SI

Dear MLB and TV Partners, Give Us More Mic'd Up Players and Less Nonsense: TRAINA THOUGHTS

There's a very easy solution to spicing up MLB telecasts during fan-less games.

Jimmy Traina

1. Major League Baseball's national and local broadcast partners, as well as each individual team, are trying all sorts of things to spice up telecasts since there are no fans in stadiums.

Some teams are putting cardboard cutouts behind home plate. Others are opting for tarp over the seats behind home plate. And most teams are pumping in fake crowd noise.

Meanwhile, Fox is experimenting with creepy virtual fans, which is just bizarre more than anything else.

Of course, the answer to spicing up a broadcast isn't fake fans and fake noise or fake anything. 

The answer is actually very simple. The answer will please everyone. And the answer is something most fans have begged for. 

Mic up each and every player and give us their commentary and the natural sounds of the game. Give us real over fake. 

Just watch this video of Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo, who was mic'd up for a recent game (and had to ask a teammate if he's allowed to high five).

It would be great to have players mic'd during a regular season, but it would be even better to have them mic'd up during this insane season. 

Are other teams talking about the Marlins coronavirus outbreak? Are players talking about the new extra-inning rule that puts a runner on second base? Are managers and coaches reminding players to socially distance and put on a mask?

All of this would generate interest and keep viewers tuned into games.

There isn't anything MLB, a television network or a team can do that will be more interesting and entertaining than mic'ing up everyone in uniform.

2. Unlike many of us, Tom Brady is not a slave to Apple.

3. It's not that Doris Burke casually put her ex-husband on blast Monday night, but the tone of her voice gave it some extra oomph.

4. FYI, this quote is fake and Derek Jeter never mentioned milk. He said Marlins players went out to get coffee, clothes and dinner at a teammate's house. 

5. ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy shared his thoughts on a wide range of topics during the latest SI Media Podcast. Among the topics: Magic City wings, Lou Williams's suspension, how weekday afternoon games will have an impact on players, calling games from the Orlando bubble, the NBA being a totally different game today than in the '80s and '90s, people not wearing masks, Twitter, The Last Dance and much more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play.

6. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Today is President Barack Obama's 59th birthday. While we wish him a great day, we also must remember the time he was involved in one of the biggest political scandals to ever rock the United States of America.

7. SPORTS VIDEO OF THE DAY: It was 27 years ago today that Robin Ventura and Nolan Ryan gave us one of baseball's most famous fights.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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