MLB Network vs Baseball Tonight

[arkimadee]

Personally I love MLB network much more than ESPN's baseball coverage now. I feel like ESPN is not putting into the sport what they did even two to three years ago. It's awesome watching Casey and Larkin. Harold Reynolds is one of my favorites as well. Here is why I am starting to hate ESPN's baseball coverage. Tonights TV game was Boston vs. New York. Wednesday night baseball is Tampa Bay vs New York. Oh wait you will never guess what's on Sunday night. Oh yes it will be the Mets vs Yankees. Atleast MLB network shows some variety of teams.

MLB network is just full of professionals and they really know how to present baseball highlights. ESPN doesn't seem to come close to me anymore. What does everyone think?

[Kingspoint]

I don't even watch Baseball Tonight. I'll look for reruns for "Barney Miller" before turning that on. But, tonight, for example, I watched MLB Network for about 4 hours non-stop.

[bellhead]

I don't live within the Reds coverage anymore and paying $249 for the right to watch a handful of games when I am at home is a little too rich for me, last night I was watching MLB network and they do a great job of bringing you the highlights of the game as a critical time is developing. Case in point is when they cut to the Yanks and Red Sox game last night and Drew hit a 3 run shot right after this they cut to the Reds game in the 6th... At this point they have become my defacto channel between 7 and 10 if my wife lets me...

[Caveman Techie]

Add me to the count of people who love the MLB network. They do a very nice job of presenting all the teams not just NY, Boston, and LA (both).

[GIDP]

Baseball tonight struggles to have good insight. Al Leiter, Harold, Larkin, Pleasac, heck everyone on that channel brings something really good to the table and they all click very well.

Reynolds used to be terrible but in this setting he flat out destroys it. He does great as a 2nd host guy role that they have right now.

Add in that they bring in other people like national writers from time to time, its just a win win.

Plus they do a great job at giving everyone their fair share of time. They might talk up Yankees and Red Sox more but they still know the audiance. ESPN basically seems to not care about making people happy. Their bread and butter is Yankee/Redsox and they milk it for all its worth.

I wouldnt be surprised if someone like Tim Kurkjan bails on ESPN soon. He would fit in awesomely at MLBnetwork solely because of his quirky little stats.

[Hanover]

I enjoy MLB much more as well. For one, I like to see more highlights and less talking. I think MLB is much better in this regard.

I do have to say that I don't really like Harold Reynolds either. I just don't think he knows what he is talking about a lot of the time.

For instance, when the Reds were up 2 against the Cards on Saturday night: The Cards had a runner on 3rd in the 9th. Reynolds said that the splitter was now out of the arsenal of Cordero because of the runner on third. But why would Cordero care about that run? The Reds were up 2. This is just an example. On the other hand, I really enjoyed Barry Larkin. I think he did a fantastic job.

[bounty37h]

ESPN shows what sells, I hate it during baseball season as we get Yanks sox ramme dup us 24/7, but it works for me duing college basketball when my Heels are always televised. I have to say I was sooooo excited to learn this weekend I get Fox Sports TN, which showed the Sat and Monday games!!!!! Loved watching and hearing the Reds crew, as I usually have to watch them only on Cub TV and thier crew. I do have to say Reds Live following the game may be the most amateur, embarrasing minutes on tv anywhere.

[lidspinner]

Quick Pitch has forced me to be late several times for work in the morning...I love that show....even if they do re-play it all dam day long. LOL...

[brachial pleXUs]

I'm sure MLB Network is better than ESPN; it wouldn't take a lot. However, I haven't ponied up the extra dough to find out.

[The Voice of IH]

MLB Network is awesome, I love tuning in to "batting practice" before the games, it helps kill the time before the Reds start. :thumbup:

[GIDP]

Quick Pitch has forced me to be late several times for work in the morning...I love that show....even if they do re-play it all dam day long. LOL...
Quick Pitch is the perfect highlight show. To the point covers everything equally. Then the Sunday versions show the highlights through out the weekends. Great channel.

[Mr Larkin]

I wasn't even sure ESPN covered baseball anymore - just the Yanks and Sox.
I love MLB Network. It is quality baseball whenever you tune in. Quick Pitch is fun to watch in the mornings as well.

[jhc2010]

I do have to say Reds Live following the game may be the most amateur, embarrasing minutes on tv anywhere.What makes you say that?

[bellhead]

How many more games do the Yanks and Sox play. It seems like they have played 20 games already....

I looked they have played 8 games and don't play again until aug...

thank god..

[jhc2010]

How many more games do the Yanks and Sox play. It seems like they have played 20 games already....

Here is a list of Red Sox/Yankees games dating back to 2004 with their time of games noted. You can see below how this rivalry takes much longer to play than the average MLB game.

http://the506.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1240708704;start=all

2004
(Date/Winning Team/Score/Time of Game)

4/16/04 BOS 6-2 3:07
4/17/04 BOS 5-2 3:05
4/18/04 NYY 7-3 3:20
4/19/04 BOS 5-4 2:53
4/23/04 BOS 11-2 3:16
4/24/04 BOS 3-2 4:05 (12 inn.)
4/25/04 BOS 2-0 2:48
6/29/04 NYY 11-3 2:50
6/30/04 NYY 4-2 3:11
7/1/04 NYY 5-4 4:20 (13 inn.)
7/23/04 NYY 8-7 3:25
7/24/04 BOS 11-10 3:54 (+:54 delay)
7/25/04 BOS 9-6 3:35
9/17/04 BOS 3-2 3:19
9/18/04 NYY 14-4 2:51
9/19/04 NYY 11-1 3:03
9/24/04 NYY 6-4 3:18
9/25/04 BOS 12-5 3:23
9/26/04 BOS 11-4 3:15
10/12/04 NYY 10-7 3:20
10/13/04 NYY 3-1 3:15
10/16/04 NYY 19-8 4:20 (longest 9-inn. postseason game)
10/17/04 BOS 6-4 5:02 (12 inn.)
10/18/04 BOS 5-4 5:49 (14 inn.)
10/19/04 BOS 4-2 3:50
10/20/04 BOS 10-3 3:31

2004 BOS/NYY Average Time of Game: 3:33
2004 MLB Average Time of Game: 2:47


2005

4/3/05 NYY 9-2 3:19
4/5/05 NYY 4-3 3:16
4/6/05 BOS 7-3 3:22
4/11/05 BOS 8-1 2:49
4/13/05 NYY 5-2 3:08
4/14/05 BOS 8-5 3:13
5/27/05 NYY 6-3 3:15
5/28/05 BOS 17-1 3:20
5/29/05 BOS 7-2 3:12
7/14/05 NYY 8-6 3:14
7/15/05 BOS 17-1 3:01
7/16/05 NYY 7-4 3:34
7/17/05 NYY 5-3 2:42
9/9/05 NYY 8-4 3:40
9/10/05 BOS 9-2 3:01
9/11/05 NYY 1-0 2:29
9/30/05 BOS 5-3 3:08
10/1/05 NYY 8-4 3:01
10/2/05 BOS 10-1 3:36

2005 BOS/NYY Average Time of Game: 3:11
2005 MLB Average Time of Game:


2006

5/1/06 BOS 7-3 3:04
5/9/06 BOS 14-3 3:18
5/10/06 NYY 7-3 3:13
5/11/06 BOS 5-3 3:59
5/22/06 BOS 9-5 2:43
5/23/06 NYY 7-5 3:18
5/24/06 NYY 8-6 3:30
6/5/06 NYY 13-5 3:31
6/6/06 NYY 2-1 2:44
6/8/06 BOS 9-3 3:13
8/18/06 NYY 12-4 3:55
8/18/06 NYY 14-11 4:45
8/19/06 NYY 13-5 3:41
8/20/06 NYY 8-5 4:17 (+:57 delay) (10 inn.)
8/21/06 NYY 2-1 3:03
9/16/06 BOS 5-2 3:42
9/16/06 NYY 7-5 3:39
9/17/06 BOS 6-3 3:19
9/17/06 BOS 5-4 3:45

2006 BOS/NYY Average Time of Game: 3:30
2006 MLB Average Time of Game: 2:47


2007

4/20/07 BOS 7-6 3:18
4/21/07 BOS 7-5 3:26
4/22/07 BOS 7-6 3:34
4/27/07 BOS 11-4 3:56
4/28/07 NYY 3-1 3:25
4/29/07 BOS 7-4 3:11
5/21/07 NYY 6-2 3:28
5/22/07 BOS 7-3 3:22
5/23/07 NYY 8-3 2:59
6/1/07 NYY 9-5 3:53
6/2/07 BOS 11-6 3:39
6/3/07 NYY 6-5 4:04
8/28/07 NYY 5-3 3:11
8/29/07 NYY 4-3 3:26
8/30/07 NYY 5-0 3:01
9/14/07 NYY 8-7 4:43
9/15/07 BOS 10-1 3:37
9/16/07 NYY 4-3 3:10

2007 BOS/NYY Average Time of Game: 3:31
2007 MLB Average Time of Game: 2:50


2008

4/11/08 NYY 4-1 2:59
4/12/08 BOS 4-3 2:49 (+2:11 delay)
4/13/08 BOS 8-5 3:55
4/16/08 NYY 15-9 4:08
4/17/08 BOS 7-5 3:20
7/3/08 BOS 7-0 2:46
7/4/08 BOS 6-4 3:51
7/5/08 NYY 2-1 2:58
7/6/08 NYY 5-4 3:25 (10 inn.)
7/25/08 NYY 1-0 3:04
7/26/08 NYY 10-3 3:28
7/27/08 BOS 9-2 2:50
8/26/08 BOS 7-3 3:22
8/27/08 BOS 11-3 3:16
8/28/08 NYY 3-2 3:21
9/26/08 NYY 9-8 3:38 (+2:06 delay)
9/28/08 NYY 6-2 3:16
9/28/08 NYY 4-3 3:10

2008 BOS/NYY Average Time of Game: 3:19
2008 MLB Average Time of Game: 2:51


2009

4/24/09 BOS 5-4 4:21 (11 inn.)
4/25/09 BOS 16-11 4:21
4/26/09 BOS 4-1 3:09
5/4/09 BOS 6-4 3:48 (+2:17 delay)
5/5/09 BOS 7-3 3:47
6/9/09 BOS 7-0 3:04
6/10/09 BOS 6-5 3:23
6/11/09 BOS 4-3 3:39
8/6/09 NYY 13-6 3:52
8/7/09 NYY 2-0 5:33 (15 inn.)
8/8/09 NYY 5-0 3:28
8/9/09 NYY 5-2 3:08
8/21/09 NYY 20-11 3:57
8/22/09 BOS 14-1 3:17
8/23/09 NYY 8-4 3:13
9/25/09 NYY 9-5 3:52
9/26/09 NYY 3-0 3:07
9/27/09 NYY 4-2 2:56 (+1:03 delay)

2009 BOS/NYY Average Time of Game: 3:40
2009 MLB Average Time of Game: 2:52


2010

4/4/10 BOS 9-7 3:46
4/6/10 NYY 6-4 3:48
4/7/10 NYY 3-1 3:21 (10 inn.)
5/7/10 NYY 10-3 3:01
5/8/10 NYY 14-3 3:56 (+1:14 delay)
5/9/10 BOS 9-3 3:05
5/17/10 NYY 11-9 3:47
5/18/10
8/6/10
8/7/10
8/8/10
8/9/10
9/24/10
9/25/10
9/26/10
10/1/10
10/2/10
10/3/10

2010 BOS/NYY Average Time of Game: 3:32

[Orodle]

in my mind Baseball Tonight has turned into a program for "generic" baseball fans. MLB Network provides REAL coverage, not some junk Kruk cooked up on the spot to fill air time.

[Old NDN]

MLB Network for me. Much better analysis, game coverage, how-to demos. Great for baseball junkies. Larkin and Reynolds are good. Hazel Mae isn't too hard on the eyes either. OTOH, I could do with less Mitch Williams.

[bounty37h]

What makes you say that?

Cause they act and sound like they are high school juniors doing post game coverage after the Friday night game. I love having the home team coverage, but the post game is just amateur hour at its worst IMO.

[The Voice of IH]

Cause they act and sound like they are high school juniors doing post game coverage after the Friday night game. I love having the home team coverage, but the post game is just amateur hour at its worst IMO.

those are really fun to do though :D

[ian_madden]

I live in KY and have Insight Cable. I really prefer cable to dish, I like the security of knowing if it rains hard, if the wind blows I still have coverage. But I have emailed insight many, many times to bring MLB network and lose the BIG TEN network. This is ky, we don't have anyone who competes in the BIG TEN!

[RadfordVA]

I do not get MLB network on Dish this year. Had it on Directv last year and enjoyed it alot. I DVR the final baseball tonight every night and watch it. It did use to be much better a couple years ago. I will never understand why the did away with the graphic at the end of the show that listed every homer that was hit that day and how many they had on season? My brother and I use to always wait till we heard the screaming baseball before going to sleep in the mid 90s.

I still enjoy baseball tonights sunday show at noon right before the 1 oclock games start. They do a good job of recapping week and this year they make sure to go through every team before they finish.

[Reds]

I've made the switch to MLB Network. I think it's the best all one sports station on the tuner, much better than NBA, NFL, or NHL TV.