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ESPN's Jessica Mendoza Draws Massive Praise For Debut On "Sunday Night Baseball"

Jessica Mendoza "showed Sunday night that she belongs in ESPN’s regular rotation of baseball game analysts," according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. Mendoza, who replaced the suspended Curt Schilling during the net's "Sunday Night Baseball" telecast, "did not sound nervous" or "push herself into conversations whenever a thought occurred to her." Mendoza "had an easy camaraderie" with play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman and co-analyst John Kruk, and she "spoke knowledgeably about batting mechanics, pitch sequences and the way Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta manipulated the speed of his slider en route to a no-hitter" against the Dodgers. Kruk said, "Male, female, it doesn’t matter. She’s as knowledgeable as anyone I’ve ever talked to about baseball." Sandomir notes Mendoza "has called primarily college softball games over her eight years at ESPN and was added as a contributor to 'Baseball Tonight' last year." She also has "made instructional hitting videos." How far "she can go as a baseball analyst will be determined by how often ESPN assigns her to MLB games." Mendoza called her first MLB game for ESPN on Aug. 24, and she is next assigned to Monday's Orioles-Yankees game. Kruk said, "It wouldn’t surprise me if Jessica’s a regular on Sunday, Monday or Wednesday night baseball, whenever the time comes" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/1).

THEY LIKE HER, THEY REALLY LIKE HER
: USA TODAY's Ted Berg notes Mendoza "drew rave reviews from the Twitter world for her sharp analysis and thorough knowledge of hitting mechanics." Mendoza's presence "was a refreshing change from the Sunday Night Baseball norm, which too often seems to feature harrumphing former major league players and executives prattling on about their playing days, giggling over inside jokes or masquerading nonsense as baseball insight" (USA TODAY, 9/1). SPORTING NEWS' Jesse Spector wrote Sunday's broadcast was one "for ESPN to be proud of." Mendoza "was excellent," and "so were Shulman and Kruk in calling the no-hitter." Shulman "showed off his play-by-play chops, Kruk thrived making points about the ins and outs of the game without fear of mockery for his sometimes clumsy way of getting to those points and Mendoza expertly broke down inside-the-game elements like pitch sequencing and the science of hitting" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 8/31). espnW's Jane McManus wrote on her Twitter feed Mendoza is the "perfect example of someone getting an opportunity and proving they've been ready all along." McManus: "Given Mendoza's media background and athletic success, putting her in the booth was never a risk in any substantive way" (TWITTER.com, 9/1).

IN HER OWN WORDS
: Mendoza said of Sunday's broadcast, "There were some nerves early. But I felt I settled in after we came on air." She added, "I will watch the game back and find a long list of things I need to improve on -- be more succinct with, and better explain. But overall it was a pretty amazing night to be a part of." SI.com's Richard Deitsch asked her, "How much of a responsibility do you feel, if you feel this at all, for women younger than you who have an interest in being an on-air MLB analyst?" Mendoza: "I feel it. Now more than ever. That was part of the nerves for me Sunday night. I wanted to be myself and do my job as an analyst but I also was aware of the underlying pressure to do well so that many women who are just as qualified to be in the booth can also have these opportunities in the future" (SI.com, 8/31).

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