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Tony Massarotti, co-host of the acclaimed “Felger and Massarotti” show on 98.5 The Sports Hub since the station launched in 2009, said on Monday’s show that his recent He announced that his absence was due to an unexpected health problem.<\/span><\/p>\n He also revealed that NESN did not ask him as an analyst for the Red Sox broadcast next season.Massarotti was part of a rotating group of color analysts that aired last year.<\/span><\/p>\n Massarotti, 55, choked up a bit when he explained his situation at the end of the first hour of Monday’s show, but didn’t specifically talk about the illness or disease he faced.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n “I had some health issues during the vacation that I didn’t expect,” Mazarotti said, revealing that he had fallen ill during a show just before the vacation. Needed immediate attention we dealt with them I feel good about it but I will have to too [pace myself] I was able to return to work here on the advice of the people who looked after me. \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n “So I’m going to go in and out a little bit over the next few weeks. Not a full week for me. But I’m going to rebuild up to a full week. It shouldn’t be too long. Repeat.” But I’m feeling pretty good and I appreciate people reaching out.<\/span><\/p>\n Massarotti had been largely absent from the show since mid-December. He had planned to take time off before his health problems arose. He said he was thinking of returning last week, but he decided to take some time off.<\/span><\/p>\n “I’m back. I feel good and I’m happy to be back,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n As for NESN, he said it was the network’s decision not to bring him back for a second season on Red Sox broadcasts.<\/span><\/p>\n “We both knew it was kind of an experiment,” Massarotti said. I also want to thank the Red Sox for doing that, so it was worth a shot.They want to go the other way, that’s their call.I wanted to do that first. But that’s fine. No harm, no foul.”<\/span><\/p>\n Massarotti made a name for himself in local sports media circles for the Boston Herald, where he began working as an intern in 1989. Boston.com.<\/span><\/p>\n In August 2009, Massarotti and former Boston Herald colleague Michael Felger took an afternoon drive together through the Sports Hub. Sports Hub started as an FM station where he was still a challenger to the perennial sports radio powerhouse WEEI, which was still broadcasting on AM radio. at the time. Sports Hub quickly emerged as a challenger to WEEI’s ratings dominance.<\/span><\/p>\n Ferger and Massarotti have dominated afternoon drives for over a decade. Since spring 2012 when he finished third, he has finished first in Nielsen Audio’s age 25 to his age 54 demographic in each three-month evaluation period.<\/span><\/p>\n Chad Finn can be reached at chad.finn@globe.com. follow him on twitter @globechadfinn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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