On Monday, ESPN presents annual coverage of the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby live from Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Unfortunately, Chris Berman will once again call and do his overblown, “Back, back, back, back, back, back, back!” call. Plus, he’ll try to endear himself by mentioning local communities (“That ball was hit to Orange County!”). To make things worse, Joe Morgan will be one of the analysts. He can make an exciting moment sound as if it’s extremely boring. Bobby Valentine rounds out ESPN’s team.
In addition, ESPN will air the event in 3-D which about 21 people can watch.
Anyway, here’s the press release.
ESPN to Present 2010 Home Run DerbyDerby Available on ESPN 3D; 81st MLB All-Star Game Live on ESPN RadioESPN’s extensive Major League Baseball All-Star coverage from Angel Stadium – home of the Los Angeles Angels on Anaheim – will be highlighted by the 2010 Home Run Derby on Monday, July 12, at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on ESPN HD. The Home Run Derby will be ESPN 3D’s first fully-produced telecast. The Derby will also be available via ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN International.Chris Berman will host ESPN’s Home Run Derby coverage, joined on the field by analysts Joe Morgan and Bobby Valentine. ESPN will utilize 20 cameras to capture the excitement of the Derby, including the use of “Ultra Mo,” a replay device recapping action at 1,000 frames per second. This is ESPN’s 13th consecutive year of live Derby coverage and 18th straight year overall. The Derby is traditionally one of ESPN’s highest-rated summer programs.ESPN 3D’s telecast will be hosted by Dan Shulman with analysts Aaron Boone and Nomar Garciaparra. ESPN Radio’s Home Run Derby broadcast will include commentary from Jon Sciambi and analyst Dave Campbell. The pair will be joined by Peter Pascarelli, who will conduct interviews with participants and All-Stars during the Derby.Ernesto Jerez will call the Derby for ESPN Deportes with analyst Luis Alfredo Alvarez and on-field reporter Guillermo Celis. ESPN Deportes’ Beisbol Esta Noche, with host Carolina Guillen, former Major Leaguer Candy Maldonado and Fernando Alvarez – plus on-site reports by Alvarez and Celis – will preview the event at 7:30 p.m.A special edition of Baseball Tonight, with host Karl Ravech, analysts Nomar Garciaparra, John Kruk, Bobby Valentine and Dave Winfield, and reporter Tim Kurkjian, will be televised the evening of the Derby at 7 p.m. Baseball Tonight will also be live from Dodger Stadium, with Ravech, Garciaparra and Valentine, on Sunday, July 11, at 7 p.m., prior to ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs, 8 p.m.) telecast.81st MLB All-Star Game on ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes RadioESPN Radio (7:45 p.m.) and ESPN Deportes Radio (8 p.m.) will exclusively broadcast the 81st All-Star Game Tuesday, July 13. ESPN Radio’s Jon Sciambi will call the game with analyst Dave Campbell, with Marc Kestecher serving as on-site host. Peter Pascarelli and John Rooney, the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals, will serve as on-field reporters. ESPN Deportes Radio, the only Spanish-language sports radio network in the U.S., will offer a radio broadcast of the All-Star Game. Commentary will be provided by Renato Bermudez and Eduardo Ortega with analysis from Guillermo Celis and Jose Francisco Rivera.2010 All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball GameImmediately following the Home Run Derby on Monday, July 12, ESPN and ESPN HD will present the 2010 All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game. Gary Thorne will call the game, along with commentary from analyst/player John Kruk. Legends will include Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Gary Carter, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Ozzie Smith and Dave Winfield (ESPN analyst). Celebrities scheduled to participate include Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Tracy Morgan (30 Rock), Billy Bob Thornton (actor), James Denton (Desperate Housewives), Jennie Finch (USA gold medal softball player), Mario Lopez (Extra host) and Maria Menounos (Access Hollywood host).2010 All-Star Futures GameThe networks’ All-Star coverage will begin with the 2010 All-Star Futures Game Sunday, July 11, at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 HD and ESPN3.com. Gary Thorne will call the game with analysts Rick Sutcliffe and J.P. Ricciardi.ESPN 3DESPN 3D will produce its inaugural telecast for the new network with the Home Run Derby telecast. Prior to the Home Run Derby, ESPN 3D televised 25 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches which were produced by FIFA. ESPN was the first to announce an exclusive 3D network in January 2010 which was the culmination of more than three years of testing 3D television. ESPN has produced several 3D telecasts, including The Masters in April 2010, a Harlem Globetrotters game in February 2010 and the USC vs. Ohio State college football game in 2009. ESPN 3D is available nationwide in approximately 45 million households and has carriage agreements with DirecTV, Comcast and AT&T. Sony was named the first official sponsor of the network in January 2010.
ESPN InternationalESPN International will offer live coverage of the All-Star Game and Futures Game on its networks serving Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean), Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Coverage of the Derby on Monday at 8 p.m. will be available in these regions, plus Australia. ESPN AMERICA, the only European network dedicated to North American sports, will broadcast the All-Star Game, Futures Game and Home Run Derby to 43 countries throughout Europe.SportsCenter & Baseball Tonight All-Star CoverageThe 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, respectively, while the late-night SportsCenters will provide live post-Derby and post-game analysis and interviews. Chris Berman will anchor the post All-Star game SportsCenter, with Karl Ravech anchoring all other SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight coverage. On-site analysts will include Nomar Garciaparra, John Kruk, Tim Kurkjian, Bobby Valentine and Dave Winfield. Baseball Tonight will provide highlights, news and information related to the Derby Monday, July 12, at midnight (9 p.m. PT) and following the All-Star Game Tuesday, July 13.ESPNEWSESPNEWS will provide live coverage of Monday’s All-Star Game press conference and Home Run DerbyDerby press conference. On Tuesday, ESPNEWS will cover the pre- and post-game press conferences. press conference, along with the post-ESPN.com & ESPN Mobile WebESPN.com will feature extensive coverage from Anaheim, including news and analysis and scouting reports, real-time coverage via a live All-Star blog and Twitter feed with contributions from ESPN writers and editors on site, a Live GameCast during the All-Star Game, SportsNation polls, the Baseball Today podcast, Baseball Tonight Minute video and the “SweetSpot” blog by Rob Neyer. Writers on site will include Jayson Stark, Jerry Crasnick, Jim Caple, Keith Law, Jason Grey, Jorge Arangure, Jr. and Enrique Rojas. ESPNLosAngeles.com will also offer comprehensive All-Star coverage.All-Star coverage across the ESPN Mobile Web and MVP application will allow users to follow the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game live directly on their mobile device via GameCast. An All-Star Hot Corner feature will provide interactive chats and polls. ESPN Alerts will provide subscribers with in-progress and final result updates from the Futures Game, Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.ESPNDeportes.com, ESPN The Magazine and ESPNTheMag.com will also provide All-Star coverage.
That’s it.
