Like many baseball fans, I enjoy kicking back at night after the game is over to watch a little show on ESPN called Baseball Tonight.
It all started back in 1990 when ESPN launched the show to recap the happenings in baseball on a nightly basis. It has become such a staple for baseball fans that MLB allows it to air in-progress games at any time.
I don't remember the days of Gary Miller and Dave Campbell, but Baseball Tonight has had some very talented and knowledgeable journalists come through. They've always had some exciting personalities; despite the fact most of them are former baseball players have gone on to bigger things in their career.
However, nothing will be better than Baseball Tonight.
With the departure of many of those great personalities, and the continued downward spiral in terms of quality programming at ESPN, Baseball Tonight is quickly becoming unwatchable.
From the analysts they are bringing in to the new flashy segments, the show is starting to lose its meaning.
From what I understand, Baseball Tonight is Baseball...Tonight. Not, Steve Phillips duplicated and talking to himself Tonight.
Take a look at some of the analysts and hosts they are currently using.
Fernando Vina, Chris Singleton, and Orestes Destrade
These three are boring. The only one I ever heard of before they were employed at ESPN was Vina, and I'm a pretty knowledgeable fan. All three are rather boring, uninteresting, and just not very good in terms of baseball analysis.
Orestes Destrade has his own show on ESPNRadio with John Seibel. They've single-handedly ruined the 4:00 PM timeslot in which current ESPN journeyman Erik Kuselias used to man. I personally don't care about a guy who played in just 237 major-league games.
Destrade and Chris Singleton don’t have much credibility in my opinion. Fernando Vina, with his recent naming in the Mitchell Report, doesn’t provide much either.
Eric Young, John Kruk, and Eduardo Perez
Eric Young and John Kruk are comic relief and nothing more. Young's entire job is to sit there and yell "Souvenir City" every time they show a home run. Which, by the way, is the call used by Indians' radio broadcaster Tom Hamilton. At first, Young was fresh, but his voice is starting to become annoying.
Kruk is passable if he is with someone to balance him out. It's the reason he worked so well with Harold Reynolds. But now he has become a sideshow, and just there to say something funny. He's Charles Barkley without Kenny Smith. Sometimes he will be brutally honest, while other times he will crack a joke about his playing days. More times than not, it relates to his weight.
Eduardo Perez is a great guy and all, I enjoyed his time with the Indians, but it's hard to get insight from a guy who was always injured. He ventures into that “Thanks for telling me something I already knew” category far too often.
Buck Showalter, Orel Hershiser, and Steve Phillips
Showalter is supposed to be the guy I'm learning the most from, considering he is a successful manager. So far, I've learned nothing that I didn't already know. Showalter is a great guy and all, but so far, he is failing to meet expectations.
41 comments Last one added 12 months ago — Leave a Comment
Aron Glatzer about 1 year ago
ESPN definitely needs to overhaul that crew and get it back to the good ol' days. I like the fan aspect of Kurkijan; people can relate to him well. Phillips is a daily disaster indeed.
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Bob Miles about 1 year ago
Good article Nino. I have to agree. ESPN as a whole loses credibility with every passing day as their on air personalities confuse the fact they are the reporters not the story. As for Phillips, one if his ignorant rants is bad enough but to hear him go back and forth with himself is ridiculous to say the least.
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Michael Taylor about 1 year ago
I agree 100%! I long for the days when Harold Reynolds and Dave Campbell were on the show. This new cast, minus Karl Ravech, is really uninsightful. I can't stand listening to Eric Young's voice anymore, and Eduardo Perez, Chris Singleton? They can get better than this.
I actually like listening to Steve Phillips. He does rant about the Tigers and Mets an awful lot, but I enjoy his insights into a GM's mind. I also love the trio of Buster, Gammons and Kurkijan. I think that they have the most credibility of the baseball guys on the network.
I also hate the "Chatter Up". I'd rather see more highlights or insights into the game. I like when they do the segments on their "field" when they explain how a relay throw should work, or how to bunt, or whatever...
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Ian Thomas about 1 year ago
Sorry, but this is ridiculous. Yeah, a few of the guys are pretty terrible, but overall, it's a well put together show that does exaclty what it's supposed to. If you don't like it...then don't watch it. There are plenty of other sources to get baseball information from.
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
The problem Ian, is I do like it. But the quality of the program has dropped off.
Baseball Tonight is supposed to show the expanded highlights of all the games in baseball. They are not delivering that to me, and I don't know any other baseball show out there that can do that.
Like I said, I don't like to rag on ESPN. They are the world wide leader for a reason and Baseball Tonight used to be(and even though the quality has dropped, still could be) one of the better shows on ESPN. But, I truly care about the stuff they put out, and I want it to get better. I'm not one of these "Bah ESPN sucks" people, I watch it everyday. I just want to see them get back to the basics and do what made them successful.
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Bob Warja about 1 year ago
Good article and I agree with you on most counts. They miss Harold Reynolds and no doubt Ravich is their best anchor. Ilike Kruk, but agree that Arestes whatshisname, and the others aer boring.
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Danny Devine about 1 year ago
This is probably the most honest and true blog I have ever read. We all miss Reyonds and thats why MLB.com is going up and Baseball tonight in falling down the mountain.
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Micah Secor about 1 year ago
Excellent article, I was not aware that Touch em all and web gems were not apart of the show anymore. The quality of the show is definitely dropping, I only watch the score updates on the show, nothing else. Reynolds is the missing piece to that show.
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
They are still on the show.. It seems like they've cut down on Touch 'Em all though, and the quality of Web Gems has gone down.
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JJ Stankevitz about 1 year ago
Touch 'em all has gone from the day's biggest home runs to OH MY GAWD PEDROOOOIAAAAAHHH HIT A DINGAAAAAH (basically, anybody on the Sawx or Yankes who hit a home run will get featured). It really speaks to the overall Red Sox/Yankee bias ESPN has, though...
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Mike Duffy about 1 year ago
touch em all and web gems are still on the show, i watched it last night and saw them. the quality of the show is dropping but the show is still good. i usually watch it every day once the trade deadline looms closer and closer. tonight will probably be entirely on willie randolph and the mets. i think kruk is the best out of their current former player analysts, but hes still no harold reynolds, none of them are. peter gammons should be on more often, as he is the only one of them thats a hall of famer.
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Joe Willett about 1 year ago
Great article, the music contest is the WORST idea I have ever seen ESPN come up with.
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
That was the pushing point for me Joe. I can deal with all the other stuff, because it's baseball related. And while Take Me Out to the Ballgame is a baseball song, it hardly has anything to do with the actual game played on the field.
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Joe Willett about 1 year ago
And I haven't heard half the "artists" who are performing.
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Jeff Smirnoff about 1 year ago
Orel and Gammons are the only 2 worth anything. The show used to be so good and now it's just awful. Watch ESPN News instead.
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Sam Wenk about 1 year ago
Nino, amazing job and I tried my hardest to find what you were saying was wrong, but I couldn't! I do miss the days of Reynolds, and I agree with you that Kruk has become merely a living joke.
I like Steve Phillips during interviews with Radio hosts, but he does mention the Mets and Tigers way too much.
Buster Olney excels at exacly what you wrote, reporting. His daily blog is must-read material and he is generally right about a lot of potential rumors. ESPN has tried to make him more television friendly but he needs to stick to what he does best.
I feel bad for Gammons because he is one of the greatest baseball people ever. You're right about him most likely not being the same since his accident, but I still think he find ways to use his knowledge the best. He too writes a blog and updates it probably once or twice per week.
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
I love Peter Gammons, there is no one better in the business than him, any one will tell you that. I feel bad for him, and really I don't even mind. He is still better post-accident than most. You can just tell though since he came back he is stumbling over words and isn't the same.
He still has the most numbers in his cell-phone than any guy in baseball, and he still has infinite wisdom.
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Adam Amick about 1 year ago
Wow... Thorough analysis. Did you forward this to someone at ESPN?
I'd poke and prod and call until you got through to a producer or someone who gives a damn and they at least acknowledge your comments.
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Andrew Kneeland about 1 year ago
Great, great analysis. I am blessed because I don't get ESPN. I don't envy your position.
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Nick Dobreff about 1 year ago
couldn't agree more
Im always pumped when I see Orel doing a broadcast for an espn game. He is by far the most insightful analyst when it comes to pitching going right now. It helps that I love him from his time with the Tribe but he really knows his stuff and provides top notch stuff every time he's on.
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Ryan Metcalf about 1 year ago
man this is dead on. great job man.
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Derek Coffelt about 1 year ago
I miss Harold Reynolds. I loved watching him go at it with John Kruk and see him coming out on top every time.
The only memory I have of John Kruk is seeing him almost keel over after laughing so hard while seeing Kansas City player Ken Harvey get hit in the back on a relay throw from the outfield a couple years back.
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Zander Freund about 1 year ago
The quality of Baseball Tonight has indeed fallen off significantly since the 90's and early 00's. The talent just isn't there anymore—no offense to Eric Young, but he's no Harold Reynolds, neither on or off the field...
That said, I think the drop in Baseball Tonight is probably less steep than that of Sportscenter, which literally went from one of the funniest shows on all of television to a bland and boring sports highlight rundown in a matter of a few years.
ESPN has got to realize that the on-air personalities they feature make or break their shows. Guys like Dan Patrick and Harold Reynolds simply are not replaceable.
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
I don't know if anyone has heard Dan Patrick post-ESPN, but our local ESPN radio has picked him up in favor of the Tirico/Van Pelt thing they do now. I think I can honestly say Patrick is that much better now that he isn't being held back by ESPN.
I listened to his show at ESPN, and while it wasn't my favorite, I did listen to it. Now, I'd say it's one of the best sports radio shows out there. I'd say it is safe to say that ESPN needs him more than he needs them. Especially since he was one of the better SC anchors they had.
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RedSox Maniac about 1 year ago
I think Steve Phillips is an amazing analyst, but I feel, like with the Fox Football shows, that they are "dumbing down" the analysts' insights because there are just a lot of fans who don't know a lot.
I use Steve Phillips ( and I can add Olney ) to the mix ( and let me add Ken Rosenthal from Fox as well ) because on-air time on tv, these guys have to consolidate great analysis into simpler ( and non-controversial) statements that tell the story quickly.
On the weekend baseball show, Steve Phillips can bring up the most incredible, witty, and content-full analysis on so much in baseball, it is sometimes downright annoying ( but fun to listen to ). The same goes for Olney in his article ( I consider him a young Gammons, but he needs another decade to bring the same names together ), and Ken Rosenthal.
The dynamic shows that the show itself, and not always the personalities, creates a hierarchy that may not come up with the best content for viewers. They come up with the most marketable analysis.
Example: Baseball tonight will never talk about the system that Varitek has with scouting and exploiting the hitter's weaknesses. And they wouldn't bring up his OCD to switch to another side of the plate right before the pitch is thrown ( to deter the person on-base or the hitter who may be peaking from assuming his position before the pitch is thrown ). Only a die-hard fan would understand these intricate parts of the game.
Although most catchers have similar systems, Charlie O'Brien, sometimes Charles Johnson, Eduardo Perez, and Varitek are the only catchers I have seen ( my lifetime is short ), that do that type of thing. Whether this helps or doesn't help isn't the thing; this is the type of knowledge very few baseball fans have, or if told for the first time, can have enough baseball knowledge to contest this claim.
One of the guys who use to have great knowledge like this was good old Bobby Valentine. He would have analysis so concise, so random, and yet so on-point, I use to become obsessed just hearing him speak baseball.
But with the ESPN/ABC/Disney marketing system, these shows are sacrificing rich content for hyper-graphics and cookie-cutter analysis for the average fan, because numbers and ratings are needed to advertisers. ESPN as a whole ( and I think they did an article on this a year ago as kind of a "we know" information about content & advertising ) has become an advertising-content system, where they are substituting news reporting and journalism to get money in favor of branding and content-buying ( such as getting the football contract, then advertising football all god damn year! ) to get money.
I agree with your article 100%. My point is that the analysis of most sports has left the television and has gone into the radio shows and blogs. I don't foresee a better tv baseball program than baseball tonight, but it has fallen down over the years, and it does disappoint me.
You should send this article into ESPN. Maybe they should make a 2nd show, something more interactive, or more informative.
Thanks for the read. You have brought up something I think about enough, even though we all are clearly seeing the demise of a great show.
Ken Rosenthal
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
I don't know if Varitek does that all the time, but occasionally Victor Martinez does that at times.
Eddie Perez last night was the definition of "Cookie-Cutter"..
His whole point about what the Mets needed to do to turn their season around was..............win
WOW?! REALLY? Win? No.. You don't say? I would have never guessed.. After all the talking he did, he basically said what the question was.. "What do they need to do to win?".. His answer.. WIN! Of Course!
Thanks for your response, I will agree with you on that last point. It's a big reason I listen to the radio more than I watch television. The sad part is that the television is the best part to break something down, visual is way better than audio or something on a blog.
As for sending this to ESPN, which someone else mentioned. I'd love to, but not sure how I would go about doing so, or even if they'd give a college student like myself the time of day.
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Grant Clay about 1 year ago
Cannot agree more.
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Justin Morgan about 1 year ago
Pretty good stuff! Being a cleveland fan i like how you threw in the 2 Indians references. I think of all the past and present guys on the show the best line up should be a 4 man line up with Karl as the "Host", Harold Reynolds and Oral Hershiser as the analysts and TIm K as the reporter.
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Patrick Gallen about 1 year ago
Since you have basically ripped apart the entire Baseball Tonight lineup, with the people you dislike, who would you replace them with? Phillips needs to be given more credit. He is TV friendly, speaks well and still has baseball knowledge 10x you and I. Hershiser is great, as are Gammons, Kurkjian and you have to have Kruk, hes still decent.
So that said, who are 5 others you would put on there, Reynolds aside, since there is no way he is coming back. You;ve got to think that ESPN gets the best talent from across the country for analysts because they pay the most. I would bring in Rosenthal, if he wants to go to ESPN. Steve Stone, who used to to color for ESPN games was good to, bring him back. Rex Hudler from the Angels is incredible, but im sure he would rather be at a game than in the studio. Mark Grace and Kevin Kennedy on FOX are also decent, sign them up. How about even bringing in a player with TV aspirations from time to time? Larry Andersen, the Phillies radio color man is pretty good too. Put him and Kruk on together and open up a 30 pack and youve got yourself a show.
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
I think, despite my ripping on most of their staff, that I was pretty fair in terms of the amount of guys that I do enjoy.
I'll give Steve some credit, but he needs to cut out on his Tiger and Met bias. I can never take a thought about the Indians or any other AL Central team for real with him, because of that Tiger bias. It crushes credibility. Many have mentioned his work on the radio show, and yes I've heard that on occasion. He does some good work there. I'll give him that.
Don't get me wrong, Kurk has become there for comic relief, but I still enjoy him. As mentioned, when he was paired with HR, that made a great team. You just can't get that dynamic though with other guys they have on there, cause it seems every time he gives a thought, he's cracking a joke.
The five guys that I really don't like are Perez, Singleton, Young, Vina, and Destrade. All fairly recent additions to the team.
As for who I'd add. I'm not sure to be honest with you. I haven't seen much of the FOX shows, and that is mainly because I can't stand Zelasko. I like Mark Grace, he's experienced, been around and is a funny guy. I got nothing against Rosenthal, but once again, a reporter, ESPN doesn't push those guys much as analysts.
There's a young guy sitting around Tampa as an assistant coach named Brian Anderson who I'd consider if I was in charge. He worked Sportstimeohio last year and he knows his stuff. Anderson could break down the aspect of pitching better than most people I've heard.
I don't know who could go and get out of team broadcasts to be honest. I don't hear many other than the Tribe.
I guess that was the flaw in this.. I didn't think of people to use as replacements. Fact is I just don't know who is out there.. It seems like they pull guys who retire and stick them in the booth. I just want guys who explain the game well, and give solid points, disagree with them or not. Guys like Eddie Perez are just up there mailing it in with these obvious thoughts and statements.
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Patrick Gallen about 1 year ago
I thought it was a very good piece you wrote, dont get my wrong. It's just that the thing is, who is really out there? I agree that ESPN is starting to put crap on BBTN as well as other shows as a way for ratings. But as far as analysts go, there probably isnt an over abundance of guys who are well-spoken, know the game inside and out, and can relate the game in a way we can all understand.
No these guys arent big names but I imagine it is hard to find the biggest names to come on a daily show where three people talk for 30 minutes. The big ego's are getting the bigger, higher profile jobs such as VP positions. Will you see a guy like Ken Griffey Jr or Curt Schilling, to well-versed humans on baseball tonight? Probably not. It looks like this is about as good as it gets.
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Brandon Heikoop about 1 year ago
Good article but I think you are taking the wrong approach.
The problem is, our generation is now spoiled. We have thousands of websites to visit and hundreds of stations to check out. This does not excuse ESPN, but the problem is that everything is being watered down. Where 'experts' such as Ken Rosenthal would be on ESPN, he is now with FOX Sports. FSN and other team specific networks are popping up all over the place.
That said, BT has definitely taken a hit. However, it never should have been anything more then an hour long 'Sports Centre' for baseball. I think we were spoiled by years of outstanding coverage, but need to remind ourselves that the purpose is first and foremost is to recall the nights baseball events and report the ongoings of baseball. Certainly the quality has lessened in recent years, but it still provides the basic elements one looks for.
Keep in mind, the competition it holds and how poorly those shows compare. That is, think of 'The Baseball Report' on FSN or 'TWIB' on FOX.
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
Fair point... I guess you can't do anything with it. ESPN is on top, and they know that. They have nothing to play for, so they just skate on by with whatever they want. Especially with no competition nipping at their heels.
I probably wouldn't take that mentality, but with the expanding world, that is the one they are taking. More power to them, that's why they are the world wide leader.
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Brandon Heikoop about 1 year ago
Actually, I was suggesting the complete opposite. While BT may be falling off somewhat, I think it is more reflective of mainstream media as a whole. I mean, where does anyone go if they want the most thorough and up to date information on anything? The web.
People aren't blogging and starting up websites such as these because they are not in demand, quite the opposite. Which tells me, that the public does not want to wait until 10 PM for the most recent updates. Carlos Zambrano got hurt tonight, I want to know now, not in a couple hours.
All that being said, it is clear ESPN is at least trying. They may be failing, but they are still trying. With the list of hosts you mentioned, it is clear that they are trying to assemble a lineup similar to what they have for NFL Live or whatever they have for the NBA or College GameDay.
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Jen Preston about 1 year ago
Like Adam said, please send this to ESPN. And Nino, the whole Mets comment... you had the exact same reaction I did watching it holy crap DUH OF COURSE THEY HAVE TO WIN. Very nice job this was a great read.
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Ben Weixlmann about 1 year ago
I absolutely agree with what you have to say! Especially considering Olney, Gammons, Kirkjian.
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Matt Gilmartin about 1 year ago
Wowwwwww...awesome article. I haven't been a big baseball fan for long, and I haven't seen the show too much. but when I saw it, it bored me to tears. Your breakdown of the analysts was mesmerizing. And now I know that it's not just me who thinks the show is terrible and that they only show highlights of the good teams, like the Red Sox and Cubs.
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chris davies about 1 year ago
love the article, i agree with you on all of the announcers. but at least the baseball tonight crew isn't as bad as the sportscenter crew when they talk about the red sox.
does it bother anyone else that every time a red sox clip comes on they all get excited and treat it like its the best segment of the show?
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Mike White about 1 year ago
I have to take issue with Harold Reynolds having "spot on explanations, and original thoughts." The guy was a fountain of blather and BS simply describing what's already happening and failing to use simple things like stats to back up his frequent idiotic statements. I felt dumber every time I watched him, and dammit, I came to BBTN to learn. Just because you played doesn't mean you understand the game better than somebody else. Put Harold and Bill James in the room and you'll find out who knows his stuff.
As for Phillips, I'm with you. He's a moron who failed to use the emerging tools of the information age to better his club (He used his computer for solitaire whereas Cleveland GM uses his for countless player updates). I'm not so sure he's got an agenda out for any teams, it's just the usual Haterade for teams that "don't know how to win," and if he says that line again, I'm going to Bristol to stab that Mo Vaughn-signing nut-job in the face.
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
Hahaha, I remember when I first heard him say that. He's such a buffoon. He may not have an agenda, but he rarely ever says anything bad about the Mets or Tigers, at least that's what it seems like.
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Antonio Perez 12 months ago
Who in the world told Dari Nowkhah he can work on TV and worse yet, on ESPN or BTonight!!! He needs to get out ASAP and bring back Karl Ravech!!! Ratings are going dooooooooooownnnnnnnn!!!!!!!
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