On-field interviews get mixed reviews

WASHINGTON • In the top of the third inning of Thursday's American League Wild Card Series game between the Chicago White Sox and Oakland A's, ESPN returned from commercial with a treat: A's centre-fielder Ramon Laureano, fitted with a microphone, joined the broadcast live from the field.

What followed Thursday afternoon was 11 minutes of riveting television.

It began with White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez, battling an ankle injury, promptly ripping a ball to the gap in left-centre field. Laureano sprinted to the wall, corralled the ball and, as he went to throw to second, exclaimed: “Damn! He can f---ing run.”

“He's hurt,” Laureano explained after the play. “That's why I wanted to throw it.”

Commentator Dave Flemming offered: “Well, that's part of doing live television.”

When Jimenez was visited by the White Sox trainer and left the game, apparently aggravating his ankle injury while legging out the double, Laureano said, “He's too young!”

It was just the beginning for Laureano, though. After he caught a fly ball, Chicago's Luis Robert singled to centre. Laureano gasped, “Oh yeah,” as he charged the ball and then unleashed a throw to the plate with an audible grunt.

Though the run scored easily, Flemming and his partner Jessica Mendoza got an immediate reaction from Laureano, who seemed to initially think he might have a play at home.

“Did you think you had a chance to get him?” Laureano was asked.

“It was too slow,” Laureano said, in reference to the speed of the hit. “It's OK.”

He added, “That Robert guy is on fire now.”

In a do-or-die playoff game, Laureano's commentary offered a new dynamic. It was a remarkable window for viewers into a player with the season on the line. And it quickly became controversial.

Before the Los Angeles Dodgers played the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of their series Thursday night, manager Dave Roberts told reporters that he would no longer allow his players to participate in live in-game interviews after his third baseman Justin Turner was mic'd up during Game 1. Roberts said he found out Turner would be wearing the microphone an hour before the game, and signalled that there may be friction between players who want exposure and teams that may frown upon it.

ESPN's vice president of production Mark Gross said the network met with baseball officials during the off-season and requested more access to players. The network began experimenting in spring training, when two players wore a microphone simultaneously during a game and were able to talk to each other and announcers.

During the regular season, players were interviewed live from the field during Sunday night telecasts. Gross said ESPN got MLB's approval to continue making requests of players for the playoffs. Sometimes the answer comes back yes and sometimes no, he said.

Asked about Roberts' criticism, Gross said, “That's fair. We don't want to intrude or get in the way. Almost all of the players have said, `No problem, just talk to me.' But we certainly respect the fact they're working.”

Ultimately, Gross said, the interviews are a good way to showcase individual players in a sport that has trouble marketing its stars. “People walk away with a better feel for the A's and being in centre field,” he said. “I give Major League Baseball credit for being more aggressive.”

ESPN does not have any broadcast rights to the later rounds of baseball playoffs, so it's unclear if viewers will get more on-field interviews later in the playoffs.