MLB should do whatever it takes to have star players mic’d up for real games

MLB games could be so much more fun to watch on TV.

Major League Baseball has proven to be terrible at a lot of things, including making its star players more marketable and more fun to watch for casual fans. Mike Trout, for instance, should be an even bigger star than he is, not just when he’s hitting golf balls to the moon at Topgolf.

While Rob Manfred has totally whiffed on punishing players for cheating their way to a championship, he could get a big win for the league with one, maybe not-so-simple move – make big-name players with fun personalities get mic’d up for some games during the regular season.

We learned again on Monday just how fun that can be, as Cubs stars Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo basically put on their own show while mic’d up against the Angels in a spring training game in Arizona.

The two players had fun going back and forth with conversations while in the field but the best moments came when they were at the plate.

Bryant, during one at bat, had fun pretending he was afraid of an incoming pitch by saying “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…” before fouling it down the left field line. He then joked about how tired he was while running back to the batter’s box to resume his at-bat.

Rizzo took things to another level during a long at-bat when he took a fun shot at the Houston Astros while trying to guess which pitch he would be seeing next.

I’m sure players wouldn’t want to do this during games that matter, but NFL players do it every week in games that are much more dangerous than baseball games, so it should be something that can be done.

Baseball is a long season, with long games that can really become quite boring. What better way to make things interesting than to bring fans into the game by hearing mic’d up players as it happens? I didn’t care at all about the Cubs-Angels game on Monday but I stuck around to see what the players would do next.

I’m guessing more people would do that, too, during the season.

Baseball is in the middle of one of its worst PR moments in league history, as the cheating Astros are getting all the headlines.

Mic’d-up players could be just what it takes to make more people interested in a game that could use some fun reasons to watch.

Fun and MLB haven’t really gone together all that often recently. This could change that.

Monday’s biggest winner: Trevor Bauer.

AP Photo/Matt York

The Cincinnati Reds pitcher took sign-stealing to a whole new level as he actually told a hitter on Monday which pitch was coming. This was a fun wrinkle that I didn’t see happening and I love it.

Quick hits: What Brady really said… Never stop, Trae Young… Zion’s jersey swap gaffe… And more!

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

– Now we know for sure what Tom Brady said during that sideline moment in Syracuse over the weekend.

– Trae Young should never stop nutmegging defenders.

– Did Zion Williamson really not give Javale McGee his jersey during a postgame jersey swap on Sunday night?

– LeBron James and other NBA players continue to make weird mistakes on in-bounds passes.

– Is Tony Romo worth all that money CBS gave him? Here’s a fun debate between Charles Curtis and Steven Ruiz.

A mic’d up Anthony Rizzo made fun of the Astros while trying to guess a pitch during an at-bat

Well played, Anthony Rizzo.

Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant have been mic’d up for ESPN today during the Cubs-Angels spring training game in Arizona and the two have been pretty fantastic at giving fans an fun look at what it’s like to play in a Majore League Baseball game.

They’ve also had some fun just goofing around and having some laughs. I wish MLB did this with players during the regular season but I’m guessing that will never happen.

Rizzo poked some fun at the Houston Astros and their whole sign-stealing scandal during one of his at-bats. He didn’t know which pitch he was going to see next and jokingly asked for someone to bang on something for him:

Now that is too good.

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Kris Bryant provided hilarious commentary during his own mic’d-up at-bat

Mic up all the players.

It’s typically difficult to get excited about a spring training baseball game. The outcomes don’t really matter for anything. The players are just looking to get ready for the season. And the general atmosphere of these games are laid back.

That’s not exactly the formula for a compelling broadcast, but ESPN managed to make spring training baseball fun on Monday.

For ESPN’s Cactus League broadcast of the Cubs and Angels, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo were mic’d up with earpieces for the entirety of their time on the field. That included their at-bats, and just watch how Bryant handled the novelty.

As Bryant approached home plate, he joked with Angels catcher Jason Castro that he was mic’d up and was going to get the signs from the booth. (Looking at you, Astros).

But the entire at-bat played out delightfully. Bryant even went with the “oh my God, oh my God, oh my God” nod to Rookie of the Year as Julio Teheran delivered a pitch.

We won’t see this mic’d-up feature in the regular season, but MLB should really make it happen. Mic up all the players, all the time.

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As many in baseball expected he would, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant has lost his service time grievance against Chicago, meaning he will not be a free agent until after the 2021 season.

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