Tim Kurkjian executed the perfect dad joke about the weather during MLB on ESPN's broadcast on Wednesday night. Photo Credit: ESPN Tim Kurkjian: Photo Credit: ESPN

Dad jokes and baseball combine to make the perfect combination to showcase America’s Pastime.

When the person making said dad joke is one of the sport’s best reporters, it makes it that much better.

During the MLB on ESPN broadcast on Wednesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tim Kurkjian commented on how toasty the elements have been:

“It was unbelievably hot yesterday,” he said. “I saw a dog chasing a cat yesterday, and they were both walking. It was really hot.”

You can hear Eduardo Pérez giggly after the joke and Karl Ravech asking how long Kurkjian has been waiting to say such a joke.

While Kurkjian said he makes these statements to get under the skin of Ravech, we know that’s not the real mission.

The broadcast likes to stick to being authentic and that shows.

It’s also the home of Sunday Night Baseball which has been seeing high ratings lately.

On Sunday during a historic rivalry when the Yankees hosted the Red Sox in Boston’s eventual 3-0 win, the game averaged 2.359 million viewers on ESPN, the network’s most-watched Sunday Night Baseball audience and most-watched game since the same matchup on the opening weekend of the 2022 season.

Overall, Sunday Night Baseball is up 6% from last season, averaging 1.62 million viewers.

About Jessica Kleinschmidt

Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.