It is with a heavy heart I am able to confirm previously heard whispers and wonderings: John Kruk joins the Sunday Night Baseball booth as an analyst, working alongside the exemplary pairing of Orel Hershiser and Dan Schulman.
This news comes packaged with the first half Sunday Night Baseball schedule, which includes as much of the “old guard” as they can muster without cramming the last place Red Sox in your face too much. The Rangers lead the way with three appearances in the first half, most notably Josh Hamilton and his Los Angeles Angels visiting Texas for the very first time.
The full sked is below the jump.
| Date | Game |
| March 31 | Texas Rangers at Houston Astros |
| April 7 | Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers |
| April 14 | Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees |
| April 21 | St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies |
| April 28 | Atlanta Braves at Detroit Tigers |
| May 5 | Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants |
| May 12 | Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox |
| May 19 | Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers |
| May 26 | Atlanta Braves at New York Mets |
| July 14 | St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs |
| July 21 | New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox |
They just can’t help themselves. Yankees and Red Sox! So what if hundreds of thousands more people will watch that game than a Brewers/Reds title? It isn’t fair, man!
ESPN cheerily notes that this is the Orioles first SNB appearance since 2008, or about 5 years earlier than the last time the Blue Jays showed up. If everything goes to Alex Anthopoulos’ master plan, that will all change in the second half of the season.
How are the Yankees only on twice? And the Red Sux once?
The baseball world may stop revolving
A better question…Why are they bothering to show anything outside of the ALEast? From the pick ups and trades this offseason, Any other division is just short of obsolete.
The Dodgers say hi.
So do the D’Backs, but the Dodgers probably bought the rights to that “hi” shortly after…
The jays probably won’t appear on Sunday night baseball because TSN owns the rights to it.
That, or because Rogers might think a Sunday night game will draw a shit crowd compared to what they get for Sunday afternoon games.
or they could just have it while on the road…
Why do the Rangers & Angels each get 2 appearances and AL West division winners get nothing? Even the lowly Astros get airtime!
THREE appearances for the Rangers.
TV marketzzzzz
Even still – how the fuck do the Astros get anywhere near national TV?
A cookie for going to the AL?
You find a more interesting baseball game happening on March 31st….
I heard Shulman speak at a United Jewish Appeal panel event in December, and he said he’s been lobbying ESPN for a Sunday night Jays game for years now. If the Jays are doing great in the 2nd half they’ll get at least one, and postseason appearances equal more Sunday night games in the future. And let’s not forget the Jays did get a couple of ESPN midweek games last year, including one in Toronto.
As I said on DJF, I’d be far more shocked if FOX even notices the Jays exist, even if the Jays are involved in the closest pennant race in history on the last weekend of the year.