Sutton leaves MASN, Dibble hired as replacement

Just received from the folks at MASN: Don Sutton has asked out of his contract for "personal reasons," presumably to go back to broadcasting for the Braves, and Rob Dibble has been hired as the new color commentator on Nationals TV broadcasts. This move has been expected for a couple of days now, once word got out that the Braves were seeking Sutton to return after spending the last two years in Washington. No official announcement out of Atlanta yet, but it should only be a matter of time before the news is released that Sutton (who spent 18 years on Braves TV and radio broadcasts) will return to work the radio side only. Sutton issued a statement in the MASN release, which reads: "I have truly enjoyed the two years I had in Washington covering the Nationals and working for MASN. I will always be thankful that my wife Mary, my daughter Jackie and I had this experience. MASN is a first-class operation and deserves great credit for their pioneering success at presenting the Nationals games and effectively promoting the team. I appreciate that MASN has granted my request to be released for personal reasons, and I'm grateful for their understanding and cooperation," Sutton said. "I'm going to miss the class, the professionalism and the friendship of the folks who made sure we got good pictures on the air." While the TV pairing of Sutton and play-by-play man Bob Carpenter the last two years produced, to use one of Sutton's words, a very "professional" telecast, the relationship between the two wasn't always the greatest. During his first stint in Atlanta, Sutton and his fellow announcers all held essentially the same role. They weren't designated play-by-play guys or color guys; they were just all announcers. In D.C., Sutton was asked to be strictly an analyst, with Carpenter handling all play-by-play duties. That led to some tension, not to mention the differing personalities of the two men. It looked like things weren't going to continue at the end of the 2007 season, with Nats officials actually telling Carpenter his contract wouldn't be renewed and he was free to seek another job. But after a combination of public support for Carpenter and the Nats' inability to get ESPN's Dan Shulman out of his contract, Carpenter was asked back. And before the 2008 season was over, his deal was renewed again, ensuring he'd be back in 2009. Sutton was signed through 2010, but once the Braves opening was there, he asked to be released from his contract with MASN. So now the Nats will have their fourth different TV announcing team in five years. For those who can't remember... 2005: Mel Proctor and Ron Darling 2006: Bob Carpenter and Tom Paciorek 2007: Bob Carpenter and Don Sutton 2008: Bob Carpenter and Don Sutton 2009: Bob Carpenter and Rob Dibble Dibble, a former member of "The Nasty Boys" bullpen with the Reds in the early 1990s, had done past work with ESPN, Fox Sports Net and XM Radio. His name had come up in the past for this job when there were previous openings, so his hiring isn't a complete shock. He also has worked in the past with Carpenter on ESPN. He's going to bring a very different style to the broadcast. Sutton was understated. Dibble is the complete opposite. Dibble's statement: "I'm excited to join MASN in covering one of the great new franchises in baseball, and I'm honored to be part of the MASN and Nationals' families. I will try to bring my experience as a pitcher, a ballplayer, and a broadcaster to the booth and bring fans a deeper understanding of what's happening on the field," said Dibble. "I've never been shy about sharing my opinion, so fans will know where I'm coming from. "MASN has earned a national reputation for its commitment to the Nationals and to bringing fans inside the game, with features like Wired Wednesdays and pitch tracking. I'm looking forward to being part of the biggest baseball network in the country."