ESPN Brings Out Heavy Hitters for ‘Home Run Derby’
Network Kicks Off Midsummer Classic Coverage With Long-Ball Exhibition
By Larry Barrett -- Multichannel News, 7/11/2008 6:29:00 AM
ESPN, as it has for each of the past 16 years, will provide live coverage of Major League Baseball’s 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby on Monday, July 14 at 8 p.m. ET.
Along with the mother network, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN360.com and ESPN International will all provide extensive coverage of the Home Run Derby, pitting sluggers from the American and National Leagues against one another to see who can hit the most home runs out of Yankee Stadium. The 85-year-old venue will be shuttered following the season to make way for the Yankees’ new $1.3 billion ballpark.
Chris Berman will host the Derby, which is also available in high definition on ESPN HD, with analysts Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips. Baseball Tonight host Karl Ravech will also provide commentary with analysts Peter Gammons, John Kruk and ESPN The Magazine’s Rick Reilly.
Erin Andrews will report and provide on-field interviews and the production crew can pick and choose from 20 cameras capturing all the action. This year, ESPN will use its “Ultra Mo” replay device which provides images at 1,000 frames per second.
While there’s no Barry Bonds this year—or even hometown slugger and perennial All-Star Alex Rodriguez—the Home Run Derby lineup reads like a “Who’s Who” list of up-and-coming young stars with the likes of Grady Sizemore (pictured), Chase Utley, Ryan Braun, Josh Hamilton and Dan Uggla among those scheduled to take their cuts.
ESPN Radio’s Dan Shulman and Dave Campbell will call the Home Run Derby, with on-field reports from Peter Pascarelli. For the second consecutive year, ESPN360.com will provide a live simulcast of the event.
Ernesto Jerez will call the Derby for ESPN Deportes with analyst Candy Maldonado and on-field reporters Guillermo Celis and Carolina Guillén. ESPN Deportes’ Beisbol Esta Noche, hosted by Luis Alfredo Alvarez with analyst Carlos Baerga, will preview the event at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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