Keith Olbermann To Host TBS’ Major League Baseball Postseason Show
In his first TV gig since leaving Current TV, Keith Olbermann has been tapped by Turner Sports as host of TBS’ Major League Baseball postseason studio show, joining analyst and Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley. Additionally, Ron Darling, who joined TBS as an MLB analyst in 2008, has inked a long-term extension. And Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. will transition from the studio to the broadcast booth full time this postseason. Ripken, who primarily has served as a TBS studio analyst for the last six years, will join Ernie Johnson (play-by-play) and Darling as a three-man commentator team throughout the 2013 MLB Postseason, including the network’s coverage of the Division Series and exclusive telecast of the National League Championship Series.
In addition to his postseason role, Darling will continue to serve as an analyst for a portion of the network’s “Sunday MLB on TBS” regular season game schedule. Beginning in 2014, TBS will air afternoon games with new co-exist rights on the final 13 Sundays of the regular season as part of the network’s Sunday MLB On TBS Game of the Week package. Darling, a former 13-year MLB veteran, also serves as an analyst for SNY’s coverage of the New York Mets.
Play-by-play commentator Brian Anderson and analyst John Smoltz, both former MLB players, will also team up during TBS’ coverage of the MLB Postseason as one of the network’s lead broadcast teams. The two also will continue to work a portion of the network’s Sunday MLB On TBS regular season game slate. Smoltz has served as both a game and studio analyst for MLB Network since 2010. The trio of Johnson, Darling and Ripken and the team of Anderson and Smoltz will also serve as the broadcast pairings for TBS’ exclusive coverage of the MLB Wild Card games.
Olbermann, a veteran sports and news anchor and reporter, anchored ESPN’s SportsCenter from 1992 to 1997. Most recently, he served as a guest host of MLB Network’s Hot Stove.
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