Alex Rodriguez has pulled one of the more impressive stunts in recent sports broadcasting history, getting FOX to let him split time with ESPN, and getting ESPN to hire his preferred partner.
Rodriguez and MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian have joined ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team, the network announced Tuesday, working alongside the returning Jessica Mendoza. Rodriguez, who just completed his first year as a full-time Fox Sports analyst, will continue working for that outlet during the postseason.
News of Rodriguez’ interest in joining ESPN was first reported earlier this month by Sporting News, and news of Rodriguez’ desire to work with Vasgersian was reported by The Big Lead.
As one would expect, Fox was reportedly reluctant to allow Rodriguez, the star of its MLB studio, work for its chief rival. MLB Network likely had no similar reluctance with Vasgersian, who frequently moonlighted on Fox Sports in recent years.
In a statement, ESPN said it was “appreciative to our MLB Network and Fox Sports counterparts, as all parties were more than willing to collaborate in order to serve Major League Baseball fans.”
As for ESPN, it was not clear how the network felt about letting Rodriguez handpick Dan Shulman‘s replacement (Shulman left SNB of his own accord last year). Passing up in-house talent — Jon Sciambi was the favorite for the role — at the request of an incoming hire would seem to be unprecedented.
Vasgersian, Rodriguez and Mendoza are the ninth different SNB broadcast team in the past decade. Jon Miller and Joe Morgan worked together in a two-man booth from 1990-2008. Steve Phillips joined the duo in 2009 and was replaced (after a high-profile firing) by Orel Hershiser in 2010. Then ESPN replaced Miller and Morgan with Shulman and Bobby Valentine in 2011, Valentine with Terry Francona in 2012, Francona with Jon Kruk in 2013, Hershiser with Curt Shilling in 2014, Schilling with Mendoza in 2015, and Kruk with Aaron Boone in 2016. It should be noted that Valentine, Francona, Hershiser, Boone and Shulman all left for other opportunities.
[Tue. news from ESPN]
