NESN hired former Oakland A’s manager Ken Macha as a Red Sox studio analyst and WMUR sports reporter Naoko Funayama as a Red Sox feature reporter.
Macha will join Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, Red Sox legend Jim Rice and former first baseman Dave McCarty as part of the network’s rotating cast of studio analysts for the regional sports network’s one-hour pregame show, Olympia Sports Presents The Boston Globe Pre-Game Show, and postgame shows WB Mason Extra Innings and Granite City Electric Extra Innings Extra. His first appearance is scheduled May 4 before the Red Sox take on the Twins in Minnesota.
Macha managed the A’s from 2003-06 where he compiled a .568 winning percentage with two American League West division titles. He served five years as a coach in the Red Sox organization including two years as the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox. As a player, Macha was a corner infielder who spent six seasons in the big leagues with Pittsburgh, Montreal and Toronto, as well as four seasons in Japan playing for the Chunichi Dragons.
Funayama will make her debut as a NESN reporter this Wednesday, delivering reports to both NESN’s pregame show and NESN SportsDesk focusing on the stories surrounding Daisuke Matsuzaka and his impact both on and off the field. A sports reporter and anchor for WMUR in Manchester, N.H., Funayama has been covering all of the Boston sports teams since 2004 and has also covered the Boston Marathon, NCAA playoffs and NASCAR.
