With WFAN favoring someone who can call all 162 Mets’ radio games, Marlin play-by-player Jon Sciambi has emerged as a leading candidate to replace the retiring Bob Murphy next season, according to sources.
The 33-year-old Sciambi (pronounced SHOM-bee), grew up on Roosevelt Island and graduated from Regis High School in Manhattan. Nicknamed “Boog” for his red hair and burly build, he has done Marlin radio games the past seven years.
Whoever succeeds Murphy will team with lead play-by-player Gary Cohen.
“Ideally, I would like to have someone who could do all the games,” FAN program director Mark Chernoff said.
Howie Rose and Ed Coleman also are candidates for the position. Rose’s Islander TV commitments might prevent him from doing all the Mets’ games.
* Outside the Yankee clubhouse before the July 7 game against the Red Sox, Yankee director of media relations Rick Cerrone used the term “bitch” during a heated discussion with YES reporter Suzyn Waldman.
After the incident was reported to YES and Yankee executives, Cerrone was forced to give Yankee CEO Lonn Trost a written explanation, but no discipline action has been taken.
In front of around 15 people, a frustrated Cerrone used the term – the exact way it was used is disputed – after Waldman, under deadline duress, asked him more than once about the availability of Jorge Posada.
“I used an extremely poor choice of words,” Cerrone said. “I was talking much less professionally than I should have because she is such a good friend, but that’s not an excuse. It is very upsetting thing. She knows how upset I am.”
Two days later, Cerrone apologized by sending a bottle of wine to Waldman’s hotel room in Cleveland. This week, a still-upset Waldman said she has worked hard for 20 years so that no woman is called such a name in the work place.
* Mike Fratello will join MSG Network on Aug. 15 for the U.S. National basketball team’s exhibition against Puerto Rico at the Garden, according to sources. “The Czar” will work with long-time partner Marv Albert, as well as with John Andariese. The game will be on NBA TV and MSG. …
Reggie Jackson’s Yankeeography debuts Sunday at 7:30 p.m. … Although Manchester United has an agreement with YES, all of its American tour has been on Fox Sports NY and MSG.
* Yankee officials were not happy with radio play-by-player Charley Steiner on Old-Timers Day, according to sources. Conducting interviews for the Stadium’s video screen, Steiner asked Don Mattingly when he was returning to the Yankees.
Since a return probably means replacing hitting coach Rick Down, some Yankee officials were taken aback by the question. They felt it was an inappropriate time to make like Mike Wallace. Steiner said no officials have mentioned it, and that he intended no malice.
“That was not a Jim Gray–Pete Rose thing,” Steiner said.
