Chad Finn of the Boston Globe says MLB Network has made quite the impression in its first year.
TMC
With apologies to Chris Coghlan and Andrew Bailey, the real baseball
rookie of the year in 2009 was not a player, but a network.
The MLB Network celebrates the one-year anniversary of its launch on
New Year’s Day, and its first season has been a remarkable success.
It began with the largest network debut in cable television history,
launching in 50 million homes. It ends the year as a new acquaintance
that won’t soon be forgotten, a baseball paradise for passionate fans
that features a balance of breaking news, well-considered analysis,
and irresistible nostalgia.
“It’s really been everything we hoped it would be,’’ said Harold
Reynolds, the former major league second baseman and ESPN analyst who,
along with former NESN host and reporter Hazel Mae, was among the
network’s initial on-air hires. “But to be honest, I don’t think it
surprises anyone who works here, who has been here from what was
basically the start.
“The biggest thing about when I was approached to come here is that it
was quickly obvious that Tony [MLB Network president and chief
executive officer Tony Pettiti] had this clear vision of what this was
going to be, and he was going to do all he could and hire the right
people to help realize that vision. It was very easy to become excited
about the possibilities and have high expectations before we even got
started.’’
The vision was apparent from the network’s first moments on the air,
appropriately enough a full replay of one of the sport’s signature
performances, Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. From
its inaugural days, the network has featured a lineup of fresh and
fascinating programs, including “Prime 9,’’ a list show of various
bests and worsts; “Baseball Seasons,’’ an hourlong look at individual
years in baseball history; “Studio 42 With Bob Costas,’’ an interview
show whose accomplished host ratcheted up the credibility factor; and
its signature in-season program, “MLB Tonight,’’ which provides live
look-ins and instant analysis.
The merits of “MLB Tonight’’ were proven July 10 when a national
audience was treated to the final three innings of Giants pitcher
Jonathan Sanchez’s no-hitter. But the network’s bonafides were proved
beyond a doubt little more than a month into their existence. When
Sports Illustrated reporter Selena Roberts had the stunning scoop in
early February that Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez tested positive
for steroids, eyes turned toward the fledgling network. Would it treat
it as a news story? Or would it brush it aside, thus proving to be a
house organ for Bud Selig and Major League Baseball?
Looking back, Reynolds recognizes it as the network’s pivotal moment.
“We covered that story as thoroughly and fairly as possible, and
there’s no doubt it put us on the map,’’ Reynolds said. “We had Jon
Heyman and Tom Verducci providing news and doing the hard reporting.
We had Costas interviewing Selena Roberts in the studio, and of
course, you know Bob, he didn’t lob softballs. He asked all the hard
questions. We covered that story like the huge news that it was, and
it was a real indication that this was going to be different, that we
had the reporting chops. It told people that we weren’t beholden to
anyone, that we would face the tough issues.’’
Of course, a major part of the network’s appeal is that it is not just
about the tough issues. There’s a deliberate daily emphasis on sharing
in the joy, history, and delightful minutiae of baseball, something
that will only be enhanced with the recent hiring of Peter Gammons.
Yesterday afternoon’s programming lineup was typically diverse and
entertaining: included were an hourlong look at the surprisingly
compelling 1984 Padres, a debate-spurring “Prime 9’’ episode on the
nine best catchers of all time, and a replay of the Mariners’ win over
the Yankees in Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS, which was briefly interrupted
when Mae cut in to report that the Orioles had signed free agents Mike
Gonzalez and Garrett Atkins.
The on-air staff’s uncommon chemistry was evident from the beginning.
Mae, who remains popular in New England since her four-year run at
NESN coincided with one of the most memorable stretches in Red Sox
history, says she knows why.
“It’s the common goal,’’ said Mae. “Everyone in the ensemble we have
here loves baseball and realizes how fortunate we are to do what we
do. So the camaraderie happens naturally.’’
Net loss
Tough break this week for NFL fans who have Time Warner cable. Both of
the NFL’s unbeaten teams are playing on the NFL Network - the Colts
last night against the Jaguars, and the Saints tomorrow against the
Cowboys.
But because Time Warner - the only one of the top five cable providers
that does not carry the NFL Network - and the league have failed to
come to an agreement, a sizable segment of fans won’t be able to watch
perhaps the two most appealing games this week.
Time Warner hasn’t budged from its position that the NFL Network,
which has been on the air for six years and carried live games for
four, demands too much for what amounts to eight regular-season games
(an unfair jab considering the NFL Network showed all 64 preseason
games, is thorough in its draft coverage, and benefits from NFL
Films’s treasure trove).
The NFL hasn’t relented from its financial demands and refuses to
allow Time Warner to place the channel on a subscription-only sports
tier. “We have 53 million homes and more than 300 distributors,’’
commissioner Roger Goodell said last month. “Time Warner is denying
customers the opportunity to see the network.’’
The league has, however, said it would permit Time Warner to place the
successful “RedZone Channel’’ on a sports tier, which ostensibly would
allow the cable behemoth to recoup some of the fees it would pay to
the NFL. Perhaps that is progress. But this week, two unbeaten teams
are playing, and many fans have already lost.