Mendoza will continue as a lead analyst during ESPN’s coverage of the Women’s College World SeriesESPN IMAGES
Jessica Mendoza has "signed a multiyear extension with ESPN to remain part of the 'Sunday Night Baseball' announcer’s booth and appear more often on other ESPN platforms," according to Joe Reedy of the AP. Mendoza will "begin her fourth full season" on "SNB" next year, and "she’ll appear more regularly on 'SportsCenter' and 'Get Up!' as well as 'Baseball Tonight.'" She will also "continue as a lead analyst during ESPN’s coverage of the Women’s College World Series" (AP, 12/11). Meanwhile, Mark Teixeira has also signed a multiyear extension to remain with ESPN as an MLB analyst (ESPN). Teixeira said, "I have the coolest job in the world. I've always been a baseball fan, and talk about why teams are good or bad, or what contracts are right or wrong, and now I get to be paid for it" (USATODAY.com, 12/10).
ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS: In N.Y., Andrew Marchand notes despite the "vast bulk of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball games" being moved to 7:00pm ET next season, there is "one Yankees-Red Sox matchup that will remain" in the old 8:00pm slot, and that is because of the U.S. Open final. ESPN "doesn’t want to risk the Open Final," which will begin at 4:00pm, "bleeding into the start" of “SNB." That Sept. 8 game is "one of only two games on the schedule that won’t have the new 7 p.m. start time" (N.Y. POST, 12/11). In Chicago, Phil Rosenthal notes "SNB" this season will have "no shortage of Dodgers, Red Sox and Yankees -- especially Red Sox versus Yankees." Of the 11 “SNB” games ESPN unveiled, "four were Red Sox versus Yankees and another four featured the Dodgers, including Dodgers at Red Sox on July 14 and Yankees at Dodgers on Aug. 25" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/11).
OCTOBER INFLUENCE? YAHOO SPORTS' Mark Townsend wrote in regards to "SNB" moving up one hour, "perhaps this change will prompt the self-examination MLB has long needed when it comes to scheduling postseason games." Most notably, now "seems like a great time to examine whether starting every World Series game after 8 p.m. ET is really in the game’s best interest." ESPN's "SNB" is "heavily influenced by the ratings" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/10).
