ESPN, ESPN2 & ESPN Radio Pick Up Six, Count ‘Em, Six Opening Day MLB Games

In one of the good things ESPN does with Major League Baseball, the Alleged Worldwide Leader picks up a combined six Opening Day games for the Mothership and ESPN2. In addition, ESPN will debut the new Monday Night Baseball announcing crew led by Fang’s Bites 2009 Award Winner for Best MLB play-by-play, Dan Shulman. I’ve noticed ESPN will utilize three man booths for many games including all Sunday Night and Monday Night games. I’m not a fan of three man booths in baseball, but I think ESPN is trying to freshen things up on the broadcasts. Anyway, here’s the Opening Day schedule for ESPN and ESPN2.

ESPN2 to Present MLB Opening Night – Yankees/Red Sox – April 4

ESPN, ESPN2 & ESPN Radio Combine for Six Opening Day Games

ESPN will begin its 21^st season of Major League Baseball coverage – 80 regular-season telecasts across ESPN and ESPN2 – with the telecast of Opening Night. The defending World Champion New York Yankees visit their rival Boston on Sunday, April 4, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD. The telecast will mark the debut of the new Sunday Night Baseball commentator team of Jon Miller, Joe Morgan and Orel Hershiser. Miller, the winner of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2010 Ford C. Frick Award, and Morgan, a Hall of Famer, have worked together in the SNB booth since 1990. The Yankees/Red Sox game will also be available via ESPN Radio, ESPN360.com (which will be renamed ESPN3.com on April 4) and ESPN Mobile TV. 

Baseball Tonight, with long-time host Karl Ravech (16^th season), analysts Nomar Garciaparra, John Kruk and Bobby Valentine and reporters Tim Kurkjian and Buster Olney, will preview Opening Night with a live show from Fenway Park at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. ESPN Radio’s Opening Night broadcast – with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. – will include commentary by Jon Sciambi and Dave Campbell.

In addition to Opening Night, ESPN networks will combine to feature six Opening Day games on Monday, April 5:

• Philadelphia at Washington, with coverage beginning at 12 p.m., on ESPN Radio – Sciambi and Campbell will describe the action;
• St. Louis at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. on ESPN HD, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV – Brent Musburger will call the game with analyst Rick Sutcliffe;
• Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 2 p.m. on ESPN2 HD – Dan Shulman, Aaron Boone and Chris Singleton will call the game;
• Chicago Cubs at Atlanta, 4 p.m. on ESPN HD, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV – Sean McDonough will call the game with analyst Hershiser;
• San Francisco at Houston, 7 p.m. on ESPN2 HD – Miller and Morgan will provide commentary;
• Minnesota at Los Angeles Angels, 10 p.m. on ESPN2 HD – Steve Levy will call his first MLB telecast for ESPN, pairing with analyst Buck Showalter.

Opening Day will feature the debut of the regular Monday Night Baseball booth – Shulman, Boone and Singleton. Wednesday Night Baseball will once again feature Dave O’Brien and analyst Sutcliffe, with Garciaparra occasionally joining them for a three-man booth.

Baseball Tonight will provide highlights, news and information at 10 p.m. on ESPN and following the Twins/Angels game on ESPN2. Baseball Tonight will feature a deep roster of commentators this season including Boone, Garciaparra, Kruk, Kurkjian, Olney, Eduardo Perez, J.P. Ricciardi, Singleton, Showalter, Valentine and Dave Winfield.  In addition to Ravech, Steve Berthiaume will host episodes of Baseball Tonight.

There you have it.