On this week’s episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast, host Brandon Contes interviews Fox Sports MLB field reporter/The Athletic MLB insider Ken Rosenthal. With Opening Day approaching, they discuss a variety of topics, such as their thoughts on the golden at-bat rule, Ken’s departure from MLB Network, his relationship with Rob Manfred, and the stardom of Shohei Ohtani.
Here’s the full breakdown:
- :43: Excitement for Opening Day
- 1:17: First full-time season
- 2:11: What Ken enjoys about covering baseball today
- 3:17: Favorite rule change while covering baseball
- 4:01: Golden at-bat rule
- 6:02: Transitioning from local to national coverage
- 8:59: Comfort level on TV?
- 10:00: Origins of the bowtie
- 12:08: Interviewing in the dugout during games
- 13:21: Fan feedback on in-game interviews
- 15:06: Is MLB effective at promoting its stars?
- 16:34: Shohei Ohtani as the “Face of MLB”
- 18:22: Dodgers’ media availability for Ohtani
- 18:50: Collaborating with Joe Buck
- 20:52: Significance of the MLB and ESPN relationship
- 21:48: Experiences at MLB Network
- 23:12: Concerns about criticism affecting his MLB Network role
- 24:13: Ken’s relationship with Rob Manfred
- 24:52: Insights into the Astros cheating scandal
- 26:06: Realizing the story’s magnitude
- 27:01: Attempts to silence the story?
- 27:47: Most impactful story in Ken’s career?
- 28:46: Odds of a lockout in 2026?
- 30:15: Is MLB facing realignment?
- 31:34: Most anticipated 2025 MLB storyline for Ken
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