After indications to the contrary, ESPN will not carry a daily MLB studio show this season. Also: ESPN is cutting its final ties with NASCAR, while a former ESPN NASCAR analyst has found a new home.
ESPN decides against daily baseball studio show
ESPN will not carry a daily Major League Baseball studio show this season, despite multiple reports to the contrary late last year, Awful Announcing reported Monday. Just two months ago, Awful Announcing and the New York Post reported that ESPN was planning to either relaunch a weekday edition of Baseball Tonight or debut a new series. Per Monday’s report, those ideas were abandoned due to ratings considerations.
Since paring back Baseball Tonight to Sundays-only in 2017 — a move brought about by ESPN’s widespread layoffs in May of that year — the network’s only daily baseball show was a simulcast of MLB Network’s Intentional Talk. ESPN moved on from that show in December. [Awful Announcing 1.29]
Craven out at ESPN
ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven will not return to the network this season, ending his decade-long tenure with the company. He announced the news on his Twitter account last week. Craven was the last NASCAR analyst left on ESPN after the company parted ways with the series in 2014, appearing primarily on SportsCenter. [Ricky Craven/Twitter 1.23]
Jayski reportedly ceasing operations
The writers of the NASCAR website Jayski — Jay Adamczyk, Scott Page and Amanda Brooks — have been let go from ESPN, and the site is expected to cease operations, it was announced Monday. ESPN acquired Jayski from Adamczyk in 2007. The site originally launched in 1996 and had been updated every day since January 5, 1998. [Jayski 1.29]
Pockrass lands at Fox
Former ESPN NASCAR writer Bob Pockrass, who was let go by the company late last year, has joined Fox Sports. Pockrass will serve as a NASCAR insider on Fox TV and digital platforms, starting at Daytona Speedweeks next month. His role will presumably not include any writing, as Fox Sports phased out print reporting in 2017. Prior to joining ESPN, Pockrass wrote for Sporting News. [Fox Sports 1.27]
