Karl Ravech’s ESPN run has officially come to an end. He closed it out this week, calling his final Little League World Series weeks after being laid off. In reflection, former ESPN teammate Tim Kurkjian shared his memories of Ravech’s time with the network.
What We Know: ESPN laid off Ravech on July 22 amid a broader round of cuts that also swept up several colleagues, including Ryan Clark and Tom Pelissero. Still, Ravech honored the remainder of his contract. He called MLB games through August, including a Yankees-Mariners tilt, before wrapping the Little League World Series this weekend. Making an appearance on his podcast, Is This A Great Game, Or What, Kurkjian shared that Ravech will go down as one of the best ESPN ever had.
What They Said: (All quotes via Is This A Great Game, Or What?):
Tim Kurkjian on Karl Ravech: “He’s on the Mount Rushmore of the talent, as we call it, at ESPN. When you’ve been on the air since 1979, as ESPN has. To be in the Mount Rushmore on ESPN, I think is really impressive. I think [Ravech] in that four-man group.”
Tim Kurkjian excelled on being a host on ESPN: “The point guard, whether he is a show host or a play-by-play guy, is there to make sure that everyone is involved in the game. To get the ball to the shooter at the right time. The number of times on the set where I would just look at [Ravech], he knew exactly what I wanted to say and he would tee me up. Instead of taking the really good note or the really good take for himself, he always let the analyst have it.”
Tim Kurkjian was the ultimate teammate at ESPN: “Nobody was a better passer than [Ravech]. He could have scored 30 points any game, but most of the time he decided to be Steve Nash. He just wanted to make sure the shooter got the ball in the right spot.”
What Remains Unclear: Ravech hasn’t revealed his next move, though he’s said he’d like to keep calling games somewhere. Whether ESPN taps a permanent successor for the Little League World Series is still unknown.
What It Means: Kurkjian’s tribute went beyond nostalgia, though. He also compared Ravech to Steve Nash, describing a host who set up analysts instead of chasing the spotlight. That selflessness, Kurkjian suggested, is exactly why Ravech’s colleagues speak so highly of him now. Ultimately, his exit leaves a void ESPN will need time to fill. Whether or not ESPN could mend fences with Ravech’s suggestion he’d be willing to talk is unknown.
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