Friday, August 21, 2009

MLB Network Rules

By now most of you have turned on the MLB Network to either watch a game, highlight shows, or discussions and highlights with "look ins" at the various live games. The MLB Network rules, especially during the season.

Remember when we all loved Baseball Tonight? But like everything else on ESPN, it has become as tired as John Kruk's belt.

The nightly discussion of games is done by a panel of experts made up of studio hosts and former major leaguer players and front office personnel.

For the most part everyone is good, though there are exceptions. There are three studio hosts- Victor Rojas (has a great rapport with us fans on Twitter), Greg Amsinger, and Matt Vasgersian that moderate/control the discussions with ex-pros. Rojas and Vasgersian are excellent. Good pipes, very knowledgeable, enjoyable to listen to. Amsinger on the other hand should be hosting a game show. He's awful in his delivery, the quality of his voice his grating, and he doesn't seem to be much of a subect expert.

Among some of those ex-pros rotating in and out are- Harold Reynolds (who I never liked on BBTN, but do on MLB Network), Mitch Williams (my personal favorite), Joe Magrane, John Hart (my Dad's favorite), Dan Plesac (who is a real loon), Billy Ripken Jr., Sean Casey, Dave Valle, Barry Larkin, Al Leiter (very rarely) and "newly acquired" Tony Clark.

Ther are baseball writers who appear occassionally as well - Tom Verducci, Jon Heyman, and Ken Rosenthal chief among them.

Quick Pitch is another good feature, showing game highlights in rapid, or quick pitch, fashion. Hazel Mae and Matt Yallof do a good job pulling it all together.

You can see the rest of on-air personalities right here.

But who do you like? Take the new polls and let me know.

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