Houston Astros World Series Winner Takes Turn In Radio Booth

Josh Reddick joined the rotation of former Houston Astros players that have filled in for Steve Sparks for their local broadcasts.

Oct 17, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Josh Reddick. | Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Reddick has found retirement to his liking. The former Houston Astros star, who was part of their 2017 World Series team, lives outside of the Houston area with his family.

But, slowly, he’s been getting his feet wet in broadcasting. This week, Reddick slid into the radio booth to provide analysis alongside play-by-play voice Robert Ford as the Astros faced the Oakland Athletics.

It was an odd convergence. Reddick played for Houston from 2017-20 and for the Athletics from 2012-16, with a short stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers via trade in between.

Reddick has done some pre-game and post-game work with the Space City Home Network, which broadcasts Astros games on local television. But, as he told MLB.com, stepping into the booth to call a game was much harder.

“[Monday] night, I got caught up telling stories,” Reddick said. “Everybody knows me, I love to talk. I just rambled on for a couple of hitters, and even a couple of innings. I’ve got to figure out when to shut up and when to speak up.”

Reddick’s stint will end with the conclusion of the series with the Athletics on Thursday. He joins Jeff Bagwell as former players that have filled in for Sparks this season.

The 37-year-old said that he doesn’t plan on tackling more broadcasting than he’s taking on right now, citing family as the primary reason. He won’t rule out a larger role once his children are older.

Being around them is a priority after a 13-year Major League career that ended in 2021 with Arizona. He was a lifetime .262 hitter. In his first season with Houston in 2017 he batted a career-best .314 with 13 home runs and 82 RBI in 134 games.