Sunday Night Baseball
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{{Infobox Television | show_name=Sunday Night Baseball
|image=<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:snb.jpg|250px]] -->
| format = [[Sports]]
| runtime = variable (3 hours approximate)
| starring = [[Jon Miller]]<br>[[Joe Morgan]]<br>[[Peter Gammons]]
| country = [[United States|USA]]
| network = [[ESPN]] (1990-)
| first_aired = [[April 15]], [[1990 in baseball|1990]]
| last_aired = Present
| num_seasons = [[ESPN Sunday Night Baseball results (1990-present)|19th Season]]
| num_episodes =
| list_episodes = [[ESPN Sunday Night Baseball results (1990-present)|List of games]]
| preceded_by = ''[[Baseball Tonight]]''
| followed_by = ''[[SportsCenter]]''
| related = ''[[Monday Night Baseball|Mon Night Baseball]]''<br>''[[Wednesday Night Baseball|Wed Night Baseball]]''
| website = http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/mlb/index
| imdb_id =
| tv_com_id =
}}
'''''Sunday Night Baseball''''' is the [[Major League Baseball]] game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m, sometimes at 7 pm [[North American Eastern Standard Time Zone|U.S. ET]] on [[MLB on ESPN|ESPN]] during the regular season. (The official name is ''ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball Presented by [[Taco Bell]]''; previous presenting sponsors included [[Sprint Nextel|Nextel]] and [[Bank of America]].) A few of the ''Sunday Night Baseball'' telecasts appear on [[ESPN2]] and [[ESPN2HD]] rather than [[ESPN]] due to conflicts with other programming. Both ''Baseball Tonight'' and ''Sunday Night Baseball'' are also televised in [[High-definition television|high definition]] on [[ESPNHD]].
The series debuted in [[1990 in baseball|1990]], and features [[play-by-play|play-by-play commentator]] [[Jon Miller]] and [[color commentator]] [[Joe Morgan]]. From [[2004 in baseball|2004]] until [[2006 in baseball|2006]], [[Samantha Ryan|Sam Ryan]] had served as the field reporter, but left to join [[New York City]]'s [[WCBS-TV]] and [[CBS Sports]] in [[June 2006]].[http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?] On [[July 2]], [[2006 in baseball|2006]] [[Bonnie Bernstein]] joined the crew as the new field reporter, but did not return in [[2007]] primarily due to her request to cut back her schedule because of her continued recovery from a bout with [[deep vein thrombosis]] in [[October 2006]]. Beginning in [[2006 in baseball|2006]], [[Peter Gammons]] joined the broadcasts as a field reporter in the scouts position. Gammons, however, suffered a [[brain aneurysm]] and didn't return until [[September 2006]]. [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2006-03-05-hiestand_x.htm]
==Features==
The telecasts also utilize the ''K Zone'', a computer-generated on-screen graphic that accurately outlines the strike zone and pitch location. A [[Skycam]] is also used; it is usually mounted 20 feet above the stands in foul territory and travels back and forth along the first base line from behind home plate to the foul pole.
==Commentators==
A complete list of broadcasters, with their period of tenure on the show (beginning years of each season shown).
'''ESPN'''
* [[Bonnie Bernstein]]: (field reporter, July-September 2006)
* [[Peter Gammons]]: (field analyst, 2006-present)
* [[Jon Miller]]: (play-by-play, 1990-present)
* [[Joe Morgan]]: (analyst, 1990-present)
* [[Sam Ryan]]: (field reporter, 2004-2006)
{{Timeline Sunday Night Baseball}}
In 2008, Miller and Morgan began their 19th consecutive season working together for ESPN. Among U.S. network television sportscasters, only [[Pat Summerall]] and [[John Madden (American football)|John Madden]] (who called [[National Football League|NFL]] games for [[NFL on CBS|CBS]] and [[NFL on FOX|FOX]] from [[1981 NFL season|1981]] to [[2001 NFL season|2001]]) have had a longer-tenured partnership in the booth.
==Notable games aired on Sunday Night Baseball==
ESPN was on hand for the [[Cleveland Indians]]' historic comeback against the [[Seattle Mariners]] on [[August 5]], [[2001]]. The Indians trailed 14-2 after six innings, but scored twelve runs in the final three innings before winning in the bottom of the eleventh, 15-14. The twelve-run comeback tied the Major League record for largest deficit overcome in a game.
Four weeks later, on [[September 2]], [[Mike Mussina]] of the [[New York Yankees]] came within one strike of a [[perfect game]] against the [[Boston Red Sox]]. The effort was broken up on a single by [[Carl Everett]], with Mussina settling for a one-hitter. The game itself was an exciting pitchers' duel, with the Red Sox' [[David Cone]] also shutting out the Yankees for eight innings, before allowing an RBI double by [[Enrique Wilson]] in the ninth. It was the only scoring of the Yankees' 1-0 win.
On [[April 22]], [[2007]], the Red Sox became the fifth team in Major League history to hit four consecutive home runs, doing so in the third inning of a 7-6 victory over the Yankees.
On [[April 29]] [[2007]], A canceled broadcast occurred between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals when [[St. Louis Cardinals]] relief pitcher [[Josh Hancock]] was killed in a car accident earlier in the day at 12:35 A.M. while driving under the influence. In Place of the game, MIller and Morgan spent the time slot showing various clips and repeating that the game had been postponed between a special airing of Baseball Tonight. The game was later made up on September 10th, 2007, where the Cubs defeated the Cardinals 12-3, though the game was not broadcast as the Game of the Week.
On [[August 5]], [[2007]], [[Tom Glavine]] of the [[New York Mets]] became the 23rd pitcher in history to record his 300th win. He did it in a 8-3 victory over the [[Chicago Cubs]].
ESPN was on hand for the [[Washington Nationals]]' very first game at [[Nationals Park]] on [[March 30]], [[2008]] (coincidentally the 19th season premiere of ''Sunday Night Baseball''). The Nationals beat the [[Atlanta Braves]], 3-2, on [[Ryan Zimmerman]]'s walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.
===History missed===
ESPN was scheduled to televise the game between the [[New York Yankees]] and [[Baltimore Orioles]] from [[Oriole Park at Camden Yards]] on [[September 20]], [[1998 in baseball|1998]]. However, this was also the first season of the new [[ESPN Sunday Night Football|Sunday night pro football]] contract in which ESPN showed games in every week of the season, instead of just the second half. ESPN sought permission from [[Major League Baseball]] to move the game, as well as two other late-season contests, to [[ESPN2]], but Major League Baseball denied the request. (But for some reason, they have never objected when early season games were bumped to ESPN2 by events such as the [[NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship|Women's Final Four]] and the [[National Hockey League|Stanley Cup playoffs]].) Therefore, viewers instead saw a game between the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] and [[Arizona Cardinals]]. Meanwhile, in [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], legendary shortstop [[Cal Ripken, Jr.]] chose not to play in the Yankees-Orioles game, ending his all-time leading consecutive-games-played streak at 2,632.
It was not until [[2000 in baseball|2000]] that Major League Baseball gave ESPN permission to move the late-season games. From [[2006 in baseball|2006]] on, there is no real need for switching stations late in the season as the NFL Sunday night package has moved to [[NBC Sunday Night Football|NBC]].
==Other networks==
In addition to the game being on [[ESPN]], ''ESPN Domingo de Grandes Ligas'' (''Major League Sunday'') is also broadcasted on [[ESPN Deportes]], the Spanish version of [[ESPN]]. On ESPN Deportes, [[Ernesto Jerez]] does play-by-play, former baseball player [[Candy Maldonado]] is the color commentator, and Guillermo Celis is the field reporter. This version is also presented on the Spanish feed of [[ESPN Latin America]]. The Brazilian feed, in portuguese, has [[Everaldo Marques]] doing the play-by-play and [[Paulo Antunes]] as the analyst. They broadcast from [[ESPN Brasil]] studios in [[São Paulo]].
[[MLB on ESPN Radio|ESPN Radio]] also has a radio broadcast of ''Sunday Night Baseball Presented by [[Excedrin]]''. [[Gary Thorne]] calls the play-by-play while [[Dave Campbell]] serves as the color commentator on the ESPN Radio broadcasts. From [[1998 Major League Baseball season|1998]] to [[2002 Major League Baseball season|2002]], [[Charley Steiner]] did the play-by-play along with [[Kevin Kennedy]] (1998-1999) and Campbell (2000-2001), while [[Dan Shulman]] worked with Campbell from [[2002 Major League Baseball season|2002]] to [[2007 Major League Baseball season|2007]].
{{see also|Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio}}
Prior to 1998, [[MLB on CBS Radio|CBS Radio]] aired Sunday night games, usually with [[Jerry Coleman]] and [[John Rooney]] announcing.
{{see also|Major League Baseball on CBS Radio}}
Outside the USA, this weekly game has also been broadcast live on [[Five (TV)|Five]] in the UK since 1997 and is the longest running programme on the channel. In Latin America the game is broadcasted on [[ESPN Latin America]]. When the NFL season begins, the game is moved to [[ESPN Dos]] only for the audience in Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia and the Caribbean Islands.
In [[Canada]], the games can be seen on [[Rogers Sportsnet]].
==See also==
*''[[ESPN Major League Baseball]]''
*''[[Baseball Tonight]]''
*''[[Monday Night Baseball]]''
*''[[Wednesday Night Baseball]]''
*''[[Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio]]''
*[[ESPN Major League Baseball broadcasters]]
*[[Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio broadcasters]]
*[[List of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball games]]
==References==
*[http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2006-03-05-hiestand_x.htm USA Today- ''Gammons to join Sunday Night Baseball'']
*{{cite web|title=Mediaweek - ESPN's Ryan Joins CBS Sports|url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002650807|accessdate=2006-06-12}}
*[http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/ ESPN.tv]
==External links==
*[http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/espnTopics?topic=Baseball Baseball on ESPN.tv]
*[http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/mlb/index MLB on ESPN.com]
{{ESPN}}
[[Category:1990s American television series]]
[[Category:2000s American television series]]
[[Category:ESPN network shows]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball on television]]
[[Category:ESPN Radio]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball on the radio]]
[[Category:Sunday|Night Baseball]]
[[Category:Sports television series]]
[[Category:1990 television series debuts]]
[[es:Domingo de Grandes Ligas]]