ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” booth could get even worse next season, and most offensively, carry a stronger pro-pinstripes bias.
Despite the departure of play-by-play man Matt Vasgersian, ESPN execs are keen on the idea of bringing back Alex Rodriguez, reports the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand.
“While Rodriguez is clowned on social media, he could be a kingmaker,” Marchand writes. “If ESPN achieves its goal of bringing back Rodriguez, it could give him a say on his partner if it truly wants to make sure he succeeds.”
There were scant bright spots during A-Rod’s woeful and occasionally bizarre performance Tuesday, such as when he criticized Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin for sending Aaron Judge home in the sixth inning. A-Rod also correctly pointed out that Gerrit Cole didn’t have his best stuff in the top of the first. One batter later, Xander Bogaerts smacked a two-run shot.
But those moments of baseball clarity are fleeting. A-Rod mostly just offers word salad during telecasts. The defining moment of his season came in the top of the ninth, when he weirdly predicted Cole would win the AL Cy Young next year — while the Red Sox were one out away from victory. Rodriguez also wrongly said Cole is entering his second season in New York. He’s actually entering his third.
But ESPN suites must be enamored with A-Rod’s star power, or maybe they’re convinced the right partner would get more out of him. After all, he’s one of the greatest players of all-time.
If A-Rod’s input is valued, ESPN could add former Yankees hurler David Cone to the booth, Marchand says. Rodriguez reportedly wanted Cone to join this season.
As far as play-by-play, ESPN is supposedly considering numerous internal candidates, including Boog Sciambi and Karl Ravech. But there are some outside contenders, one of whom is Michael Kay.
Yes, that Michael Kay. Kay-Rodriguez-Cone on Sunday nights. It would be like the YES broadcast went national.
Given Kay’s unabashed Yankees homerism, it’s hard to imagine ESPN hiring him for “Sunday Night Baseball,”its signature MLB broadcast. Starting next season, ESPN will stop carrying midweek games, placing an even bigger emphasis on Sunday night.
But then again, Tommy Heinsohn used to call NBA Finals. It wouldn’t be unprecedented.
It is high! It is far! Boston viewers are … gone!
