While much of the country is still experiencing bone-chilling freezing temperatures, it’s nice to know that warmer weather will be here soon. A sign that we’re turning the corner from winter and heading for a new season is baseball spring training in Arizona and Florida. Teams have already had pitchers and catchers report. And ESPN has sent an armada of staffers to cover Spring Training.
Its annual visit of all 30 MLB Spring Training camps has already begun with stops in Tampa, FL for the New York Yankees and Scottsdale, AZ for the defending champions San Francisco Giants. And between now and next Wednesday, March 4, SportsCenter will have Jay Crawford, Sara Walsh and Bram Weinstein anchor from various sites and they’ll be joined by Baseball Tonight’s Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Aaron Boone, Mark Mulder and Curt Schilling.
Yes, reporters like Buster Olney, Tim Kurkjian, Pedro Gomez and Britt McHenry will be spread all over Arizona and Florida like a blanket.
Some days, SportsCenter will have reports from as many as four sites in one day, others will have as few as two. It’s all to serve baseball fans who have cabin fever and are yearning for some sign that higher temps are on the way.
In March, ESPN will air five Spring Training games (yes, they involve the usual suspects) with your Sunday Night Baseball crew of Dan Shulman, John Kruk, Curt Schilling and Buster Olney assigned to one.
| Date | Time (ET) | Telecast | Spring Training Site | Commentators |
| Thu, Mar. 19 | 7 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies at New York Yankees | Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, Fla. | Jon Sciambi, Rick Sutcliffe, Doug Glanville |
| Tue, Mar. 24 | 1 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves | ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. | Karl Ravech, Aaron Boone, Tim Kurkjian |
| Thu, Mar. 26 | 7 p.m. | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Chicago Cubs | Hohokam Park Mesa, Ariz. | Dan Shulman, John Kruk, Curt Schilling, Buster Olney |
| Fri, Mar. 27 | 1 p.m. | Boston Red Sox at Atlanta Braves | ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. | Karl Ravech, Aaron Boone, Tim Kurkjian |
| Thu, Apr. 2 | 1 p.m. | New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers | Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, Fla. | Dave O’Brien, Aaron Boone, Mark Mulder |
So baseball fans will get plenty of spring training coverage through March.
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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.