With Major League Baseball fast approaching, you already know that "MLB on FOX" returns with regional action Saturday, April 7th with the Red Sox/Tigers & Royals/Angels headlining the network's Opening Week schedule. As for another MLB broadcast partner, ESPN is planning quite a bit of pomp & circumstance of their own.

For starters, ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning", which is also simulcast on ESPN2, will spend Wednesday, April 4th & Thursday, April 5th broadcasting live from the "MLB FanCave" in New York City. Here's hoping there's enough food for Mike Golic, when he & Mike Greenberg originate their sports talk show from there... But wait...There's more.

There will also be live reports on ESPN's signature sports news show "SportsCenter" from the new Marlins Park in Miami, along with ESPN2 originating "ESPN First Take" @ 9a, "Numbers Never Lie" @ 3p, "Dan LeBatard is Highly Questionable" @ 3:30p & "SportsNation" @ 4p Wednesday, April 4th. All of that, plus "Baseball Tonight's" team of Karl Ravech, John Kruk & 2012 Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin broadcasting live @ 5p April 4th leading into the ESPN & ESPN Radio national broadcast of the Cardinals/Marlins' regular season opener to christen Miami's new baseball-only ballpark.

If that's not enough, ESPN & ESPN Radio's lead MLB crews will be calling quite a few games in the first week of the season. The "Sunday Night Baseball" crew of Dan Shulman, Orel Hershiser, newcomer Terry Francona & insider Buster Olney will be calling 4 MLB games in 5 days starting with the Cardinals/Marlins' opener April 4th. It's a quick turnaround for Dan, Orel, Terry & Buster, because they're on the call of the Red Sox/Tigers' opener in Detroit at Noon Thursday, April 5th marking the debuts of former teammate turned new Boston manager Bobby Valentine & new Tigers' 1B Prince Fielder. The foursome then head to Anaheim to watch Albert Pujols' debut with the Anaheim Angels vs. the Kansas City Royals Friday, April 6th before heading down to Arlington, TX Sunday, April 8th to watch the White Sox/Rangers start the "SNB" schedule. ESPN Radio's Jon Sciambi & Chris Singleton will have the national call of St.Louis/Miami, Kansas City/Anaheim & Chicago (AL)/Texas that week as well.

For more info on ESPN's plans for MLB Opening Week, check out the following link:

http://sportsmedianews.com/espns-multip ... ning-week/