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Gregg Giannotti & Mad Dog Remember Baseball Bet Differently

Brandon Contes

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Baseball Bet

While many of Mike Francesa’s former producers generally categorize the sports radio icon as being financially generous to the people that work for him, WFAN’s Gregg Giannotti remembers Christopher ‘Mad Dog’ Russo asking for a dollar to buy Wheat Thins. 

According to the now WFAN morning show co-host, Dog liked to bet on day baseball games during the summer. Near the end of Dog’s WFAN tenure, Gio remembers being asked if he wants to join a group (led by Russo) in a runs, hits and errors over/under bet. 

In 2008, Gio was only making $31,000 a year producing the station’s midday show with Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts, so he was reluctant to risk his money. It’s safe to say Mad Dog was more financially stable at the time, having already been one of sports radio’s most prominent voices for nearly two decades. 

Gio decided to go in for $50, but was quickly brushed off by his idol Chris Russo who demanded a minimum buy-in of $250. “Do you want to be in the family? Are you in or are you out?!” Gio remembers an animated Mad Dog asking him in the newsroom. Gio ultimately decided to risk the money, but found himself out $250 by the end of the day. Day two, same result, another $250 lost. Ultimately, Giannotti was down $1,100 after agreeing to participate in the runs, hits and errors wager with Russo and others in the WFAN newsroom. 

According to Gio, he showed up with an $1,100 check to pay his share of the debt, but, “was stopped by somebody who will remain nameless and said ‘you don’t owe that money anymore, it’s okay.’” Gio didn’t explain why he no longer owed $1,100 and what may have happened to the money Russo was supposed to be wagering. Dog never asked for the money and Gio ripped up the check.

Not long after, Russo split from Mike and the Mad Dog to join Sirius for a reported $15 million deal in Aug. 2008. After months of no one at WFAN hearing from Russo, Gio received an unexpected call in the newsroom. Christopher ‘Mad Dog’ Russo following up and asking for the $1,100 that Gio was told he no longer owed. 

“You owe me $1,100 for the runs, hits and errors from a few months ago, anything you can give me,” Gio remembers hearing from Dog when he picked up the phone.   

But during his Wednesday afternoon show on SiriusXM Russo accepted no blame for the lost $1,100, claiming the now WFAN morning host joined the runs, hits and errors wagers willingly. Russo also noted years later he stumbled into Gio who said he just won a season over/under bet on the San Diego Padres. 

“Anybody who’s betting the San Diego Padres over/under in the season has got a gambling problem long before he met Christopher Russo,” Mad Dog said.

Interestingly enough in 2019, Russo told his High Heat audience on MLB Network to take the under on the San Diego Padres for the season. For what it’s worth, the Padres hit the under.

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Charley Steiner Injured; Tim Neverett to Handle Dodgers Radio Play-by-Play

“This will be the first Opening Day that I will have missed since 1976, when I wore a younger man’s clothes.”

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photo of Charley Steiner
Courtesy: Los Angeles Dodgers

As the Los Angeles Dodgers get set to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in their first home game on Thursday, team play-by-play voice Charley Steiner has revealed he will not be doing games at the beginning of the season due to a severe back injury.

Through the Dodgers, Steiner posted a statement which said, “Over the winter, I landed on the Injured List with three compound fractures in my back. (I don’t recommend it.) With the start of the baseball season upon us, the Dodgers are ready to go – but I’m not. This will be the first Opening Day that I will have missed since 1976, when I wore a younger man’s clothes. I look forward to returning to the mic later this season. In the meantime, go Dodgers!”

TrueBlueLA.com reports Tim Neverett will handle play-by-play duties while Steiner recovers. Neverett called the first two regular season games with Rick Monday as the Dodgers started the season in South Korea. Neverett and Monday did not travel with the team, however, they called those games in a studio back home.

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Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi Put a Bow on The Ronnie & TKras Show After Nearly 10 Years

“Finally, Tampa Bay can sleep easy knowing this hideous show is finally over.”

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Photo of Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi
Courtesy: iHeartMedia

After nearly 10 years, The Ronnie & TKras Show with Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi came to an end today as the duo broadcast their final show on remote with many listeners, friends and co-workers on hand. Earlier this month, WDAE announced changes to its programming lineup which will take place starting tomorrow. Ronnie Lane will take on a new role as host of the Tampa Bay Rays pre-game show The Inside Pitch. Tom Krasniqi will continue on in afternoon drive with producer Chris Mathis for The Drive.

Their final show kicked off with station voice Jim Cutler saying, “…Finally, Tampa Bay can sleep easy knowing this hideous show is finally over.”

And with that went three very fast hours of looking back on a nearly decade-long run for Lane and Krasniqi. “It seems kind of surreal, doesn’t it?” said Lane.

Mathis had several special guests lined up for the final show and many others left voice messages which were played coming out of breaks. Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht and Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford took part in the final show. Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks also called in and, at first, identified himself as “Pete from St. Louis” before asking what the hosts thought of the Rays bullpen.

“I’m telling you man, when I hear all of these tributes it really brings a tear to my eye, Ronnie,” said Krasniqi. “It’s a surreal moment…It makes me feel so fortunate and blessed to be in this position sitting next to you all these years. This is one of those moments where I am almost speechless and just so incredibly overwhelmed by the support and the love that everyone has shown here today.”

Lane responded, “…Our time together is really coming to an end. I might get a little emotional before this show is over, but we have had a great time and been through many ups and downs…This business is crazy and for us to be able to do what we are doing and doing it on our terms…And for a company that believes in both of us to give us this opportunity to go in different directions with the same company is truly amazing…It doesn’t happen like this always in this business, usually it’s an ugly goodbye.”

As the show came to an end, Lane reminded everyone, “It has been a blast, but we’re not freakin’ leaving!”

“We’re not leaving folks,” ‘TKras’ said. “Thanks very much for being a part of our lives and thanks for having us as part of yours. Onward and upward. You are dismissed.”

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Tyler Murray Added to WEEI Red Sox Radio Bench

“Coming up on 13 seasons in [minor league baseball], it’s not lost on me how fortunate I am to have this opportunity.”

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Photo of Tyler Murray and logos for WEEI and the Boston Red Sox
Photo Credit: Ashley Green

The voice of the Worcester Red Sox, Tyler Murray, has been added to the Red Sox Radio play-by-play bench. WEEI made the announcement on their X account, saying, “On the heels of calling the Hockey East Tourney this weekend [and] adding to his excellent work [with the Worcester Red Sox], happy to announce that Tyler Murray will be helping to build our [Red Sox Network] bench this year! Tyler’s 1st series in the big leagues will be April 5-7 [with Will Flemming].

Murray, who has also called college hockey games on NESN plus college football and basketball games, said on X, “Coming up on 13 seasons in [minor league baseball], it’s not lost on me how fortunate I am to have this opportunity. Thank you to [WEEI brand manager Ken Laird] and [Audacy Boston Senior Vice President/Market Manager Mike Thomas], and to everyone who has reached out. Your support has honestly been overwhelming, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Murray’s first series will be the Red Sox taking on the Los Angeles Angels on the road, April 5-7.

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