Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo Responds to Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo's Retirement Threat

Radio host Chris "Mad Dog" Russo said he would retire on the spot if the Arizona Diamondbacks came back to beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.

Outside of a trip to the World Series, there is even more at stake in Game 7 of the NLCS between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies.

Longtime sports radio host Chris "Mad Dog" Russo said on his Sirius XM show Monday that he would retire if the Diamondbacks came back from down 3-2 to beat the Phillies. Arizona wound up running away with a 5-1 victory in Game 6 later that night, setting up a winner-takes-all Game 7 on Tuesday.

“I’ve been wrong on Arizona from day one – I'm stunned they beat Milwaukee, I thought they'd get swept by the Dodgers, I never thought they'd even go back to Philly for a Game 6,” Russo said at the time. “I'll try it one more time: I would not be stunned if they won (Monday), I would be floored. And I’ll say this right now – and (New York Daily News columnist) Bob Raissman, write it down – if they win the next two games and win this series in seven games, if they win, I will retire on the spot.”

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, as it turns out, has caught wind of that declaration by Russo.

"I would love to see him quit if we won today," Lovullo said, per PHNX Sports beat reporter Jesse Friedman.

Lovullo admitted he was friends with Russo, and it appears his retort was all in good fun.

Torey Lovullo on Mad Dog Russo, playfully:

"I would love to see him quit if we won today."

Lovullo said that he and Mad Dog are good friends.

— Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) October 24, 2023

If the Diamondbacks can eke out another win Tuesday night, though, it remains to be seen how Russo will actually respond. Russo has been a prominent local and national sports radio host since 1988, and he has been a co-host of ESPN's "First Take" since 2022.

First pitch for Game 7 is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET.

The winner will face the Texas Rangers in the World Series, which starts Friday night in Arlington.

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