Letting Benetti go was a mistake

Detroit — The Detroit Tigers issued a brief statement Wednesday congratulating former television voice Jason Benetti on his new national assignment, but the muted response only underscored the lingering unease inside the organization and among fans after the club elected not to renew the play-by-play announcer’s contract last off-season.

Benetti, who spent three seasons calling Tigers games on the club’s regional network, was introduced this week as the new lead announcer for NBC’s flagship “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcasts. The network praised his storytelling ability and deep knowledge of the game, qualities that Tigers viewers had come to rely on during his tenure in Detroit.

Team officials offered no additional comment on the separation, limiting their remarks to a single sentence expressing pride in Benetti’s achievement. The silence has revived debate over whether the front office undervalued a broadcaster whose national profile was rising.

While the Tigers turn their attention to on-field rebuilding, the decision to part ways with Benetti now looks, in hindsight, like a missed opportunity to keep a rising star aligned with the franchise brand.