• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 11, 2025

It’s All Fun and Games (‘Till Somebody Brings Up the Money…)

New Guy on the Field
Athletic.com

Roster Change in Media Coverage of MLB

Pitchers, catchers, and players reporting to camp in the “best shape of their lives,” aren’t the only things fresh and new as we head into Major League Baseball this Spring. Of course, rosters change, there may be updates to “pace of play,” and there’s that whole free agency squabble…but that’s not what we’re talking about here. This change is a potentially tectonic shift in the coverage and conversation of the action on the field.  

Mike Behind the Mic (Image via Newsday.com)

Signaling this sea-change is longtime sports-talk host Mike Francesa stepping away from the mic, making it the first time in over 30 years that the gruff personality won’t be a key pillar leading the baseball conversation. Francesa became a fixture on WFAN in 1989, teaming up with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo to create one of the most successful drive-time talk shows of all time. The show became an authoritative voice in one of the largest markets (New York City) with avid sports fans that had a ripple effect and went a long way in shaping the larger national conversation- especially baseball.

Perhaps because of the local Yankees, Mets, and proximity to the Boston Red Sox (or maybe just because he was very, very loud…) Francesa grew to become a larger-than-life sports media personality with a particular “expertise” in all things MLB. Credited with legitimizing talk radio, Francesa won multiple Marconi Awards for his broadcast on the radio, and was simulcast across the country. Nicknamed the “Sports Pope,” his opinions about the baseball season frequently became gospel. Love him or hate him, Francesa’s thoughts and personality became one of the biggest in the game. Now that’s gone, leaving a void for other voices to emerge as the major “thought leaders” generating much of the baseball conversation.  

This is all part of a much larger trend, with many of the major sports media outlets paring back their coverage of America’s Past-time. Longtime staple Fox Sports has shuttered the baseball writing on their website, ESPN has removed many of the biggest names in their baseball department, and Sports Illustrated is pivoting to shorter-form video focused more on entertainment than the game.

New Guy on the Field! (Image via theathletic.com)

That’s created quite an opportunity for new sports-media venture The Athletic to become the authoritative source of MLB coverage and fan conversation. The subscription-based website recently announced that they’re drastically expanding their baseball coverage, assembling an all-star roster bringing together some of the most respected MLB reporters in the industry. Led by Fox Sports main writer, Ken Rosenthal, the site has also added Jayson Stark, formerly of ESPN, and the legendary Peter Gammons to the team, established their own analytics department headed up by Enos Sarris from Fangraphs, and recruited Emma Span from Sports Illustrated to become a veritable powerhouse of baseball writing that will be incredibly interesting to see.

By bringing together so many of the biggest voices from disparate sports media outlets, all with different editorial missions and a particular emphasis, or “flavor,” to their reporting, The Athletic has created a journalistic jambalaya of national baseball coverage positioned to dominate coverage of the game from every angle (traditional stats, stars & stories, advanced sabermetrics, etc.).

Beyond that, the site has established coverage at the local level for 20 of the 30 MLB franchises by bringing on well-established “beat reporters” from those markets with individualized team expertise. That’s positioned The Athletic to merge local and national coverage at an unprecedented level. As Enos Sarris said when reflecting on his decision to join the site, there’s “a real chance for synthesis and original thought, born of a structure unique to this venture;” creating an all-new player in the sports media focused on generating high-quality baseball content.

As traditional outlets and personalities fade to the background, The Athletic could emerge as one-stop shopping for fans of all stripes and colors interested in an analysis of the sport on every level, from every perspective. It’s still only Spring Training, but if all goes as planned, The Athletic may have just established themselves as the “Yankees” of baseball coverage, becoming THE authoritative source of all things MLB.

*Pop Quiz; Holiday Trivia: Who was the first President to throw out the ceremonial “first pitch” on Opening Day?

**Bonus Points: Which former President was once part-owner of an MLB franchise? What was the team?

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jeff Kaplan

Letting PE Invest in Family-Owned Teams Is a ‘Watershed’

Liquidity gives owners greater flexibility to manage salary cap.

All-Star Game Returns to Atlanta With Big Plans After 2021 Exit

The league’s jewel event is set to be a global showcase for The Battery.

NFL Likely to Stay With CBS, Targeting Mass Renegotiation in 2029

The league instead looks toward a broader set of contract opt-outs.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.

Featured Today

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
Gabby Thomas
exclusive
June 12, 2025

Grand Slam Track Cancels Los Angeles Meet As $30 Million Track Start-Up..

Sources close to Grand Slam insist money is not an issue.
June 13, 2025

What Rolapp’s NFL Exit Means—and the Top Candidates to Replace Him

NFL media boss Brian Rolapp leaves; the league hunts for his replacement.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
May 23, 2025

New LPGA Commissioner: Women’s Golf ‘Really Hard’ to Find on TV

Former PGA of America COO Craig Kessler will lead the tour.
Donald Trump, Nick Saban
May 22, 2025

Proposed Trump College Sports Commission May Never Happen

The White House is not sure of its plans.
May 15, 2025

PGA Championship Tees Off With Free Food, Record Hospitality Sales

General admission includes unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages.
Jun 12, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Blues center Ivan Barbashev (49) and right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating the Boston Bruins in game seven of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden
May 15, 2025

The 10 Biggest Stanley Cup Upsets of All Time

Since the 1984–1985 NHL season, 10 squads have defied the odds.