I don't know if you were watching the NBA pregame show on ESPN last night, but both Jamaal Mashburn and Avery Johnson handed out gifts to various NBA teams for a bit (The Spurs got anti-aging cream....SO CLEVER!). Well ESPN is doing the same thing for Baseball, but they're amping it up a little bit by bringing you Santa Kruk multiple times throughout next week.

Among the ingenious gifts that Kruk will giving teams during Sports Center segments included (but are not limited to):

Chicago Cubs gift – a goat catcher (akin to a dog catcher), since the goat is to blame for no World Series win since 1908
New York Mets – power tools; the Mets had the least homers in majors last season
Kansas City Royals – umbrella and lots of rain, so Zack Greinke can pitch every game
Pittsburgh Pirates – tickets to a Sister Sledge concert, to return to the glory days of "We Are Family"
Washington Nationals – eight clones of Ryan Zimmerman
Los Angeles Dodgers – cooking lessons with Giada, so she can teach them how to whip up a recipe to beat the Phillies
Houston Astros – a NASA rocket scientist, to figure out what's gone wrong

At about 3pm, the news came down that Peter Gammons was leaving ESPN. At about 6pm, the rumors that he was joining the MLB Network started surfacing. And 30 minutes ago, came word from MLB-N that he is in fact making the switch. Here's the release....

MLB Network and MLB Advanced Media today announced that Hall of Fame baseball writer Peter Gammons has joined MLB Network and MLB.com as an on-air and online analyst. As part of a multi-year deal, Gammons will offer analysis and commentary on MLB Network for breaking news and special events like the Trade Deadline, First-Year Player Draft, Winter Meetings and Postseason. Gammons will also serve as a signature and regularly featured writer for MLB.com’s new columnist initiative, writing commentary on breaking news and posting several articles online each week.

“After 40 years covering baseball, the opportunity to move on to MLB Network is a great and daunting opportunity,” said Gammons. “My journalistic life has revolved around baseball, and to be involved with people whose network is devoted to baseball, and baseball only, is something I look forward to with excitement. We all wish pitchers and catchers reported tomorrow. One of the greatest things about baseball is that it is held to a higher standard than any other sport, which holds those of us who care about it to a higher standard. I hope I can contribute to that standard.”

“For generations, baseball has been the writers’ sport, from John Updike to Roger Angell to Tom Boswell,” said Gammons. “To be afforded the opportunity by MLB.com to write about breaking news, inside information, issues, players, people, history and the perspective of the game’s place in society from Jackie Robinson to our current generation of socially-conscious players like Torii Hunter, Carlos Pena, and C.C. Sabathia is a forum that makes this next chapter of my journalistic life exciting and rewarding.”

Gammons will be appearing on Hot Stove to start out, but you can expect him on just about every single offering MLB-N has to offer. For someone who loves Baseball as much as Gammons does, the network choice is an obvious move. However, you have to wonder what it took to wrestle him away from the "Leader". If you asked me at the start of this blog, who are the two people ESPN couldn't lose from their Baseball roster it would be Gammons and Harold Reynolds. Both are now with the budding MLB Network.

Update: Brooks from SbB also has received word that Gammons could be part-timing with NESN soon.

Update #2: And here is your official NESN press release....

NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, announced today that Hall of Fame baseball writer and longtime ESPN and Boston Globe baseball analyst/reporter Peter Gammons has entered into a multi-year agreement to join NESN as a regular studio analyst, reporter and online contributor.

“I’m a New Englander who wanted to be Jackie Jensen,” said Peter Gammons. “I started out at the Boston Globe and wrote about Jerry Remy when he was at Somerset High School. I was lucky enough to be there for the Munson-Fisk fight in 1973 and The Sixth Game and the ’78 playoff, and when my local cable company wouldn’t put NESN on our system I signed the override petitions.”

Wow. This comes as a complete shock, but hot off the presses comes word that Peter Gammons is done at ESPN and plans to persue "other endeavors". (UPDATE: Apparently those endeavors are with the MLB Network.) Here are Gammons' comments via ESPN PR....

“My decision to leave ESPN and move on at this point in my life has been conflicted. I owe a great deal of my professional life to ESPN, having spent more than half of my 40 years in journalism working for the network, and the choice to move on was made with nothing but the strongest feelings for the people with whom I worked. ESPN gave me a great deal more than I gave it, and will always be a huge part of who I am.

“I will forever be joined at the hip with John Walsh, who hired me as an ink-stained wretch, plunked me on TV and has always been a guiding spirit. Understand how the people who run ESPN treat people: when I was felled by a severe aneurysm in 2006, George Bodenheimer, John Skipper, Norby Williamson, my former Boston Globe boss Vince Doria and everyone made certain that my family and I had the best care and support, far, far beyond any reasonable expectation. My ESPN life has been lined with foxhole people whom I’ll never forget.

“I’ve been able to work with my closest and oldest friends, like Jayson Stark, Tim Kurkjian, Buster Olney, Peter Pascarelli, Jerry Crasnick and Charlie Moynihan. I spent three seasons doing games with a producer, Tom Archer, who is among the most revered leaders I’ve ever met. I told everyone last October that the team baseball coordinating producer Jay Levy put together with Mark Preisler and Marc Carman was the most creative in my 20 years on the show. I apologize to hundreds of people I owe for all these years for not mentioning their names.

“You would have had to be there for 20 years to know how hard so many good people sweated in anonymity to make all of us look as if we knew what we were doing.

“My friend Tom Rush – who taught James Taylor and me our first guitar chords – once wrote how strange it seems to walk away alone. With no regrets.”

What a sad, sad day for ESPN and Baseball. Obviously I wish Gammons all the success in the future, but Baseball Tonight and Baseball as a whole won't be the same without him. In his honor, I urge you to watch the greatest Peter Gamomons video ever made....

I haven't watched much Baseball Tonight since the Playoffs began, but apparently their missing one key player. Steve Phillips has been rumored to be suspended from ESPN after having a brief affair with a 22 year old, but that's just half of the story. According to the NY Post, the 22 year old not only stalked Phillips, but she even made contact with both his wife and son before finally showing up at his house....

The former Met general manager, whose tenure with the team was rocked by admissions of infidelity, confessed to his wife and local cops that he had slept with ESPN assistant Brooke Hundley several times this past summer before dumping her.

In retaliation, the jilted young woman repeatedly phoned Phillips' wife, Marni, saying, "We both can't have him!" an explosive police report claims.

Hundley's desperate actions -- including accidentally smashing her car into a stone column while speeding away from the Phillips' home after leaving the letter -- terrified the family, according to the Wilton, Conn., police report.

"I have extreme concerns about the health and safety of my kids and myself," Steve Phillips said in a police statement, adding that the woman became "obsessive and delusional" after he dumped her.

But Phillips, 46, declined to pursue criminal charges against Hundley, a Bristol, Conn., woman who cops learned may have used an ESPN computer to contact Phillips' 16-year-old son on Facebook while posing as a high-school classmate.

Phillips -- who admitted having multiple affairs with women while working for the Mets -- is now being sued for divorce by his 40-year-old wife, the mother of his four sons. Two months ago, Phillips deeded the family's five-bedroom, multimillion-dollar Wilton home to her.

While that is a pretty good summation of the events, the details are even wilder, and not only does the Post have various statements (including a detailed on from Phillips), but they even have a letter that Hundley wrote to Mrs. Phillips. Just a crazy mess, and while I don't wish bad things on anyone, I think a divorce is best for everyone in this case.

ESPN's Steve Phillips in foul affair with production assistant (NY Post)

In ESPN's press release, when they hired Bobby Valentine, they stated that he will have a large role in 2010. Well today, that "larger role" for Valentine might be back in Japan with the Yokohama Bay Stars. According to Fox Sports, the former manager is already in talks to go back overseas....

The Yokohama Bay Stars of the Japanese Central League are making a "concentrated effort" to hire Valentine, according to a major-league source.

Valentine, 59, also is on the Cleveland Indians' short list of candidates who will receive interviews, sources say.

A planned meeting between Valentine and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria in Europe failed to materialize after ESPN.com reported the team's interest in Valentine.

The Marlins instead chose to retain Fredi Gonzalez rather than face a backlash of negative publicity for firing him after an 87-win season.

Valentine, currently working for ESPN, is not aggressively pursuing the Nationals' opening and is not believed to be a serious candidate for the Astros, sources say.

I guess that's the risk you run when you hire a former manager, but this does bring up an interesting PR angle that coaches are using now. Instead of toiling around at home, managers and coaches are almost to the point where they're using ESPN as a launching point. The perfect example of this will be when the Redskins hire Jon Gruden in the offseason, but it seems to be happening more and more lately.

Sources: Valentine could return to Japan as coach (Fox Sports)

Former MLB Manager, Bobby Valentine, has spent what seems like a lifetime coaching in Japan, but that could be changing soon. According to the NY Daily News, are return to the States is a "done deal", and that his employer will be ESPN....

Television industry and baseball sources say Valentine, completing his final season as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League, is on the verge of signing a lucrative multi-year deal with ESPN.

Valentine, no doubt carrying his bag of disguises, will likely make his debut at the network working in its "Baseball Tonight" studio during next month's playoffs.

"It's a done deal," one source said. "And it should be announced soon."

This would mark Valentine's second tour of duty in Bristol. In 2003, he replaced Buck Showalter in ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" studio.

Again, I don't know why they need to add yet ANOTHER analyst, but Valentine's hiring will sure make a splash for the Playoffs. I remember him having a few problems back in 2003, but he's done so much TV since then, that it shouldn't be a problem this go around.

Bobby Valentine close to making return to TV, nears deal with ESPN (NY Daily News)

It's no secret that ESPN covers certain teams more than others, but it's always fun when a player calls them out. Heath Bell, the Padres' closer, took offense to a recent John Kruk comment about his team, and decided to say what everyone is already thinking. From R&R via Sign On San Diego....

“I saw John Kruk on “Baseball Tonight” and he said, ‘They’re playing really well, but I don’t believe in them,’” Bell said before Monday’s game. “And I saw ESPN’s promo for tonight’s game. They mention the Mets are opening Citi Field, they mentioned the starting time, but nowhere did they mention the Padres. That gave me the (expletive).”

Bell was just getting warmed up in his pregame commentary.

“I truly believe ESPN only cares about promoting the Red Sox and Yankees and Mets - and nobody else,” said the closer, a former Met. “That’s why I like the MLB Network, because they promote everybody. I’m really turned off by ESPN and ‘Baseball Tonight.’ When Jake Peavy threw 8 1/3 innings on Saturday, they showed one pitch in the third inning and that was it. It’s all about the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets.”

Now if this comment was directed at say Sports Center, I wouldn't even pause, but calling out Baseball Tonight is something different. I think the show has been losing fans for years now, and unlike NFL Live or NBA Fastbreak, it's apparent that they don't give equal coverage to all teams. However, in Baseball it has been proven that certain teams draw better ratings, and you can't entirely blame the "Leader" for their biases.

But lucky for us, and Heath Bell, the MLB Network is currently putting the once "go to" show, to shame.

Heath Bell Does Not Care For Your Coverage, ESPN (Rumors and Rants)

Peter Gammons is an amazing reporter, but this ESPN spot (which debuts today) illustrates some of his tricks for getting the information he wants. The main one being the use of carrier pigeons....

Too funny. There are others, featuring Karl Ravech, Steve Phillips and John Kruk, but unless they talk about the Krukster's mullet, they're probably not better than that one.

Another hour goes by, another network adds an analyst. ESPN has just announced that the long rumored hiring of Dave Winfield has actually been finalized. Via ESPN PR....

Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield has joined ESPN as a Baseball Tonight analyst and will mainly work Sundays and select Mondays with host Karl Ravech and analysts Peter Gammons and John Kruk throughout the Major League Baseball season. He will appear on Baseball Tonight Sunday, April 5, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, leading into Opening Night – Atlanta vs. Philadelphia – at 8 p.m.

“We’re thrilled to add Dave Winfield to our Baseball Tonight team,” said Norby Williamson, executive vice president, production. “He will be able to draw from his experiences as a Hall of Fame talent and world champion who has been a pioneer for the game in various capacities, both on and off the field. We welcome his unique voice and believe he will be a great addition to ESPN.”

“I've worked in and around baseball my entire life. This is an opportunity to stay connected with the entire sport, not just one team or league,” said Winfield. “To join ESPN is a chance to join another winning sports team. The platform, Baseball Tonight, is No. 1 and one I've enjoyed for years. I look forward to working with Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Peter Gammons and the rest of the crew and bringing my own views on the game. Just like when I was playing, I can't wait for Opening Day!”

I've seen Dave Winfield on various programs since his retirement, and I have to say that I rather enjoy him. Occasionally the Baseball Tonight crew can get a bit stuffy, and the addition of someone with Winfield's energy could only help the crew. However, this does put the number of ESPN Baseball analysts at a ridiculous total. Can anyone tell me if Fernando Vina is still employed by the network? I haven't seen him in months!

I was checking out the end of Baseball Tonight last night and they decided to run a recap of the entire week of the show. Since I didn't watch it much, and I knew many of you hadn't either, I pressed record. Not only do you get a recap of all the trades and rumors, but you also get John Kruk slapping Karl Ravech on the ass!

I'm sorry, but the jokes about the Krukster's hair never get old. It looks like Bear Grylls stitched together some grass and moss for a shelter, but it ended up on Kruk's head. Good times, and see how much better Baseball Tonight is ESPN, when you don't have 8,000 on the set? Just Ravech, an analyst and a few writers/reporters, and you're good.

I really didn't want to post either of these on their own (mainly because they're both about Baseball and that's the last thing I want to talk about), but I think they make the perfect post in unison. The MLB Winter Meetings are kicking off this week, which means an inordinate amount of coverage from ESPN. While the network plans to have a handful of people in Las Vegas (seemingly to provide you with up-to-date trade rumors that won't pan out), they'll also be airing a special Baseball Tonight "Hot Stove" editions from 5-6pm on ESPN2 through Thursday night. Karl Ravech and John Kruk will be your hosts and will be joined by a cast of MLB regulars throughout the week.

And speaking of Karl and John, the Krukster sat down with The Morning Call to shed some light on their relationship....

Kruk seems to have a good rapport with ''Baseball Tonight'' host Karl Ravech, but says like with any family, there are some less-than-harmonious moments.

''You better have a good rapport because we're on four days a week from March through October,'' Kruk said. ''If we didn't get along, it would be hard.

''I mean there have been times when I wanted to punch him in the face. And, I'm sure there are times when he'd like to do the same to me. We argue. One time we went three days without speaking to each other, except on the air.

''A lot of it has nothing to do with TV. He might have said something while we were golfing or something like that. It's just like teammates on a baseball team. There were days I wanted to walk into the clubhouse and drop someone and I'm sure someone wanted to do it to me.''

Good times! Seriously though, ESPN does an excellent job covering those meetings. While I could care less about them at the moment, for those that do, it's probably your best option at this point. And last year even had a couple of nice trades to spark your interest as well. Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera both ended up in Detroit during last year's meetings. And while those moves didn't pan out last season, they were certainly exciting at the time.

Kruk the same genuine guy off camera (The Morning Call)

This press release is far less glamorous than the last one which announced the hiring(s) of Vasgersian, Leiter, Reynolds, Kusnierek and Hazel Mae, but it's still another nice pickup for the newly formed network. MLB-N has add former MLB Pitcher, and Rays Broadcaster, Joe Magrane (right) will join the team and be an analyst on the network's studio show....

Magrane will join the cast of MLB Tonight, the live, nightly studio show that will be the signature program of the new network, and Hot Stove, a live, nightly off-season studio show. All of the on-air personalities will appear on both shows,as well as other programming across MLB Network, which will launch on January 1, 2009, in approximately 50 million homes as the largest network debut in cable history.

“Bringing Joe into the fold continues our trend of hiring high caliber, versatile talent who weknow can be successful in a wide variety of roles,” said Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network. “Joe’s experience as a broadcaster and a player speaks for itself, and hispresence [sic] will clearly enrich our programming.”

While Magrane is an interesting hire, I think the even more interesting aspect of the release is that the studio show will be called, "MLB Tonight". There's nothing wrong with the name, but I'd be interested to hear what ESPN thinks about the moniker. It's oddly similar to the title of one of their shows, isn't it?

Also, a little fyi here, but you can expect a few more MLB-N hiring announcements tomorrow, or early next week.

Hilarious find by Dash over at Deadspin today. Harold Reynolds was on the "Killer B's" radio show today, which airs on ESPN 1470 in Tampa Bay, and he had some choice words for the former GM and current ESPN analyst. And by choice, I mean that he said he wanted to "slap him"....

Obviously it's pretty harmless, but it's just another person in the long line of many to take a shot at an ESPN employee in the media lately. Hopefully this leads to ESPN making note of who their lesser analysts are (*ahem* Phillips), but I doubt it.

Harold Reynolds Contemplates Inappropriate Use Of His Hands Again (Deadspin)

P.S.- Trying to figure out which game to live-blog tonight. Be sure to vote on the righthand side, and I'll put a pregame post up around 6pm or so announcing the winner.

I don't know if this is news to anyone else, but it was to me. John Kruk spoke with the Charleston Gazette recently about a former friend who back in Kruk's playing days was a "drug-possessed, gun-toting psychopath" (his own words). The story is wild and perfect for a Tuesday morning. Here are a few excerpts....

Plummer told Kruk he sold his business for $100,000 and asked if Kruk would mind if he came out to San Diego to visit. Jay Hafer, whom Plummer used as a getaway driver on many of his robberies, had received a $30,000 settlement from a lawsuit after being attacked by a dog. He asked if he could come out, too.

At Plummer's suggestion the three of them rented a house that October. Plummer took out a yearlong lease. Kruk said at the time he was making about $60,000 a year, not a lot of money when you're living in San Diego.

Soon Kruk was hearing stories from Keyser about Plummer skipping town, owing people money, and robbing a local grocery store.

In February 1988 he went to spring training.

"I kept hearing more from spring training. When I got back for the season, I don't know what excuse I made to him, but I said I needed to find my own place," Kruk said. "Then, of course, the FBI comes in right before batting practice and it's 'Holy crap.'"

The FBI questioned Kruk and showed him a picture of Plummer robbing a bank wearing a hat that read, "American by Birth. West Virginian by the Grace of God."

The FBI told Kruk that Plummer believed he was the one that turned him in.

"What I'm hearing from the FBI and other people is that he's a drug-possessed, gun-toting psychopath now. Everyone is telling me, 'He's coming after you,'" Kruk said. "Every knock on the door could be a teammate or it could be him. It scared the shit out of you."

That's not even half of the story, and I urge you to read the whole thing when you get a chance, but holy s**t. First of all, I want that damn hat.....Secondly, you occasionally hear of similar stories involving inner city friends, but rarely associated with two country kids from West Virginia. It's tough to imagine the stresses of an athlete on a daily basis, but when you add outside forces like this it has to be borderline unbearable.

Again, take some time to read through the whole thing and good for John to make it through that whole ordeal. It makes his time with the sirens (above) seem tame.

Baseball star John Kruk one of many fooled by bank robber (Charleston Gazette)

I really don't know what ESPN's obsession with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays is as of late, but I for one welcome the change. Well, until you get Rays Superfan #1 on the horn to gab about the team.

Wait, that was actually pretty good and actually more insightful than anything Steve Phillips has said in years. Someone switch the man's coverage over right now. And also, can someone get me a retro Rays jersey like the one that Vina was sporting? That thing is pimp.

Oh and one more thing. Who knew 11 years worth of Rays season tickets was worth $225K? That actually seems like a pretty good deal if you times it out.

I swear I've been watching Baseball Tonight a lot as of late but I didn't see any of these performances when they were aired for the first time. Anywho, here are the first set of musical acts including John Pizzarelli, Lloyd, The Cab and Gretchen Wilson. For some reason the Punch Brothers (who were third on the list) won't load, so we'll have to do without them for the time being.

My favorite part about those is how Gretchen Wilson strung out a :20 song into about a 2-minute version. This is what happens when you throw in a violin solo though. Pretty boring if you ask me, but I did enjoy the Pizzarelli version. And yes...it's still the most boring Sports time of the year.

Here's the rest of the schedule....

Monday, June 23
(after Arizona at Boston)
Ozomatli

Wednesday, June 25
(after Arizona at Boston)
Branford Marsalis

Saturday, June 28
(after Indycar Richmond)
Candlebox

Sunday, June 29
7 p.m. ET
REO Speedwagon

In the pantheon of dumb ideas ala the mini fields on set, and that pointless picture of the week contest they have now, I give you "Playing the Wall" with John Kruk. Via Bugs and Cranks....

Hahaha. How funny is that? You have arguably one of the most unathletic infielders trying to tell current outfielders how to play their position! They couldn't have got Chris Singleton to do that segment? Also, you might want to update that green screen technology ESPN. The Krukster looks like a poor man's Al Roker. Good times.

John Kruk Knows His Outfield Defense (Bugs and Cranks)

I mentioned that Baseball Tonight is holding a Battle of the Bands competition to see who can do the best rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame last week, and we have our first video today. I missed John Pizzarelli last night, and I'll have his submission up when I can find it, but Peter Gammons rocked out a tribute to Bo Diddley on Sunday night.

Unfortunately Peter isn't in the competition, but I have to say that was pretty badass. Everyone knows the guy can jam with a band, but I've never seen him go solo like that. Great start to the competition and I'll try to get each up as we go along.

Introducing Baseball Tonight's Battle Of The Bands (Awful Anouncing)

It's Summer programming time folks! Are you ready?! Oh, I'm not so sure. Of course Titletown is going to be annoying but how about a "Battle of the Bands" playing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on Baseball Tonight? What if I told you Journey and Peter Gammons are involved???

But you won't see it from ESPN analyst Peter Gammons, who will play Ball Game on-air Sunday (7 p.m. ET) in a sort of homage to the late guitar legend Bo Diddley: "It's how Bo Diddley would have played it."

And ESPN's Baseball Tonight on Monday will begin airing music videos from nine musical acts — including REO Speedwagon — playing the 100 year-old anthem. (FYI: Lyricists Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer never went to a baseball game — and weren't even interested in the sport. Art needn't imitate life.)

The idea, says ESPN producer Jay Levy, is to create a battle of the bands decided by online voting, starting June 29, with a winner announced July 13: "Personally, I'm a huge American Idol fan, so I figured why not have our own little American Idol."

Other contestants: Jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli, bluegrass band Punch Brothers, rhythm-and-blues singer Lloyd, rockers The Cab, country singer Gretchen Wilson, Latin and salsa hip-hop group Ozomatli — "they're fabulous," Gammons says — as well as saxophonist Branford Marsalis and rockers Candlebox.

Wait, Candlebox?!?! I love Gammons, Journey, and Ozomatli, but f'ing Candlebox??? Actually, come to think of it....I might actually get into this. At least they tried to get a nice variety of different musical acts and this could be fun. If they hadn't tried to compare it to "American Idol" then I would definitely be on board.

(Yeaaaaaah. You left me faaaaaar behinnnd yind. Now may-a-a-be I dint mean to treat youuuuu oh sooooo ba-a-d, but eye diddddd it anyway yay!!)

Try to get that out of your head the rest of the day.

Old 'Ball Game' will get new treatments on ESPN (USA Today)

This clip starts out as any good old ribbing. Last night Scott Reiss was throwing it to Steve Phillips for one of those stupid mini field demos on Baseball Tonight when things got just a tad uncomfortable. Steve was supposed to be doing a piece on Kosuke Fukudome, but Reiss decided rub Steve's career in his face during the transition.

The joke is pretty funny, but there's one problem. Reiss calls Fukudome, Akinori Iwamura....

The look on John Kruk's face before the tension is priceless but the toss back after the schooling from Phillips is even better. Rule #1 when making fun of someone. Don't botch the lead up before the punchline....they'll jump all over you. And also, that was a pretty messed up dig at Phillips if you ask me.

Oh and Reiss....

Fukudome (OF)- Chicago Cubs (National League)
Iwamura (IF)- Tampa Bay (American League)