ESPN is eager to recreate the success of the Manningcast across other sports. Is that possible? The appeal of the show has a lot to do with the unique personalities and interaction between brothers Peyton and Eli Manning.
The network thinks that maybe it is a model that can be duplicated for baseball. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports that Alex Rodriguez has been discussed as the possible centerpiece for an alternate broadcast to accompany Sunday Night Baseball.
Details are scarce right now. There is no information on how many of these alternate broadcast ARod or the network would be willing to do.
One thing that is certain is that if ESPN goes forward is that Rodriguez would be out of the regular play-by-play booth. Marchand reports that plans in that realm are coming together a little more rapidly.
He says that the network is leaning towards a booth that would include Karl Ravech on play-by-play and Eduardo Perez as one of the analysts. The network is said to be leaning towards 1994 Cy Young winner and current YES analyst David Cone for the other seat in the booth.
Marchand reports that the rumor is that Ravech may be what got the wheels turning on a new booth. With Matt Vasgersian gone, Rodriguez was reportedly keen to work with Michael Kay as his new play-by-play partner and not Ravech.
