ESPN has some "significant decisions to make" regarding "Sunday Night Baseball" with analyst Aaron Boone "headed to manage the Yankees and play-by-play voice Dan Shulman stepping away" ahead of '18, according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. Jessica Mendoza will be back as an analyst, "short of something unforeseen." The question is whether ESPN "decides to continue with a three-person booth." ESPN could "opt to use one of its existing analysts" or "bring in a high-profile ex-player or manager with previous broadcasting experience" such as Dusty Baker or Joe Girardi. The play-by-play position is the "one to watch because ESPN will assuredly stay within its ranks given ESPN’s cost-cutting." It would be "stunning if the job does not go to a current ESPN baseball gamecaller such as Karl Ravech, Jon Sciambi, Dave Flemming or Adnan Virk." Ravech would be the "favorite heading in but Sciambi landing the job would also not be a surprise" (SI.com, 12/3). YAHOO SPORTS' Mark Townsend wrote the "challenge for ESPN now will be finding a couple of personalities who bring star power, perspective and a little charisma." Townsend mentioned Alex Rodriguez and Girardi as possibilities for the ESPN booth (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/2). In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes ESPN has to "find someone who talked at least as much as Boone" did during game broadcasts (N.Y. POST, 12/4).
