ESPN, in a vain attempt to try to bring viewers back to their network after consistent rating woes (news flash, bringing back Keith Olbermann is NOT going to help), has scheduled the New York Yankees to take on the Toronto Blue Jays at 8 pm on Sunday, July 8.
The problem? This game was originally slated for a 1 p.m. start time, with the Yankees set to fly to Baltimore for a doubleheader the next day. New York manager and former ESPN analyst Aaron Boone does not want his team to have to play three games in two different cities within the span of 24 hours.
"Hopefully there is some pressure being applied because that is not good for the product on the field or the safety of our guys, having to go from a night game, flight and right into a doubleheader. Anybody who would argue with that is not being truthful,'' said Boone in an interview with the New York Post.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, they cannot actually refuse to play in any games they are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN for. However, they can deny access to player and manager interviews before, during, or after games. Quite simply, the Yankees can make ESPN's job a living nightmare the rest of the season. Is it petty, especially since Boone was on the other side just last season? Absolutely. But it is understandable, especially since ballplayers are creatures of habit. ESPN would eventually blink first and took the Yankees off the schedule.
Either way, this scenario should have never been a thing.
I have complained about which teams are scheduled for Sunday Night Baseball for years, especially when ESPN was giving a 24-hour love fest to the Cubs two years ago when basketball wasn't on and Lebron James was giving absolutely nothing as far as something for them to get worked up about (which is a rant for another day). Of course, I understand why they do those things: it draws eyes to the screen (or at least it's supposed to).
However, I still believe that any team that has an off day the following Monday should be the first ones looked at. It makes more sense for a team that has more time to get from where they are playing to their next destination to play on Sunday night. And right now, there are intriguing options (cough, cough, Braves v Brewers, cough).
