An Open Letter to MLB Network

UPDATE: MLB Network has decided to take Caught Looking's advice.  I've noticed that the channel has decided to periodically devote an hour of the MLB Tonight program to something called Solid 60, a 60-minute commercial-free block presented by DIRECTV.  According to Broadcasting & Cable, "the block will feature highlights, updates and live look-ins at games. It will run as part of MLB Tonight, the network's nightly studio show.  MLB Network chose the 9:30-10:30 p.m. hour as it is the time of day when most MLB games are in progress."  Apparently this debuted on April 9, but was only aired on Friday nights until recently (which is why I never caught it).  It's a little heavy on the voiceover commentary and isn't exactly what I proposed below, but they do show live games constantly throughout the hour and attempt to show a combination of popular player at-bats, run scoring opportunities and final outs.  Pretty well done, MLB Network - thanks for listening! 

Dear MLB Network,

I like you guys.  I was skeptical when your network launched prior to the 2009 baseball season, but now that we've spent a full year together I'll admit you've grown on me.  As an Atlanta Braves fan living in New York, I don't get to see my team play on live TV very often, and I often prefer to watch your various highlights shows (MLB Tonight, Quick Pitch, etc.) over yet another Yankees game on YES Network or Mets game on SNY.  I appreciate how you rescued Harold Reynolds from the ESPN doghouse (did we ever find out exactly what happened over there?), stole Peter Gammons away from The World Leader, and brought in a slew of relatively-entertaining former Major Leaguers including Sean Casey, Al Leiter and Mitch Williams, among others.

At the same time, I realize nothing you do from a highlight show standpoint can hold a candle to ESPN's Baseball Tonight.  You don't have a Web Gems or Touch 'Em All segment, and even if you were to try to replicate it you wouldn't have the Web Gems or Touch 'Em All "brands."  You don't have the awesome Baseball Tonight jingle informing viewers of upcoming in-game updates and highlights.  You don't have Tim Kurkjian, my favorite baseball analyst on TV right now.  Last night, when the Dodgers vs. Mets game was rained out and ESPN decided to show a three-hour special version of Baseball Tonight instead, complete with live look-ins from games around the country (one of my favorite parts of your MLB Tonight show, by the way), I found myself glued to ESPN without even thinking of switching over to MLB Network.  I realized that I enjoy MLB Network simply because it offers more baseball-related content than ESPN does on a regular basis, but when both are showing baseball I'll choose ESPN more often than not.

So, MLB Network, what can you do to differentiate yourself from ESPN's Baseball Tonight and pull viewers over to your channel?  Take tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, for example; you'll be airing MLB Tonight Live for five straight hours, while ESPN will show Twins vs. Tigers on Wednesday Night Baseball, followed by an hour long Baseball Tonight.  Why not convert some of the five-hour MLB Tonight block to something I call Ducks on the Pond?  We already know you have the contractual rights to show live pieces of Major League Baseball games; you do it all the time on MLB Tonight.  The problem is, you seemingly switch between games at random and have your analysts talk over the local broadcasters (quite annoyingly, I might add).

The Ducks on the Pond concept is simple; basically, it would be like the NFL's Red Zone Channel, but for baseball.  For a few hours each night (on nights when you don't have live games, of course), you can take us live to games where teams have runners in scoring position, without a ton of additional commentary.  If you were airing this tomorrow night, baseball fans who aren't very interested in Twins vs. Tigers (read: everybody) could click over to MLB Network, hoping to see their team drive in some runners or get out of a jam.  You'd be giving your fans the opportunity to watch exciting moments from baseball games across the country, and require a lot less production and manpower than MLB Tonight in the process.

Anyway, it's just thought.  Thanks again for everything you do, MLB Network.  Just know that as long as I can find you in HD on Time Warner Cable channel 783, I'll keep tuning in (as long as there isn't anything better on ESPN, that is).

MLBwhiz