This is going to be the Summer of Chris Berman on ESPN. Next week, he’ll call the annual Home Run Derby in Kansas City and annoy fans with his calls, “That home run landed in Topeka!” or “Back! Back! Back! Back! Gone!!” Then on August 23, Berman will call his first NFL game, a preseason contest to prepare for the big one, September 9, the Monday Night Football opening season doubleheader late game between Oakland and San Diego.
Social networking sites will be burning up all three days. It all begins with the Home Run Derby live from Kauffman Stadium. Boomer will be joined by John Kruk of Baseball Tonight and Nomar Garciaparra. On the field conducting interviews will be Pedro Gomez and Jon Heyman hater Buster Olney (I’ll explain that in a future post).
The Home Run Derby airs Monday, July 9 at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN Radio will also have coverage and calling that will be Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton.
Oh, and another thing ESPN is pointing out, Captain Blowhard will be an analyst on the Celebrity Softball Game. Oh, can’t wait to hear his insufferable voice.
Here’s the ESPN press release.
ESPN to Present 2012 Home Run Derby
ESPN Radio to Exclusively Broadcast Home Run Derby & 83rd MLB All-Star Game
ESPN will present the 2012 Home Run Derby from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Monday, July 9, at 8 p.m. ET. Chris Berman will call the action with analysts John Kruk and Nomar Garciaparra and reporters Buster Olney and Pedro Gomez The Derby will also be available on ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Mobile TV, WatchESPN and ESPN3 – available for the first time in both English and Spanish – online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE.
ESPN Radio’s Sunday Night Baseball team Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton will describe the action with additional on-site commentary from host Mark Kestecher and reporters John Rooney and Peter Pascarelli. In addition, the team will return the following night for ESPN Radio’s exclusive broadcast of the 83rd MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 10, with coverage beginning at 7 p.m.
Home Run Derby rosters: AL and NL Derby teams.
ESPN’s State Farm Home Run Derby telecast will include:
- a special Derby open, which will celebrate the magic of the home run;
- a distance tracking system, which will also be available on ESPN.com, providing accurate distance readings immediately after the ball lands;
- ESPN Ball Track will include every participant’s Derby at-bat with a virtual spray chart showing the path for each home run;
- tweets from Derby participants, MLB All-Stars, MLB players and other athletes and celebrities;
- mic’d up Derby participants.
SportsCenter & Baseball Tonight will be on site throughout MLB All-Star in Kansas City from a set inside Kauffman Stadium. The 6 p.m. SportsCenter on Monday and Tuesday will present live batting practice reports and previews from the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game. The late-night SportsCenters will provide live post-Derby and post-game analysis and interviews. In addition, ESPN will televise a special Home Run Derby preview show Monday, July 9, at 7 p.m. Baseball Tonight will also preview All-Star action each day and provide post-event recaps with highlights, news and information. ESPN MLB commentators on-site will include hosts Karl Ravech and Steve Berthiaume and analysts Terry Francona, Barry Larkin and John Kruk.
Futures Game
ESPN’s All-Star coverage will begin with the 14th annual Futures Game on Sunday, July 8, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN Mobile TV and via the WatchESPN app. Steve Berthiaume will provide commentary with analysts Aaron Boone and Rick Sutcliffe and reporters Keith Law and Pedro Gomez. Futures Game rosters: U.S.; World.
All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game: Bill Simmons to Serve as Analyst
ESPN columnist Bill Simmons will serve as analyst during ESPN’s telecast of the All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game. It will be available on ESPN, ESPN Mobile TV and WatchESPN immediately following the Derby on Monday. Simmons will join SportsCenter anchor John Anderson, who will host the coverage, and reporter Tim Kurkjian. Legends & Celebrity Softball Game participants will include former Cy Young and current ESPN MLB analyst Rick Sutcliffe. Complete roster.
ESPN.com & ESPN Baseball Tonight Facebook
- special ESPN.com MLB All-Star page;
- Home Run Derby Tracker – a customized version of GameCast available live during the Derby;
- “Baseball Tonight at the All-Star Game” – a 30-minute show to be live-streamed on ESPN.com Monday at 4 p.m.;
- #yourHRDerby – a week-long page devoted to fan feedback via social media leading up to the Home Run Derby;
- Daily ESPN Baseball Tonight Facebook posts;
- an MLB All-Star roundtable, hosted by Steve Berthiaume;
- Keith Law’s Futures Game breakdown;
- Stats & Info blogs with heat maps and advanced metrics related to the Derby and the All-Star Game;
ESPN Deportes & ESPN Deportes Radio
The 2012 Home Run Derby will be available on ESPN Deportes Monday, July 9, at 8 p.m. with Ernesto Jerez, Luis Alfred Alvarez, Candy Maldonado and Guillermo Celis providing commentary. Additionally, ESPN Deportes Radio will broadcast both the Derby and the MLB All-Star Game with Eduardo Ortega, Renato Bermudez and Jose Francisco Rivera calling the action.
ESPN International will offer live coverage of the All-Star Game and Futures Game on its networks serving Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, Brazil and the Caribbean), Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Coverage of the Derby will be available in these regions, plus Australia. ESPN America, the only European network dedicated to North American sports, will televise the All-Star Game, Futures Game and Home Run Derby to 43 countries.
And we’re done.
