Baseball announcing has rarely ever deviated from the norm. You usually have two or three announcers in the booth, and an on-field reporter. That's the way it's been for years, and very few networks have tried something different. Well that's until ESPN airs its Monday Night Baseball game, between the Dodgers and Cardinals tomorrow night.

The "Leader" plans on dividing up its three man team of Shulman, Hershiser and Phillips, by putting the two analysts in the camera wells beside each dugout. Via USA Today....

ESPN will formally announce Monday that it will experiment Monday night on its Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis game (7 ET). ESPN will keep play-by-play announcer DanShulman in the booth, but analysts Orel Hershiser and Steve Phillips will be stationed in the camera wells beside each dugout.

Matt Sandulli, ESPN senior coordinating producer, says the Cardinals preferred ESPN use the camera well on the outfield side, rather than home plate side, of its dugout to reduce chances its analysts might somehow interact with players. Sandulli says that won't happen anyway — "we're not supposed to talk to players and wouldn't do it" — and hopes to get the Dodgers to allow access to the well on its dugout's home plate side.

TV sports commonly station reporters along sidelines, in pit road or on golf fairways. But putting main game announcers in separate locations rarely has been done, such as NBC's Pierre McGuire being rinkside on NHL games or ESPN having Paul Maguire chime in on football from a sideline camera cart. Says Sandulli: "There's lot of non-verbal communication in the booth. We joked that maybe (the analysts) will will send signals from dugout to dugout."

Sandulli says its possible that ESPN could send more baseball announcers out of the booth on future games, depending partly on whether Monday night's experiment delivers a "wow factor."

While my initial reaction is that this might become a bit distracting, the intrigue almost outweighs that. The Pierre McGuire idea has worked wonders for NBC Hockey, and the same could potentially work for Baseball. Besides, it's Monday Night Baseball, why not?

ESPN baseball announcing team goes separate ways (USA Today)

I figured since most of you wouldn't be staying up until almost midnight, checking out Dickie V's trip to the NBA, that I would pull some of the more entertaining clips for you. Here is your Heat-Nugs/Dickie V game in just 5 minutes and 30 seconds!

While I thought the swap was cheesy on the surface, both teams did a pretty solid job. The simple fact that the crews had to prepare more than they normally would showed, and Dick Vitale actually had something to talk about other than Duke and UNC (I kid....well, not really). I still don't see what the point of a College announcer heading to the Pros would be, but the NBA guys could gain some knowledge by doing both contests. Just look at the job Dan Shulman is doing calling both. Plus, neither Mark Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy had ever been to Cameron Indoor! How is that even possible, as much as they've been around the Sport?

All in all, it was a fun thing to do for a night, but I wouldn't make a habit of it. For Dickie V to call an a game in the league he first broke into broadcasting, before he retires, isn't a bad thing at all. And that retirement could be coming sooner than we all think.

I have no idea why they're doing this, but ESPN is going to flip-flop announcing crews for their pair of January 7th Basketball games. The team of Mike Tirico, Mark Jackson and Jeff Gundy will be moved to the Duke-Davidson game at 7pm and then Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale will be on the Nuggets Heat game at 9pm. Via USA Today....

NBA announcers Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Mike Tirico will call Duke-Davidson, followed by Dick Vitale — who called ESPN NBA games in the early 1980s — and Dan Shulman on a Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat NBA game. ESPN executive Norby Williamson says it's "a natural progression to make connections between college and the NBA. We try to cultivate basketball fans." So, can we expect more on-air swaps? "We never say no to anything," he says.

I guess in theory it's a good idea, but it just seems a bit hokey to me. NBA announcers could benefit from hanging around the College game a bit, and checking out potential draft picks, but I really don't see what the point of Vitale calling an NBA game.

ESPN Announcers Will Trade Places (USA Today)

I know there are people who both like and hate Dan Shulman around these parts (just like every announcer), but I honestly think he's the best thing ESPN has in their stable of broadcasters. He's funny, concise, works well with others and most importantly knows the game he's calling....and he calls a lot of them. From Toronto's Post City Mag via My Hog Town....

While not exactly Willie Loman, Shulman spends more time on the road than any other announcer in the biz. Shulman estimates he does close to 120 games a year, and as no NCAA and only a handful of NBA or MLB games happen in Toronto, every game is a road game.

For now, Shulman’s hoops duties are over. As the NBA playoffs chug to their conclusion, he’ll shift back to baseball where he calls Monday night MLB games for ESPN.

It’s a different game than basketball. The pace is slower, and it requires much more informative chit- chat to pass the time between pitches, but Shulman makes the transition look seamless, thanks to his time with the Jays.

“On my first play-by-play job back in 1995, Buck Martinez was my partner, and we envisioned a good broadcast as two guys sitting in a bar talking about baseball. I’ve always tried to be very conversational,” he says.

It's easy to say what he and Martinez did ahead of time, but to pull it without being annoying and overbearing (like most people at a bar) is pretty impressive. Again, if you know the game and you don't try to make it about yourself people will take notice. You may not get the accolades, or the love/hate response from the masses, but you'll definitely get respect. The rest well come in time.

This Thornhill dad on his rise from insurance actuary to the voice of basketball on America’s top sports network, ESPN (Post City Magazine)

Most of us grew up during one of the best eras of NBA Basketball and because of that I think we're spoiled. Some of us got to enjoy Kareem, Barkley, Olajuwon, Malone, Stockton, Pippen, Malone, O'Neal, Bird, Drexler, Ewing, Magic, and Jordan in our lifetimes.

Us NBA heads are enjoying a renaissance of sorts in the NBA and while Lebron and Kobe continue to amaze there isn't a player I've been this excited about in quite some time. Chris Paul is like a combination of Stockton, Magic, and Jordan....but completely different (if that makes any sense). The kid is just out of his mind.....

Go back to the beginning and watch that full speed again. You'll thank me for it. I'll wait......

35 points and 9 assists? Are you kidding me?!?! I know that doesn't approach his best game, but in San Antonio that's crazy. By the end of the game both Paul and Parker were shaking their heads at each other. Even though the Spurs decided to come and play tonight, and the Hornets went down.....I just can't take my eyes off him. It's a good thing the kid is sponsored by Jordan if you ask me. This is the only series in the NBA Playoffs that matters right now, and it's the only one you should be watching.

(Also, Dan Shulman and Doris Burke are a great NBA Announcing team and I'm glad that Burke finally realized her potential. I love her "Oh!" as that Paul shot goes in.)

Crazy title huh? Well I thought it appropriate for some of the oddest going ons I've ever seen in NBA Basketball. No this doesn't have anything to do with Dan Shulman or Doris Burke (more on Shulman tomorrow), but it's still pretty entertaining.

Tayshaun Prince got pretty banged up on a foul during the Bulls game. It turned out he only got hit on his funny bone, but after a couple of minutes getting the feeling back in his arm he had some blood on his jersey.

That's when the fun started....

Whooooooo! Now that's worth the price of admission. Think of how much fun he's going to get made of after the game. Oh and there was also this.....



Everyone else calls it a facial, so I figured I should as well. That's just nasty.

I don't know how someone could approve a replay of a guy doing the "suck it" motion in a speedo and then say, "Oh crap...maybe we should apologize for that." But alas...this was the case last night.

I'd be pissed if I were Shulman. He's the one that has to take the hit for someone else's dumb decision. Oh and Duke fans....seriously, you jumped the shark back in 1994. Try something new.

ESPN apologizes for ‘Speedo Guy' (Out Sports)