Guest Author - Mona McKenzie

One weekday morning I woke up very early and for no apparent reason. I tossed and turned for a while and could not get back to sleep. I’ve found that watching television helps me get back to sleep, so, I decided that I would watch a sports program. I started randomly flipping channels, a habit I picked up from my husband. Much to my surprise, I found the MLB Network. I didn’t even know Comcast offered this channel. I suppose that’s what happens when you don’t read the inserts from the cable bill! Apparently, the MLB Network has been available since early January. In any event, I’m really glad I found it.

The first program I watched was “30 Teams in 30 Days.” This program provides viewers just what the title implies…an in-depth look at one MLB team each day for 30 days. Team coverage includes off season trades, prospects, spring training results, news, leaders, management outlook and more. What really caught my attention was the fact that two women were featured prominently as field reporters. While the Network has its share of former players and baseball experts as studio analysts, Hazel Mae and Trenni Kusnierek hold their own out in the field. They both ask poignant questions, not fluff stuff. During their interviews, players show the ladies respect, and the reporters seem to have a good rapport with players, team management and their colleagues.

Intrigued, I continued watching the Network to see what else it had to offer. Sleep obviously had to wait until tomorrow. Next on the schedule was “Baseball Tonight,” the MLB Network’s signature program. This show provides up-to-date information on players, stats…all things baseball. The information given was informative and entertaining. Finally, I watched a replay of a World Baseball Classic game from the prior day. The play-by-play announcers were eminently qualified and kept me interested in the game.

It seems the MLB Network set out, from its inception, to make their channel the cornerstone of single-sport programming. Because of shrewd deal making, the Network is in more homes now than the NFL Network, which has been around for approximately five years. It would have been understandable for a new network, with the dismal state of our economy, to have a launch which favored constant repeats of classic games and very little live production. Instead, the MLB Network jumped right in with live coverage of the World Baseball Classic and spring training games; studio shows “Baseball Tonight” and “30 Teams in 30 Days;” along with telecasts of classic games. The programming choices are excellent.

While watching these programs, it occurred to me that I was almost hypnotized by the studio set’s vibrant blue color and the striking red color of the news scroll at the bottom of the screen. Thank heavens for HD! The Network seems to pride itself in using interspersed graphics and cut-aways during the studio shows, so you aren’t looking solely at a talking head. The scroll at the bottom provides current news, scores and other happenings to keep your interest. Even the commercials for upcoming programming were bright and visually fast-paced. I didn’t want to look away from the screen for fear I might miss something, and I certainly didn’t channel flip!

It’s obvious a lot of planning went into the Network, and it shows. So, if you haven’t tuned into the MLB Network, consider doing so. Of course, if your cable provider doesn’t carry MLB Network, you know the drill…contact them and complain. You won’t be disappointed.