By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

He is either going to be the Voice of History or the Voice of Infamy, either way part-time Red Sox radio voice Dave O’Brien is already halfway to forever being linked with Barry Bonds.

O’Brien, working for his Sugar Daddy, ESPN, was on the call of Bonds’ record-tying No. 755 on Saturday night from San Diego. “Obie” delivered a perfectly understated, but properly enthusiastic encapsulation. He - as the play-by-play man - did not have the burden of having to get embroiled in whether or not Bonds is baseball’s pariah or its conquering hero, the way that Bud Selig did.

“I gave quite a bit of thought to how our broadcast - and the call of 755 - should reflect the controversy and mood surrounding it, absolutely,” said O’Brien an email response to a few questions Shots sent his way. “Not the exact words - I wanted those to flow from the heart, and the crowd’s reaction turned out to be very mixed in San Diego Saturday night. But I felt the proper tenor and tone needed to be reported, and I think we got that right. It just couldn’t be, for history’s sake, a completely exuberant call, but it did need to sum up an extroradinary achievement nonetheless.”

Transcribed from the ESPN broadcast, the 21 second byte of history from O’Brien went like this:

. . .And a high fly ball left field. . .Did he get it? Backing up (Scott) Hairston and it’s gone. . .he has done it. There is number 755. Barry Bonds has tied the greatest individual record in American sports. And now it’s just Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron, side by side. . .

O’Brien stays on the Bonds beat in San Francisco through at least Wednesday for the Worldwide Leader and there is no doubt he has contemplated, deeply, what it is he is chronicling.

“One thing I thought of as he rounded the bases was the reaction he received in Fenway when he finally homered the last day of the series,” emailed O’Brien. “It began as a wall of boos, but while he touched each base it merged, surprisingly I think, into grudging respect on some level. As if Sox fans were saying: ‘This much we’ll give you - some part of this was natural, god-given talent. That’s what we’ll salute you for. Nothing more.’”

It was with that Fenway memory that O’Brien was able to nail No. 755 and you can be sure he’ll handle the record-breaker with similar aplomb and professionalism. After which time, he too will forever be linked - side-by-side - with Bonds.

. . . We’ll try not to read into this too much, but it sure is sounding more and more like the Glenn Geffner time share on Sox radio braodcasts could be in for a re-vamping next season. Here’s what O’Brien replied with to our inquiry of whether the Sox gig been what you expected?

“I can’t tell you how much fun it has been to be a Red Sox radio voice. It just feels like home to me. Natural,” emailed O’Brien. “Fans, the Sox front office, players, the Entercom folks - they have been tremendous to me. And as a native Bostonian, knowing acceptance here is hard-won, that part of it is so rewarding. Joe (Castiglione) accepted me as a partner from Day One. That was vital. He’s a great partner, one of the best people in baseball.

“Watching arguably the best team in baseball all season has made it easier, no doubt. My plan is to call a lot more games in 2008 - almost all of them. And well beyond.”

Hmmmmm. ‘Almost all of them’ sure sounds like Obie is in-line for more Sox radio time.

Shots is still under the impression that the Geffner experiment has been largely undertaken in order to get good guy Geff some additional clips for his resume reel and hopefully land him a gig in a smaller market where he can fine-tune his delivery and get some more reps.

. . . O’Brien could very well be on the verge of calling history with Bonds and taking part in history with the remainder of the Sox season (especially if the Sox play as they did this weekend in Seattle).

“Thinking about the possiblity of broadcasting the all-time home run record AND a Red Sox World Series year is special,” O’Brien said. “All of which means, after the Bonds home run tour is over, I’ll still be lucky enough, perhaps, to be involved in more memorable moments on Sox radio.”

. . . Hershiser had a nice outing as well on the Bonds call, moreso in the time leading up to the O’Brien call, as the ex-pitcher reported on Bonds’ intense batting practice session.

. . . ESPN stumbled a bit by not having Erin Andrews immediately on No. 755 snagger, Adam Hughes, who was ushered out by security and brought to the press box.

In fact, after Bonds went yard, we would have strictly gone to ALL-ERIN, ALL THE TIME, just to keep the viewers glued to the set. But that’s just us.

. . . The Newtork would have also been well within its rights to have a Selig Cam focused exclusively on the commissioner, but we’re guessing they didn’t want to make a corporate partner feel uncomfortable.

. . . Of course O’Brien wasn’t the only caller of the Bonds homer. Here’s how it sounded from the Giants Bonds’ TV broadcast and there are other links at that same page.

However, because of ESPN’s omnipotence, it will be the O’Brien call that most people identify as “THE” call.

O’Brien call of Bonds homer