ESPN and ESPN2 Combine for Five Opening Day Games
Dave Winfield Debuts Sunday on Baseball Tonight
ESPN will begin its 20th season of Major League Baseball coverage – 80 regular-season telecasts across ESPN and ESPN2 – with Opening Night when the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves Sunday, April 5, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD. The telecast will mark the debut of the new Sunday Night Baseball commentator team of Jon Miller, Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips. Miller and Morgan have worked together in the SNB booth since 1990; Phillips joins them for SNB’s first three-man booth. Phillips will also continue in his role as analyst on Monday Night Baseball and Baseball Tonight. The Braves/Phillies game will also be available via ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV.
Gary Thorne will call the Opening Night game for ESPN Radio – broadcast beginning at 7:15 p.m. – with analyst Dave Campbell. ESPN Deportes commentary will be provided by Ernesto Jerez with analyst Candy Maldonado.
Baseball Tonight, with long-time host Karl Ravech (15th season) and analysts Peter Gammons, John Kruk and Dave Winfield, will preview the game at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
In addition to Opening Night, ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise five Opening Day games on Monday, April 6:
• New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds, 1 p.m. on ESPN HD, ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV – Dan Shulman will call the game with Phillips;
• Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox, 2 p.m. on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Radio and ESPN360.com – Karl Ravech will provide commentary with analyst John Kruk from Fenway (following the game, Ravech and Kruk will commute to ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters for the evening editions of Baseball Tonight); Jon Sciambi and Dave Campbell will call the game for ESPN Radio;
• New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles, 4 p.m. on ESPN HD, ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV – Miller and Morgan will call the game from Camden Yards;
• Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros, 7 p.m. on ESPN2 HD – ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball team of Dave O’Brien and Rick Sutcliffe will be behind the mike;
• Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels, 9 p.m. on ESPN HD – Sean McDonough will handle play-by-play with analyst Orel Hershiser.
Baseball Tonight will provide highlights, news and information at 10 p.m. on ESPN2 and following the A’s/Angels game on ESPN.
