It’s incredible to see two guys who some may have believed, killed their credibility years ago analyzing MLB playoff games. Fox Sports is on to something truly amazing with their pre/post game show’s line up consisting of Kevin Burkhardt, Alex Rodriquez, Frank Thomas, and Pete Rose.
It’s no secret that Alex Rodriquez and Pete Rose burnt a lot of bridges during their time in Major League Baseball. Rodriquez consistently lied about his steroid usage and Rose became exiled from baseball for his gambling issues but both somehow landed themselves in the two best seats in sports broadcasting.
Say what you want about their careers in MLB but these guys are great for Fox’s pre-game and post-game broadcasts. Not only do their baseball IQ’s combined make for great television but their humorous baseball puns add an upbeat tone add to the broadcast. It’s something baseball broadcasts have been missing out on for years now.
The moment you realized Fox Sports was on to something amazing was when Rose was teaching both Thomas and Rodriquez about his hitting techniques. The video on MLB on Fox’s Facebook account has earned itself nearly 11 million views.
During the NLCS the broadcasters held a, “Don’t bet on it” segments, which added a twist of good humor to the show. Rodriquez turned to Rose and said, “Pete, I love you, but don’t bet on anything.” Followed by Rose asking Rodriquez if they could all fly back to the West Coast in his private plane.
Baseball is overly criticized for being too long and dull. Especially since the recent World Series games have taken three to four hours to complete. It is important for these broadcasts to offer some form of humorous relief. Both Rodriquez and Rose see the loved and hated side of Major League Baseball. What makes them great is the fact they are not obligated to give fluffy analysis perspectives due to outside pressures from the network and owners. If the MLB is looking to attract a younger demographic of fans, look no further then this stellar line up.