ESPN considers A-Rod Sunday show to echo MNF’s ‘Manning-cast’
ESPN is considering a broadcast for Alex Rodriguez similar to its “Monday Night Football” Manning-cast as it reshuffles its “Sunday Night Baseball” coverage, The Post has learned.
If this were to happen, Rodriguez would be out of the regular Sunday night booth.
It is not yet clear how the alternative broadcast would be presented and for how many Sunday night games it would be used. Peyton and Eli Manning, for example, only do 10 of the 17 weeks of “Monday Night Football.”
Meanwhile, YES’s David Cone has once again emerged as a candidate for the lead Sunday night game crew, according to sources. There is the possibility the booth will consists of Karl Ravech as the lead play-by-player with Cone and Eduardo Perez as the analysts.
There has been a sense among some close to the situation that Rodriguez, if he were to remain in the booth, favored YES’s Michael Kay for play-by-play and was not as high on working with Ravech.
ESPN’s top radio play-by-player is Jon Sciambi, who is also the TV voice of the Cubs. ESPN appears likely to go with Ravech — its longtime studio host, who moved to play-by-play — over Sciambi.
Starting next year, ESPN will have significantly fewer weekday MLB games, making the Sunday night gig the only fulltime TV one on ESPN.
Rodriguez was the one who originally pushed to have Cone join ESPN in the first place. There were talks two years ago about teaming Cone with Rodriguez in a booth with play-by-player Matt Vasgersian, but that did not happen.
Following the conclusion of last season, Vasgersian decided to leave “Sunday Night Baseball” after four years. There was a feeling that a move to Ravech on play-by-play might have already been in motion in Bristol, which likely played into Vasgersian’s thinking.
Rodriguez isn’t the biggest question mark in ESPN’s MLB puzzle
The “Sunday Night Baseball” booth will potentially become even more important next year, because ESPN could have the expanded opening round of the playoffs. That will be a negotiating issue between the owners and the players, who are currently being locked out.
ESPN has had great success with the Mannings commenting on “Monday Night Football.” While the brothers have added more shine to the series, the ratings for their broadcasts on ESPN2 are dwarfed by the main crew of Steve Levy, Louis Riddick and Brian Griese’s audience on the main ESPN channel.
Rodriguez, 46, fashions himself as a media personality and entrepreneur with his co-ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves, appearances on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” a role as a Fox MLB studio analyst and a Barstool Sports podcast.
He has been in the ESPN booth for four years, but has been better in Fox’s MLB studio. This is partly why some ESPN executives think an “A-Rodcast” might work.
The look and feel of a potential “A-Rodcast” might not mirror what the Mannings do. ESPN has been producing alternative broadcasts for many years, so Rodriguez’s shows could have their own wrinkles. As for Cone and YES, there is a strong desire for him to continue to do Yankees games, according to sources. If he were to agree with ESPN, then the schedule would have to be figured out so both networks could be accommodated.
Clicker Book Club
Papa Clicker has ventured into the hockey arena with his latest review of, “No One Wins Alone, A Memoir,” by Mark Messier and Jimmy Roberts.
The book traces Messier’s career from his childhood to the present day, including his 26 years in hockey and six Stanley Cups (including with the 1994 Rangers). Messier’s memories of September 11, 2001, were particularly poignant.
All in all, Messier and Roberts receive 4.25 out of 5 clickers.