While every single one of us would prefer to see the Dodgers still playing baseball, one positive from the early exit is no longer suffering through national media coverage. On the point of borderline insufferable coverage, the New York Post is reporting that ESPN may be looking to change up its “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcasting crew.
Veteran play-by-play man Matt Vasgersian has anchored the broadcast alongside former Yankee Alex Rodriguez and Olympic gold medalist Jessica Mendoza since the 2018 season. Moreover, this combo has been the source of vitriol since about day one — some of it fair, some of it unfair.
Importantly, it appears that ESPN would actually aim to retain Rodriguez and drop Vasgersian along with Mendoza. This tweet summed up my thoughts perfectly.
Imagine looking at the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball booth and thinking the person who is untouchable on that crew is Alex Rodriguez. ?????https://t.co/K4oxfydH0I
— Sara Sanchez ? (@BCB_Sara) October 15, 2019
Where this story takes a Dodgers twist is the revelation that Los Angeles restricted Mendoza’s access to the clubhouse for pre-game media availability. And no – for people assuming as much — it’s not because she’s a woman. Instead it’s because of her position as an adviser with the New York Mets.
From the NY Post.
Mendoza is an adviser to Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. The Dodgers, for one, decided not to allow Mendoza or another ESPN analyst, David Ross — a Cubs adviser — to roam the clubhouse during media availability before games, according to sources. A Dodgers spokesman confirmed this policy.
While media usually have access during a one hour availability window before games, this restriction is understandable and smart. Despite the recent popular opinion that the Dodgers front office doesn’t know what it’s doing, here we see the organization protecting itself from intel making its way out of the clubhouse.
Thoughts from the Editor
Most threatening from the post is the idea that Alex Rodriguez would potentially be retained. The same A-Rod that sat out an entire season for his involvement with performance enhancing drugs and the Biogenesis scandal would keep his job and remain a voice to impressionable young fans.
