PITTSBURGH – JUNE 03: In honor of his induction in the Hockey Hall of Fame, broadcaster Mike “Doc” Emerick is greeted by the Pirate Parrot prior to the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Houston Astros on June 3, 2008 at the PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

When NHL on NBC voice Mike Emrick called a couple of Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training games back in March, little did we know it was practice for a regular season game next month. MLB Network has announced that Doc will call the Chicago Cubs-Pittsburgh Pirates game on July 8 with Bob Costas.

It’s a dream come true for Emrick who grew up a Pirates fan while living in Indiana and had mentioned on HBO’s Real Sports last year that he was hoping to call one inning of a Pirates.game. One person who watched that Real Sports segment was Bob Costas who calls games on MLB Network:

“When I heard Mike say that it was a lifelong dream of his to call a baseball game, I immediately thought, ‘Well, we can make that happen at MLB Network,’” said Costas. “He’s naturally anecdotal, and that lends itself well to baseball, plus he has a passion for baseball and a lifelong connection to it. The Pirates have been his team since he was a kid and the Cubs are a fascinating team this year, so it’s a perfect matchup and perfect setting for him, and we’re all looking forward to it.”

Emrick told the New York Times’ Richard Sandomir that he wants to make sure that his call will be at the MLB Network level. Costas will call the first three innings, discuss Emrick’s love for the Pirates then band off to Doc for the next three.

Emrick comes off calling the Pittsburgh Penguins-San Jose Sharks Stanley Cup Final for NBC. And while Doc is a Hall of Fame and multi-Emmy Award-winning broadcaster for his play-by-play of hockey, his love of the Pirates goes even further than his more than 30 years of calling the NHL.

In 2012, Emrick participated in a Pirates Fantasy Camp playing second base. And he’s kept the scorecard of the first Pirates game he attended at the old Forbes field back in 1959. He’ll get to keep score once again on July 8 when he calls the Cubs-Pirates game at PNC Park on MLB Network.

[New York Times]

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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