Sean McDonough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sean McDonough
|
|
|---|---|
McDonough talking to press ahead of the 2025 CFP National Championship.
|
|
| Born | May 13, 1962 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
|
| Alma mater | Syracuse University |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Employer | ABC, ESPN, Boston Red Sox |
Sean McDonough (born May 13, 1962) is a well-known American sportscaster. He works for ESPN and also for the WEEI Boston Red Sox Radio Network. Sean McDonough has a lot of experience calling games for the biggest sports leagues in the United States and Canada. These include the NFL (football), NBA (basketball), MLB (baseball), and NHL (hockey).
Contents
Sean McDonough's Early Life and Education
Sean McDonough grew up as the son of Will McDonough, a famous sportswriter for the Boston Globe newspaper. He went to Syracuse University and graduated in 1984. He studied broadcast journalism at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
While at Syracuse, he joined the sports department at WAER-FM, a radio station. He started calling play-by-play for Syracuse Chiefs baseball games. He also worked for Syracuse football coach Dick MacPherson during his college years.
Sean McDonough's Broadcasting Career
Starting Out in Broadcasting
Sean McDonough began his broadcasting journey in 1982 in Syracuse. He was the play-by-play announcer for the Syracuse Chiefs, a baseball team. He also worked for PBS, calling Ivy League football games. He was a sideline reporter from 1984 to 1985 and then a play-by-play announcer from 1986 to 1987.
Calling Games for Boston Teams
Four years after college, Sean McDonough started broadcasting Boston Red Sox baseball games. He worked on WSBK-TV (Channel 38) in Boston. He teamed up with former Red Sox players like Bob Montgomery and Jerry Remy.
When he wasn't calling Red Sox games, he also hosted some Boston Bruins hockey games on WSBK-TV. A memorable game he called was the last pre-season game at the old Boston Garden in 1995.
McDonough continued to announce Red Sox games until the 2004 season. He worked for different local TV stations over the years. From 1996 to 2004, he often worked with Jerry Remy. In 2005, he was replaced by Don Orsillo at NESN.
In 2019, McDonough returned to the Red Sox. He became a part-time play-by-play announcer for the team's radio network. He now works alongside Joe Castiglione, Will Flemming, and Lou Merloni.
Working at CBS Sports
In 1990, Sean McDonough started working for CBS Sports. He covered many different sports there. These included college basketball (like 10 NCAA tournaments), college football (including the famous Orange Bowl), and the College World Series. He also called NFL games, US Open tennis, and golf (including four Masters events).
He also covered three Winter Olympics. He announced bobsled and luge in 1992 and 1994. In 1998, he called ice hockey games. His time at CBS ended in 1999.
Calling Major League Baseball for CBS
Many people remember Sean McDonough for being the main baseball announcer for CBS. He worked with Tim McCarver. In 1992, at just 30 years old, he became the youngest person to announce the entire 1992 World Series on national TV.
One of his most famous calls happened in Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series. The Atlanta Braves were playing the Pittsburgh Pirates. A player named Francisco Cabrera got a dramatic hit that won the game. McDonough's call was very exciting:
Line-drive and a base-hit! Justice has scored the tying run, Bream to the plate...and he is SAFE! Safe at the plate! The Braves go to the World Series! The unlikeliest of heroes wins the National League Championship Series for the Atlanta Braves. Francisco Cabrera, who had only ten at-bats in the major leagues during the regular season, singled through the left side, scoring Sid Bream from second base with the winning run. Bream, who's had five knee operations in his lifetime, just beat the tag from his ex-mate Mike LaValliere and Atlanta pulls out Game 7 with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. This place is bedlam. There will be no second nightmare for Bobby Cox. Final score in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series: the Braves 3 and the Pirates 2.
He also called the final play of the 1992 World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays won, becoming the first team from outside the U.S. to win the World Series:
Nixon bunts! Timlin on it! Throws to first . . . For the first time in history, the world championship banner will fly north of the border! The Toronto Blue Jays are baseball's best in 1992!
A year later, McDonough called Joe Carter's game-winning home run in the 1993 World Series. This home run won the series for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Philadelphia Phillies:
Well-hit down the left-field line! Way back and GONE! Joe Carter with a three-run homer! The winners and still world champions, the Toronto Blue Jays!
He also called another exciting home run in the 1996 College World Series. Warren Morris hit a walk-off home run that won the championship for LSU:
Now Warren Morris...hits a deep drive down the right-field line, that ball is...GONE! LSU wins the College World Series on a home run by Morris!
Calling NCAA Basketball for CBS
Sean McDonough also covered NCAA basketball tournaments for CBS. He often worked with Bill Raftery. They were known for their fun and lively broadcasts. In 1998, McDonough called a famous last-second shot. Richard Hamilton scored at the buzzer to win the game for Connecticut against Washington:
Spreading the court for El-Amin. Ten seconds remaining. El-Amin, off to Voskuhl. He was pushed, the shot wouldn't drop...Hamilton, no! Another tip, no! Hamilton, at the buzzer, yes! Yes! Connecticut wins!
Working at ABC and ESPN
Since 2000, Sean McDonough has been a voice for ESPN and ABC. He has announced many different sports. These include baseball, college basketball, college football, golf, NBA, NHL, and NCAA hockey.
He called a very long college basketball game on March 12, 2009. It was between UConn and Syracuse. The game went into six overtimes and lasted almost four hours! Syracuse won 127–117.
On September 28, 2011, McDonough called an exciting baseball game. The Baltimore Orioles came back to beat the Boston Red Sox. The Orioles won with a walk-off hit by Robert Andino. This happened just minutes before another game ended, which helped the Tampa Bay Rays win the American League Wild Card. McDonough's call was:
Lined to left, Crawford playing shallow dives...cannot make the catch! Reimold comes to the plate! He scores! And the Baltimore Orioles stun the Boston Red Sox!
Calling College Football, NFL, and NHL Games
Sean McDonough was also the announcer for a famous play in a Michigan State-Michigan football game on October 17, 2015. A fumbled punt led to a game-winning touchdown for Michigan State in the final seconds. He called it:
Whoa, he (Michigan punter Blake O'Neill) has trouble with the snap…and the ball is free! It's picked up by Michigan State's Jalen Watts-Jackson…and he scores! On the last play of the game! Unbelievable! (pauses while the team celebrates) Michigan State is still the big boy on the block in the state of Michigan. A shocking ending to this rivalry game.
From 2016 to 2017, McDonough was the main play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football on ESPN. In 2018, he returned to calling college football games.
On June 29, 2021, ESPN announced that Sean McDonough would be their main play-by-play voice for NHL coverage. This started in the 2021–22 season. He works with former NHL player Ray Ferraro and reporter Emily Kaplan.
On May 4, 2024, he called Game 7 of a playoff series between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was praised for predicting how the overtime goal might happen right before it did:
McDonough: At this juncture, Ray, anytime you have the opportunity, send it towards the net. So often, these overtime games end on a strange bounce or rebound.
Ferraro: Send it to the net and get people to the net.
McDonough: Lindholm right wing corner. Pastrnak is there. HE SCORES! David Pastrnak wins it for Boston!
Sean McDonough's Health
In 2012, Sean McDonough had surgery for a condition called superior canal dehiscence syndrome. This kept him from working for several months while he recovered.
Awards and Recognition
Sean McDonough has received several honors for his work. In 2014, he was added to the WAER Hall of Fame. This is the radio station at Syracuse University where he started his sports broadcasting career. In July 2016, he received the 4th annual Marty Glickman Award from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He also received an honorary degree from Southern Vermont College in May 2007.
Sean McDonough's Career Timeline
- 1982–1984: Syracuse Chiefs Radio Play-by-Play
- 1988–2004: Boston Red Sox TV Play-by-Play
- 1990–1999: College Basketball on CBS Play-by-Play
- 1991–1993: NFL on CBS Play-by-Play
- 1992–1993: MLB on CBS Lead Play-by-Play
- 1992–1994: Bobsled and Luge in Winter Olympics Play-by-Play
- 1993–1994, 1999–2000, 2002–2004: NHL on ESPN Play-by-Play
- 1995–1999: College World Series Play-by-Play
- 1996–1999: College Football on CBS Lead Play-by-Play
- 1996–1999: Masters Tournament Hole Announcer
- 1998: Ice Hockey 1998 Winter Olympics Play-by-Play
- 2000–2003, 2009–2015, 2018–present: College Football on ABC Play-by-Play
- 2000–present: College Basketball on ESPN Play-by-Play
- 2004–2015, 2018–present: College Football on ESPN Play-by-Play
- 2010–2011: NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship Play-by-Play
- 2010–2014: U.S. Open Hole Announcer
- 2010–2015: British Open Hole Announcer
- 2011–2012: ESPN Monday Night Baseball Play-by-Play
- 2013–2015: NFL on ESPN Radio Play-by-Play
- 2016–2017: MNF on ESPN Play-by-Play
- 2019–present: Boston Red Sox Radio Play-by-Play
- 2021–present: NHL on ESPN/NHL on ABC Lead Play-by-play
