ESPN’s coverage of Major League Baseball ends this season, marking the temporary conclusion of Sunday Night Baseball. The long-running telecast debuted in 1990 with a game between the New York Mets and Montreal Expos, featuring Jon Miller and Joe Morgan in the broadcast booth. This duo remained together for an impressive 21 seasons until their contracts were not renewed in 2010.
Morgan passed away in 2020, but Miller continues to call games for the San Francisco Giants, a position he has held since 1997. Although the SNB era is behind him, Miller fondly recalls the experiences he shared with Morgan while calling those games. Recently, Tim Kelly from OnPattison spoke with Miller while the Giants were in Philadelphia, asking about the fans who still miss hearing him and Morgan on ESPN.
What does it mean to Jon Miller that so many people still miss the era of him and Joe Morgan on Sunday Night Baseball? @TimKellySports asked him that, and got so much more in the Hall of Famer’s answer. pic.twitter.com/NQtL06UPgK
— On Pattison (@OnPattison) April 20, 2025
“It’s gratifying if I happen to see that. But at the same time, I had 21 years where Joe and I were together in primetime every Sunday night. Who gets a run like that on national TV? We had no regrets. It was probably time for them to try something different anyway,” Miller reflected. “The main thing for us was that we had fun.” While some ESPN viewers lament the current focus on prominent teams during SNB, Miller remembers a time when all MLB teams were showcased throughout the season.
“When the thing started, the idea was it was 26 weeks of Sunday Night Baseball, and we would be in 26 ballparks,” he said. “We could never go to a ballpark a second time. That was the first time in baseball and national TV that every ballpark was included. When we started, there were only 26 teams, so we went everywhere. I think we enjoyed that. Right away, we were visiting every ballpark every year. As time progressed, they considered revisiting iconic venues like Yankee Stadium or Fenway, but initially, it was about showcasing all teams equally.”
Miller also recollects the significant impact that Sunday Night Baseball had in the 1990s. Before the internet, franchises like the Seattle Mariners often went overlooked. Showcasing young star Ken Griffey, Jr. on national television helped increase his recognition across the country. “I remember 1990 when we started, Ken Griffey, Jr. was an upcoming player. We not only featured him on national TV, but Joe had known him since he was a kid and had been a teammate with his father. Everyone got to see Griffey at the Kingdome. When had Mariners baseball been on national TV? They were virtually unseen back then,” Miller said.
Ultimately, Miller stated while calling local games for the Giants offers great joy, the thrill of visiting a new ballpark and witnessing different teams each weekend made for an unforgettable chapter in his life. “It was the best of both worlds for a baseball fan like me,” he concluded.
