Yankees’ Opening Day on ESPN to feature unexpected broadcast reunion

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Joe Buck will return to the baseball booth for one night when the New York Yankees host the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day, March 27. The longtime broadcaster, who stepped away from calling MLB games in 2022 to focus on Monday Night Football, credited the Yankees’ prestige as a key reason for his decision.

“It’s fun,” Buck told The Athletic. “It is exciting to think about doing the game at Yankee Stadium, where I’ve called World Series. I’m not saying that if it wasn’t the Yankees, I probably wouldn’t have done it, but that might be true. It’s the Yankees at home on Opening Day against a division winner.”

Buck couldn’t say no to ESPN’s offer

Buck, who has called 24 World Series throughout his career, was approached by ESPN’s senior vice president of production Mark Gross to take part in the network’s Opening Day coverage. Despite stepping away from baseball broadcasting, he admitted that he struggles to turn down opportunities like this, especially when asked by someone he respects.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Buck said. “I know what I’ve said in the past about this stuff, but I’m not really good at saying no, and I think I inherited that from my dad. Because Mark asked me, and I really love the guy and think the world of him, I said, ‘Yes.’”

For the broadcast, Buck will be joined by former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, with Bill Schroeder providing analysis on the Brewers.

Yankees and Brewers set for opening day matchup

Although the MLB season officially begins on March 18-19 in Tokyo with the Los Angeles Dodgers facing the Chicago Cubs, the rest of the league will open on March 27. The Yankees are expected to send Gerrit Cole to the mound, while the Brewers will likely start Freddy Peralta.

Before Opening Day, the Yankees will begin their spring training schedule on Feb. 21 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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