Phillips Joins ESPN's ‘Sunday Night'
When the Atlanta Braves visit the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies on April 5, ESPN will not only televise the opener of the 2009 Major League Baseball season but start its 20th covering the national pastime.
Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 4/2/2009 11:14:25 AM
When the Atlanta Braves visit the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies on April 5, ESPN will not only televise the opener of the 2009 Major League Baseball season but start its 20th covering the national pastime.
In its last telecast of the 2008 season, the total sports network covered the final game played at Yankee Stadium. This Sunday, ESPN will open the door to a three-man booth for Sunday Night Baseball as Steve Phillips joins the team of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan.
Phillips, a minor league player, former scout, director of minor league operations and general manager of the New York Mets, has been with the network since 2005, calling Monday Night Baseball games and working on Baseball Tonight, other hardball-related shows and ESPN.com.
Phillips hopes to convey his experiences from wearing those varied caps on Sunday Night Baseball, which averaged a 2.0 rating and 2.62 mil-lion viewers last season, down from a 2.2 and 2.75 million in the 2007 campaign.
"I hope to bring some different perspectives to the telecasts. I played seven years in the minor league for the Detroit Tigers. I ran minor league operations. I was in the scouting department and made evaluations and decisions as a general manager," he said. "I want to discuss all of those issues and the business of baseball, from a global perspective as we talk about the players and the game."
Phillips said he's "honored to be working with Joe and Jon, they are two of the best." But he "doesn't have trepidation" about becoming the third wheel with the long-established team. "I'm going to be myself. There are differences working with a three-man, rather than a two-man booth. I've done that on Monday night. Things tend to work themselves out. We want to get in a rhythm of three guys sitting around talking about baseball and hope it becomes something that becomes a good listen for the fans."
The trio had a little spring training in the booth of their own with their coverage of the semifinals and finals of the World Baseball Classic.
Phillips, who also worked games from earlier rounds in Puerto Rico and San Diego, called the WBC "a tremendous idea, much of which is working. It's good for the growth of the game internationally, he said, noting the Netherlands stunning upset of the Dominican Republican, the Australian team's hitting and the improvement of the Chinese squad from the inaugural WBC in 2006.
He said the tournament needs to "tighten up its scheduling," but it is going to become more important in the years ahead, as baseball is no longer an Olympic sport. "The WBC will be in its place, like the World Cup."
As for the United States, Phillips said USA Baseball needs to take a different approach for the 2013 tourney. The team must get to work out earlier as a full team, rather than letting the players work out individually. Starters should be selected and back-up players in place, instead of having All-Stars sitting on the bench.
"Managers feel compelled to split playing time. There needs to be utility players," he said. "The Koreans and Japanese (the latter topped the former to win its second consecutive WBC crown) have a spring training. They're not complaining about also having to get ready for their professional seasons."
Here in the States, Phillips sees good things for Chicago Cubs fans, 101 years removed from their last World Series title. He picks the residents of Wrigley Field to win the National League Central and represent the senior circuit in the World Series, where they'll face the Bronx Bombers.
Phillips believes the New York Yankees will be the American League Wild Card representative, giving the AL East title to their nemesis, the Boston Red Sox. He also projects the Minnesota Twins to take the AL Central and the Los Angeles Angels to defend their AL West crown.
Phillips says there will also be a repeat in the NL West with Manny Ramirez leading the Los Angeles Dodgers. His former club, the Mets, will finish with the Wild Card, behind the Phillies.
The D.C.-area denizens? Phillips said the Baltimore Orioles are getting interesting, despite being in a tough division. Citing Nick Markakis, Melvin Mora, Ma, Ty Wigginton, Brian (not the Comcast CEO) Roberts and young outfielder Adam Jones, "who is getting rave reviews," Phillips said, "there's going to be growth. There's light at the end of the tunnel."
Darkness is more likely for the Washington Nationals. "There are a few pieces. You close your eyes and dream, but chances are it's going to be a long season," said Phillips.
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