MLB has returned broadcast rights to the six teams for
the three September Sunday night telecasts originally
scheduled to air on ESPN, and in Baltimore, Milton Kent
reports that the September 20 Yankees-Orioles 8:05pm game
has been returned to the Orioles and will likely been
broadcast by HTS. MLB Dir of PR Rich Levin said that the
teams involved in the three Sunday night games "have the
right to shift the games to the afternoon." In reviewing
the dispute with ESPN, Levin said that the network is "not
allowed to put games on ESPN2 independent of some kind of
agreement with us." An ESPN spokesperson told Kent the net
is "reviewing its options," one of which includes filing
suit against MLB for breach of contract. Kent writes that
while both sides "have some rights to a little righteous
indignation," MLB "could stand a little reality check.
After all, ESPN2 is in 60 million homes, and has shown some
pennant race and postseason games already, so it's not as if
the games will be seen in a vacuum" (Baltimore SUN, 8/20).
In Chicago, Ron Rapoport writes, "Sure, baseball has a beef
with ESPN wanting to show some Sunday-night games in
September on ESPN2 because of its football commitments, but
does it really have to be talking lawsuit? ESPN has been
awfully good to baseball over the years" (SUN-TIMES, 8/20).
