John Rhadigan is out as the Rangers TV play-by-play announcer and is heading back to pre and postgame coverage for Fox Sports Southwest.
Rhadigan agreed to a multiyear contract with the team in January, replacing Josh Lewin who had been the play-by-play man for nine seasons.
Prior to starting the gig last March, Rhadigan had limited play-by-play experience but extensive broadcasting experience. He has covered sports in Dallas-Fort Worth for more than two decades, including 10 years covering the Rangers for Fox Sports Southwest and several years at NBC 5.
“We feel that this restructuring will provide Rangers fans with quality television and radio broadcasts from a pregame, in-game, and post-game perspective,” said Rangers Executive Vice President for Communications John Blake. “We have a group of experienced and knowledgeable broadcasters who should work well in these roles.”
The Rangers said the following in a news release regarding their broadcasting changes:
Dave Barnett will become the Rangers’ lead television play-by-play announcer on Fox Sports Southwest and TXA21 telecasts, working with analyst Tom Grieve.
Steve Busby will join Eric Nadel on the majority of the games on 103.3 FM ESPN and the Rangers ESPN Radio Network. Pre and post-game radio host Bryan Dolgin will also do play-by-play on a number of games during the remainder of the 2011 season.
Barnett joined the Rangers broadcast team in 2009 and has worked primarily in the radio booth since that time. The longtime ESPN announcer has also provided play-by-play coverage on a limited number of Rangers television games in that span.
Busby has been a part of Rangers radio and television coverage for over 25 years. Most recently, the former major league pitcher has served as a lead analyst on Fox Sports Southwest’s pre and post game Rangers programming while working a limited schedule of television and radio games over the last several years.
Dolgin is in his second year hosting Rangers pre and post game radio coverage and has been a fill-in play-by-play broadcaster for the club over that span.
The Rangers are off Thursday. The changes will be effective beginning Friday when the team hosts the Kansas City Royals.
