ESPN’s Week in Baseball

Following are highlights from this week’s Major League Baseball coverage on ESPN:

Morgan Measures A.L. Cy Young Candidates
Hall of Famer Joe Morgan (on Monday Night Baseball, Aug. 24) sized up the American League Cy Young race, saying New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia was currently leading the way with Detroit’s Justin Verlander – who was on the mound for the Tigers at the time (against the Angels) – ranked second.

Morgan: Angels Infielders Figgins and Aybar Attracting Gold Glove Attention
One week after Baseball Tonight’s Buck Showalter highlighted the dynamic duo of Los Angeles Angels infielders Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar, analyst Joe Morgan (on Monday Night Baseball, Aug. 24) said they could accomplish a rare feat this season – secure a Gold Glove sweep for the left side of the Angels’ infield.

Philadelphia’s Eric Bruntlett Discusses Rare Triple Play
Philadelphia infielder Eric Bruntlett was interviewed over the phone during Baseball Tonight, sharing his thoughts on the rare triple play he converted to end the game against the New York Mets (Aug. 23). Not surprisingly, the defensive play was the top “Web Gem” of the night.

Kruk and Singleton Explain Unique Outfield Ground Rule
Baseball Tonight’s John Kruk and Chris Singleton explained the ground rules and the decisions made by Philadelphia Phillies outfielders Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez when a ball became lodged under the outfield wall. The outcome was an inside-the-park home run for Mets outfielder Angel Pagan.

“Buck Stops Here” Segment Focuses on Player Anticipation
Baseball Tonight’s “Buck Stops Here” segment, which captures analyst Buck Showalter’s game observations, focused on one of the tools managers can’t teach – the natural instincts of select players. One highlight was a heads-up play by Minnesota Twins second baseman Nick Punto.

ESPN’s 20th Year All-Star Team Voting Continues
ESPN continues to celebrate 20 seasons of MLB coverage with fan voting determining a 20th year All-Star Team. ESPN viewers have voted throughout the first half of the season to narrow the list of 10 candidates per position down to three finalists in each category. This week, the fan vote will determine their favorite shortstop over the past 20 years. The winner – Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken, Jr. or Ozzie Smith – will be announced during Sunday Night Baseball August 30. Last week, fans voted for Chipper Jones as third baseman over Wade Boggs and Alex Rodriguez. Next week’s vote will determine the favorite right fielder over the previous 20 seasons.