Wednesday Night Baseball
Wednesday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs every Wednesday night during the regular season on ESPN. The game starts at 7pm ET, following SportsCenter, and usually lasts around three hours with an hour-long Baseball Tonight following the game leading up to the 11pm ET SportsCenter (1am ET for September games with Baseball Tonight moving to ESPN2 at 12am ET). The official name is ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball presented by Hankook Tire. Every April some broadcasts air on ESPN2 due to ESPN's priority with Wednesday's NBA coverage.
Wednesday Night Baseball | |
---|---|
Starring | Jon Sciambi Rick Sutcliffe and others (see below) |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of seasons | 27th Season |
Production | |
Running time | 3 hours (approximate) |
Release | |
Original network | ESPN (1990-) ESPN2 (1996-2005) |
Original release | April 18, 1990 – Present |
Chronology | |
Related shows | Sunday Night Baseball Monday Night Baseball |
External links | |
Website |
Wednesday Night Baseball is not exclusive to ESPN. The teams' local broadcasters may still air the game. ESPNEWS is seen on ESPN during the game in the teams' designated markets, unless local broadcasters choose not to televise the game. ESPN's blackout (100-mile radius from the stadium, and all of a team's designated market) can be lifted in the latter scenario. On double-headers in September, due to the broadcast of Monday Night Football, either one of the Wednesday Night Baseball games will co-exist with the local markets' carriers and will not always be subject to blackout.
Commentators
A complete list of broadcasters, with their period of tenure on the show (beginning years of each season shown).
Current
- Jon Sciambi: (play-by-play, 2005; fill-in play-by-play, 2013; play-by-play, 2014–present)
- Rick Sutcliffe: (analyst, 2008–present)
- Steve Levy: (fill-in play-by-play, 2013–present)
- Sean McDonough: (play-by-play, 2011–2012, for September games only; 2013–present, select games)
- Karl Ravech: (fill-in play-by-play, 2013–present)
- Chipper Jones: (analyst, 2020–present)
Past
- Manny Acta: (analyst, 2013–2015)
- Erin Andrews: (field reporter, 2008)
- Chris Berman: (play-by-play, 1990–2016, select games)
- Bonnie Bernstein: (field reporter, 2007, select games)
- Steve Berthiaume: (fill-in play-by-play, 2007–2012)
- Aaron Boone: (fill-in analyst, 2010–2017, for September games only)
- Jeff Brantley: (analyst, 2002–2005)
- Dave Campbell: (analyst, 1990–2002)
- Bob Carpenter: (play-by-play, 1990–2004)
- Duke Castiglione: (field reporter, 2006)
- Nomar Garciaparra: (analyst, 2010–2013)
- Doug Glanville: (analyst, 2013–2017)
- Pedro Gomez (field reporter, 2011–2014)
- Orel Hershiser: (analyst, 2001 and 2006–07; 2009–10 for September games)
- Tim Kurkjian: (field reporter, 2011–2014, for September games only)
- Barry Larkin: (fill-in analyst, 2013–2014)
- Buck Martinez: (analyst, 1992–2000 and 2002–05)
- Mark Mulder: (fill-in analyst, 2013–2015)
- Joe Morgan: (analyst, 1990–2010, select games)
- Dave O'Brien: (play-by-play, 2008–2012; 2013–2015, for September games only)
- Steve Phillips: (analyst, 2007)
- David Ross: (analyst, 2017–2019)
- Curt Schilling: (analyst, 2013–2016)
- Dan Shulman: (play-by-play, 1995–2007; 2009–10 for September games)
History
The program debuted in 1990, when ESPN first acquired MLB rights. From 2000 to 2005, broadcasts consisted of a doubleheader, usually airing the first game at 7pm ET on ESPN and the second at 10pm ET on ESPN2. The second part of the doubleheader was discontinued after 2005 season.
Wednesdays also formerly included an afternoon game, called ESPN DayGame which aired typically at 12:30pm or 1pm ET on ESPN, making Wednesdays ESPN's primary day of baseball, as games aired both in the afternoon and in primetime. However, ESPN DayGame was also discontinued following the 2006 season.
See also
- ESPN Major League Baseball
- Baseball Tonight
- Sunday Night Baseball
- Monday Night Baseball
- Thursday Night Baseball
- Fox Major League Baseball
- Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio
- ESPN Major League Baseball broadcasters
- Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio broadcasters
- List of current Major League Baseball announcers