After years of big dreams, John Sadak will launch as the new Reds TV play-by-play channel

CINCINNATI – John Sadak is the Reds’ new play-by-play television network after Thom Brennaman’s resignation last season.

“It’s amazing,” said Sadak.

Sadak spent 15 years calling minor league games for the Class A Advanced Wilmington Blue Rocks and, since 2013, for the AAA subsidiary of the Yankees in Scranton / Wilkes-Barre.

“There was a long period of time I was in the minors and I had a better chance of getting a job in a big league because when they opened, rare as it was, it wasn’t a career one little league boys, ”said Sadak.

MORE: The Reds appoint John Sadak as their new play-by-play announcer

In January, minutes before he was due to call a VCU-St. Bonaventure college basketball game for CBS Sports, he finally got the call.

“I was shocked, I was overwhelmed, I was thrilled,” said Sadak. “I had to end the call quickly with my agent, who put a lot of work into making this deal happen, because I had to call my wife.” I only had two minutes to tell her. I played this game with what is probably the biggest bright smile I’ve ever had in my life. That was probably the best college basketball game I’d ever done because I knew what had just happened to the Reds. “

Red’s radio play-by-play voice, Tommy Thrall, was in Sadak’s shoes last year, taking on Marty Brennaman.

“He asked me several times, ‘Is this real? ‘And you tell him yes, but it will be a while before it actually feels like that,’ said Thrall.

Sadak and Thrall are long-time friends who have followed a similar path.

“We were both in the same league when we were both in a ball.” Said Thrall. “John is a great broadcaster. I think the fans already had a chance to make that happen. He’s doing a great job. That’s why he’s where he is. He certainly very, very deserves to be where he is. In an ideal world, the two of us will be here in Cincinnati for a long time. “

Sadak has already completed a few exercises with the Reds games this spring, but is looking forward to the opening day.

“In spring training I was very nervous before my first game,” said Sadak. “I wanted to be as prepared as possible.” You are learning so many people. I think the opener will have that to a certain extent. There are parts of it that are journalistic, but for the most part, I’m an entertainer. My job is to make the game fun and I really look forward to the challenge of trying this every day. That’s the hard part, and for me the fun part. “