As San Diego Padres rookie Jackson Merrill crushed a walk-off homer to lift his squad to victory against a tough, National League opponent, Don Orsillo's voice rang out on TVs across California.
"High drive, deep right field! Merrill Madness!" Orsillo shouted as the young outfielder pointed to his dugout and celebrated around the bases.
The former Boston Red Sox play-by-play announcer let the raucous crowd at Petco Park do the rest of the talking. The Padres have been one of baseball's hottest teams since the All-Star break, and the fans in the stands were ecstatic to see their team take a series split with the Mets and hold a three-game lead over the Braves in the NL wild card standings.
Orsillo posted a highlight of the walk-off to his personal Twitter and fans flooded the comments with compliments. Some fans called "Merrill Madness" his best call ever and used it to state their belief that he belongs in the Padres Hall of Fame. Red Sox fans chimed in, too, as they always do when Orsillo is mentioned.
Don Orsillo's latest walk-off call has Red Sox fans missing him on NESN
The Kid is unbelievable 🤯 pic.twitter.com/rdXTTQ41Ca
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 25, 2024
Twitter user John Lavelle said letting Orsillo leave NESN was "arguably the worst fumble by the Red Sox in the last 15 years." While he was likely being hyperbolic, as the Sox have made their fair share of mistakes in recent years, Boston fans love Orsillo so much, they may agree.
Orsillo called Red Sox games from 2001-2015, starting in the early years of the organization's upswing. Boston won three championships during Orsillo's tenure, and Red Sox Nation likely associates him with the success of those years.
The announcer has shared that he still receives an excess of love from Red Sox fans nearly 10 years after his career with NESN ended. Dave O'Brien and his rotating cast of former players as color commentators have their moments in the press box, but Orsillo's voice would sound great behind a Triston Casas homer or Ceddanne Rafaela web gem.