2013 MLB TV Primer Part 1: MLB on ESPN

This week I will be running posts previewing MLB's TV coverage for the 2013 season. This will be the final season of the current contract, so starting next season there will be significant changes to how you view baseball nationally.

Today we will start with ESPN's MLB coverage for 2013:

This will be the 24th season of Major League Baseball on ESPN and of exclusive coverage of Sunday Night Baseball.  ESPN will start the MLB season on Sunday night, March 31st with the Texas Rangers at the Houston Astros. That will be followed by Opening Day coverage on Monday April 1st, with four games on ESPN and ESPN2. Beginning this season, they will once again air multiple games on the three major holidays including Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day (EDIT: ESPN will have these telecast in 2014, this season they will remain on MLB Network 4/25).  The MLB Home Run Derby will be back on ESPN, the night before the All-Star Game from Citi Field in New York on July 15th.

ESPN's signature baseball studio show, Baseball Tonight airs nightly at around 10 PM & Midnight (or approximate times) and Sundays before and after SNB. Karl Ravech will return as host and will be joined by Hall of Famer Barry Larkin and 2001 World Series MVP Curt Schilling on Sundays.  Other anchors and veteran analysts will be rotating throughout the season.

John Kruk leaves the Baseball Tonight studio show to join Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser on SNB, becoming the third analyst in the last three seasons (both Bobby Valentine and Terry Francona left for managerial positions). ESPN will once again air weeknight games on Monday and Wednesday nights with select games co-existing with local broadcasts.  Dave O'Brien will move to Monday nights, joining Rick Sutcliffe and Aaron Boone.  Sunday Night Baseball and the entire MLB Postseason can also be heard on ESPN Radio or seen alternatively on ESPN Desportes.

***Starting next season, ESPN will have one of the two MLB Tiebreaker telecasts alternating leagues each season with TBS. There are no other significant changes to their coverage in 2014.

Sunday Night Baseball: Dan Shulman, Orel Hershiser and John Kruk. Reporter - Buster Olney

Monday Night Baseball: Dave O’Brien, Aaron Boone and Rick Sutcliffe. Reporter - Tim Kurkjian

Wednesday Night Baseball: Various assignments based on teams.

MLB on ESPN Radio: Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton

ESPN Desportes: Ernesto Jerez and Candy Maldonado

Baseball Tonight

Lead Show: Karl Ravech, Barry Larkin, Curt Schilling

Others: Jon Sciambi, Chris Berman (occasionally), Adnan Virk*, Doug Glanville, Chris Singleton, Jose Cruz, Alex Cora*, Manny Acta*, Mark Mulder, Hershiser, Kruk, Boone, Sutcliffe, Garciaparra,

Reporters: Buster Olney, Tim Kurkjian, Pedro Gomez, Jason Stark 

* - New hire for 2013

Opening Night, Sunday, March 31

Texas Rangers at Houston Astros, 8PM, Dan Shulman, John Kruk, Orel Hershiser. Reporter: Buster Olney

Opening Day, Monday, April 1st

ESPN  

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees, 1PM, Dave O’Brien, Rick Sutcliffe, Aaron Boone

San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers, 4PM, Dan Shulman, John Kruk, Orel Hershiser. Reporter: Buster Olney

ESPN2

Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves, 7PM, Sean McDonough, Mark Mulder, Doug Glanville

St. Louis Cardinals at Arizona Diamondbacks, 10PM, Steve Levy, Nomar Garciaparra

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, 8:00 PM (Remainder of Schedule to be announced)

March 31 Texas Rangers at Houston Astros

April 7 Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers (ESPN2)

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

For ESPN’s Baseball Tonight Schedule, go to the Baseball Tonight homepage on ESPN.com 

For updates on upcoming games click the link to ESPN Media Zone.

Note: This site is not affiliated with Awful Announcing, but its author contributes to their page. This including contributing to announcer assignments and their baseball primer section.