'This is just full circle': Ricciardi takes first swing at broadcasting during WooSox game

WORCESTER — When it comes to baseball, J.P. Ricciardi has dabbled in pretty much everything.

But on Wednesday night, the Worcester native managed to add another item to his expansive bucket list: Broadcasting.

Following a 43-year career in professional ball, which included stints as a player, coach, scout, general manager and executive, Ricciardi made his TV debut on NESN during the Worcester Red Sox’ 5-4 loss to the Norfolk Tides at Polar Park.

“It’s baseball, you’re talking baseball,” Ricciardi, 64, said. “If you told me I was going to teach a physics class tomorrow at Clark (University), I would tell you I would be breaking out in a sweat.

“But it’s baseball. It’s the same with the podcast, when you’re talking baseball with everybody it flows, it’s natural.”

The podcast — “The Brushback with JP Ricciardi” — made its debut in March after Ricciardi stepped down from his front office position with the San Francisco Giants.

So far, the podcast has brought in guests like Howard Bryant, Frank Catalanotto, John Franco, Tim Hudson, Buster Olney, Buck Showalter and Josh Towers. And now, Ricciardi is scheduled to join the WooSox broadcast team for a select number of games this season.

“I’m excited about it,” Ricciardi said. “I’m doing a lot of stuff, so it’s great. It’s a lot of fun.”

A former teammate of current WooSox hitting coach Rich Gedman at St. Peter-Marian in the late 1970s, Ricciardi went on to play baseball at St. Leo University before becoming an infielder in the New York Mets Minor League system.

Ricciardi then embarked on a career in Major League Baseball that lasted over four decades.

The West Boylston resident played a key role in the Oakland Athletics’ “Moneyball” era as the director of player personnel under general manager Billy Beane before serving as Toronto Blue Jays general manager from 2001-09. Ricciardi then joined the New York Mets’ front office for seven years before taking on his latest role with the Giants.

This offseason, Ricciardi decided to retire. Well, kinda.

'We’re going to have a lot of fun': Worcester native J.P. Ricciardi takes to the mic with baseball podcast

“I think when you have spent as much time in the game as I have, you start realizing that enough is enough,” Ricciardi said. “I haven’t missed one thing about the traveling.”

Before making his NESN debut Wednesday with WooSox play-by-play announcer Tyler Murray, Ricciardi ran into another prodigal baseball son from Worcester: Brian Abraham.

The Red Sox director of player development stopped by the broadcast booth at Polar Park to chat with Ricciardi, who got Abraham his first job in baseball with the Blue Jays in 2007.

“When Worcester and baseball are discussed, it’s hard for J.P.’s name to not be at the top of the discussion list,” Abraham said. “To be able to know him on a personal level, work for him, learn from him and see firsthand all he has done for this community and the game of baseball is an absolute honor.

“It’s so exciting to have him back at Polar Park watching and discussing the game he knows so much about for our hometown team.”

So for the first time, Ricciardi is taking his swing at broadcasting.

And his latest baseball endeavor takes him back to his hometown.

“This is just full circle, and it’s fun,” Ricciardi said.

—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester's J.P. Ricciardi broadcasts Worcester Red Sox game on NESN