Peyton and Eli Manning have enjoyed a successful first year of their “Manningcast” coverage of Monday Night Football, and it seems the positive reaction to their segment could result in similar broadcasts leaking into other sports. ESPN is considering launching its own “Manningcast” type broadcast for its MLB coverage, but their choice of analyst could not be worse. According to Andrew Marchand of the NY Post, ESPN is considering removing Alex Rodriguez from the Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team and instead giving the former Yankee his own “ARodcast.”
NEW COLUMN: David Cone is a leading candidate for a potential new SNB booth with Karl Ravech on play-by-play and Eduardo Perez as the other analyst, The Post has learned.https://t.co/zBUA1nDKTv
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) January 5, 2022
Marchand notes that if an “ARodcast” were to occur, it would mark the end of Rodriguez's tenure in the Sunday Night Baseball booth, where he's served as an analyst for the past four years. ESPN is slated to air vastly fewer MLB games during the week in 2022, reducing the number of broadcasters needed for nationally televised games.
This change could see Rodriguez on the outside of SNB looking in, with Karl Ravech rumored to be on his way into the Sunday night crew, possibly alongside David Cone and Eduardo Perez.
While the thought of a former star getting similar treatment to the “Manningcast” seems like a great idea for MLB, ESPN is getting this completely wrong with its choice of player. A-Rod was widely regarded as a disaster in the Sunday Night Baseball booth and fans were often critical of the confusing comments he would say on air. Despite Rodriguez being a very marketable individual and having experience in the booth, something the Manning brothers lacked, and ARodcast would not have the same appeal, and could quickly lose favor with MLB fans.
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