic job, in my opinion. Baseball Tonight (as well as any other Baseball coverage by ESPN) won't be the same now.

I wonder who managers the American League team in the Legends/Celebrity Softball Game next year

Moose · July 25, 2006

I wonder who managers the American League team in the Legends/Celebrity Softball Game next year

Erin Andrews or Rachel Nichols.

RoyNHSox · July 25, 2006

I hope Harold knows that there is a spot for him at YES

..but seriously, this is terrible. Harold Reynolds is the man and has always done a fantastic job, in my opinion. Baseball Tonight (as well as any other Baseball coverage by ESPN) won't be the same now.

I wonder who managers the American League team in the Legends/Celebrity Softball Game next year

Before you say he’d be a good fit for YES, wouldn’t it be good to know why he was fired?

ORS · July 25, 2006

Erin Andrews or Rachel Nichols.

Slight hijack, but I'd love to see those two go at it in a tub of baby oil. Ok, back to the H.R. discussion.

26 to 6 · July 25, 2006

Before you say he’d be a good fit for YES, wouldn’t it be good to know why he was fired?

I dont care. I'll still take him

The Monster is my Mom · July 25, 2006

That sucks, I thought HR did a really good job, especially compared to the other guys on the show. I wish they would fire Tino.

jsinger121 · July 25, 2006

http://www.deadspin.com/sports/top/was-this-why-harold-got-the-axe-189733.php

MDF3530 · July 25, 2006

So, they fired one of Dusty Baker's apologists, huh? Now if they'd just fire the other ones (Jon Miller and Joe Morgan)...

Moose · July 25, 2006

Now if they'd just fire the other ones (Jon Miller and Joe Morgan)...

Werd.

AlexanderTheGreat13 · July 26, 2006

http://www.newsday.com/sports/spharold26,0,6234733.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

ESPN's Reynolds is a wrap
BY NEIL BEST
Newsday Staff Writer

July 25, 2006, 9:09 PM EDT

Harold Reynolds, one of ESPN's most visible analysts and a long-time panelist on "Baseball Tonight," has left the network in the wake of one or more incidents of sexual harassment.

An ESPN spokeswoman yesterday confirmed Reynolds' departure but repeatedly declined to provide a reason for it.

Three people who work at ESPN and were familiar with the case said the cause was a pattern of sexual harassment, apparently culminating in a recent incident involving one of the network's young production assistants.

Reynolds, a major leaguer for 12 seasons before joining ESPN in 1996, did not appear on "Baseball Tonight" Monday after having worked the Sunday show, during which he and fellow analyst Steve Phillips suggested the Yankees trade Alex Rodriguez.

Sexual harassment charges are nothing new at ESPN, which operates out of a sprawling "campus" in relatively isolated Bristol, Conn., and employs many production assistants in their early 20s. The network has an extensive program of education and sensitivity regarding gender issues and an elaborate system for pursuing claims of sexual harassment.

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC, a former ESPN host, told The New York Observer in 2004 he had testified in "three or four major cases at ESPN."

Among the prominent ESPN personalities accused of improper behavior in the past is Mike Tirico, who will debut as the play-by-play man for "Monday Night Football" in the coming season. He was suspended by ESPN in 1992 for what were reported at the time to be allegations of sexual harassment. Another host, Jason Jackson, was fired in 2002, reportedly for harassment.

In addition to "Baseball Tonight" Reynolds, 45, who is married and has an infant daughter, worked as a game analyst for the Little League World Series and College World Series.

Reynolds was very popular personally among ESPN staffers, many of whom were shocked by his dismissal.

AlexanderTheGreat13 · July 26, 2006

ESPN is pretty far from perfect. Michael Irvin was cought with a crack pipe in his car and hes still there. Rick Sutclife makes an apperence on a Padres telecast drunk and he still has his job. However sexual harassment is very serious.

element1151 · July 26, 2006

Maybe he had sex with the cleaning lady.

Was that wrong?

I'm sorry, but he has to pleed ignorance on this case. I mean, if he was told before hand that that action was wrong....

jsinger121 · July 26, 2006

Isiah is accused of Sexual Harassment and somehow still has a job.

CrespoBlows · July 26, 2006

Isiah is accused of Sexual Harassment and somehow still has a job.

but isahi bult da knick fuk u racist isahi pw3ns.

marbury

francis n williams

a700hitter · July 26, 2006

Was that wrong?

I'm sorry, but he has to pleed ignorance on this case. I mean, if he was told before hand that that action was wrong....

He wouldn't have done it.

guapo34 · July 26, 2006

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2529688

ESPN posts a story on their baseball page about the firing, and in the article it says, "ESPN offered no further comment." Umm guys...you are ESPN. Does that seem weird to anyone else?

Its not even listed as an AP story, its credited to espn.com news services and says information for the AP was used.

Beckett95 · July 26, 2006

http://www.deadspin.com/sports/top/was-this-why-harold-got-the-axe-189733.php

So was it sexual harassment or him getting into arguments with producers that got him fired?

Sign In

ESPN fires Harold Reynolds

Recommended Posts

Create an account or sign in to comment

Create an account

Sign in

Member Statistics

Prospect News & Highlights

Recent News

Notes & Rumors

Recent Blog Entries

Recent Status Updates