F.P. Santangelo, a former San Francisco Giants radio analyst and seven-year Major League player, confirmed that he will be the team's next color commentator for MASN, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Santangelo will replace Rob Dibble, who was fired last September for controversial comments regarding Stephen Strasburg's injury and other subjects.
Santangelo said he's excited about his new opportunity.
"It has been quite a day," Santangelo said after learning about his new job. "I'm very humbled. It's the pinnacle of what I wanted to do -- even before my baseball career. It quite an honor to be doing it with an organization that I once played for. I'm happy how it has come full circle. It was the happiest time of my playing career.
Santangelo's most memorable years as a player were with the Montreal Expos, so his return to the franchise is fitting. He beat out Ray Knight, who filled in for Dibble on an interim basis at the end of last season, and former St. Louis Cardinals manager Joe Magrane. Knight took his name out of consideration because he didn't want to deal with the travel schedule, according to Ladson. There remains a chance that Knight will continue to be the team's studio analyst alongside Johnny Holiday.
Santangelo will be the fifth different color commentator for the Nationals since the team moved to Washington D.C. in 2005.