Morgan's contract ran out at the end of this season and was not renewed, while Miller has been asked to stay on as the radio voice of ESPN's Sunday night broadcasts. He may elect instead to take on more duties as the radio voice of the San Francisco Giants.
"We've decided to make a change and introduce new voices and new perspective," Norby Williamson, an executive vice president of ESPN, told the New York Times. "Twenty-one (seasons) is an eternity in this business. And today is about acknowledging the contributions they made to the franchise."
Miller was given the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence by the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, and Morgan, of course, is a Hall of Fame second baseman, but ESPN wants to go in a different (read: younger) direction.
The Times taps play-by-play man Dan Shulman as the "nearly certain" replacement for Miller, while former major league pitcher Orel Hershiser -- who joined the "SNB" booth last year -- will remain as Shulman's partner.
Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Guess Sunday Night Baseball won't be a "must-watch" any more.
Going "younger,"---what a bunch of bullstick.
when was sunday night baseball ever a must watch?? i enjoy watching baseball but the season is too long, which is why football will always be superior...because every game makes a difference in college and can make a difference in the nfl...in baseball if a team loses 3 in a row in june...well, who cares
On television, when things are going well, there's always some suit who thinks he knows better. Fool.
I HOPE THEY GO TO FOX. TO ME THEY ARE THE BEST COMMENTATORS ON BASEBALL. THEY KNOW THE GAME AND THEY KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE GAME.
The baseball Gods must really exist and have heard the outcry against these guys that do nothing to enhance the game but just continue to state the obvious, great if you're a 12yr. old learning the game.
i personally enjoyed joe morgan. who better to commentate a baseball game than a hall of famer like him. if you think someone that never even played baseball would be better than him, youre wrong.
This was the best play by play and color commentator in baseball..right up there with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver...ESPN has made an hugh error on this one!
I love watching baseball on any night but Joe Morgan had to go. John Miller can read the fluff stuff as well as anyone. Joe Morgan would be fine ifhe remebered he was a baseball comentator and not an editorial reporter beyond the play-by-play aspect of the game. His role is to talk about the technical details of the game, period. The only person I'd rather hear less is Tim McCarver. At least Joe was pivotal during his career. McCarver caught Bob Gibson but you could have inserted any player in that role and they would have won. He tends to forget that.
Bring Harold Reynolds back from MLBHD exile!
Bad decision on ESPN's part, that would be like not signing 2 hall of fame baseball announcers, its no wonder why your ratings are hitting all time lows and this will only get worse thanks to your terrible decisions!
Joe Morgan was the worst. I swear I think he has a secret love affair with Cano of the yanks. See ya Joe and don't come back. Jon Miller on the other hand was fine by me. Bye Bte Joe, now I can watch Sunday Night Baseball without the mute button on.
I agree with James , morgan SUCKS Everytime he was on air the game was less enjoyable
Morgan -- 3 "he sucks" in a row. He has enough money now so goodbye.
Is espn losing it?... need a fresh voice?... are you serious.....wtf.... when they talk they talk about baseball one the if not the best pair to host SNB....they better now add joe ass cheek buckeye & tim the anal mcglover as the new voice of SNB.......ESPN u are getting worse every year like that show PTI
Your right on.
Orel Hershiser, great pitcher but horrible to see or hear on TV. His voice is grinding. His voice is like he is painfully spitting out the words with a snobbish delivery and when you see his little tweaked face snarling at you it is not good.
Epic fail ESPN. Perhaps they prefer to follow Fox and TBS' mediocrity in the broadcast booth.
There goes another bad decision. Miller is great and Morgan has so much insight about the game. Too bad these "so called" network executives don't know a damn thing about what the fans perfer, or at least, no one asked me.
Welcome John Miller to Arlington TX, home of the Texas Rangers. We have a TV spot open recently vacated by Josh Lewin. Would love to have John Miller back here. (can't use Joe Morgan though
With ratings FALLING, why in the world would you offer an expensive contract extension to someone who has been in the booth during the drop off?
Wake up folks, this is big business.Change is good. Especially when things are BAD.
ESPN are not renewing there contract so they don't have to pay them the big salaries. There looking to hire someone else and pay them a much lower salary. Shame on you ESPN. I won't be watching much of you anymore.