The Washington Post’s Adam Kilgour reports embattled Washington Nationals TV analyst Rob Dibble, recently under fire for (amongst other things) picking on women who attend baseball games and suggesting injured hurler Stephen Strasburg is a simpering pussy, has been permanently relieved of his blabbermouth duties.
There is no word on a permanent replacement for MASN, but Ray Knight will serve as the analyst at least through the end of the Nationals’ current road trip.
Dibble, who became MASN’s analyst at the beginning of last season, has not broadcast a Nationals since Sept. 25. At the time, Nationals President Stan Kasten told the Post that Dibble volunteered to take a leave.
“Rob asked for some time off,” Kasten said at the time. “Perhaps he’s not feeling well. But I’m not a doctor, nor have I seen his records. So I shouldn’t say anything more about it.”
Dibble became a polarizing figure in the broadcast booth. Some fans believed he made games entertaining with enthusiasm for the Nationals — he had a penchant for called the team “we” — and his willingness to criticize a team that has lost 179 games since he began. Others believed his grunting, cheering, back-when-I-played style made games intolerable without a mute button.