Baseball fans rejoice
Major League Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings are underway and there is certain to be plenty of big news regarding trades, free agent signings, and other noteworthy transactions to affect the world of baseball in 2010 and beyond.
But no news will be bigger than today’s announcement that Peter Gammons is leaving ESPN at the end of the year to join MLB Network and MLB.com as an on-air and online analyst and, additionally, to join NESN as a regular studio analyst, reporter and online contributor.
ESPN can spin this any way they want, but those double-duties don’t add up to the “less demanding schedule” that ESPN’s executive vice president, Norby Williamson, claims was a large part of the reason for Gammons’ decision.
Peter Gammons, circa more than a few years ago
Peter Gammons is, simply, the best baseball journalist of his day and while his decision to join ESPN in 1989 was completely understandable, so is his decision to move on here in 2009.
ESPN may be the worldwide leader, but the serious sports fan has long given up on ESPN to deliver actual knowledge and insight and Gammons certainly appreciates the opportunity to once again do just that in his new dual roles.
Gammons had a major health scare in 2006 and it would appear that, like most who survive life-threatening ordeals, Gammons has decided to make substantive change for the better and this professional move certainly exemplifies that philosophy.
Welcome to the rest of your life, Peter. With ESPN in your rearview mirror, life ahead looks pretty darn good. For you and for us.
