ESPN reverses Yankees-Blue Jays Sunday ‘Night Baseball’ scheduling, avoids boycott

Update: ESPN has reversed their prior scheduling decision, moving the Yankees’ July 8th game back to 1pm so they can be more well-rested for their Monday doubleheader in Baltimore. No boycott necessary.

ESPN is currently enemy No. 1 in the Yankees’ clubhouse, according to multiple reports. After the worldwide leader shifted a 1 p.m. game between the Yankees and Blue Jays on July 8 to the Sunday Night Baseball slot (an 8 p.m. start time), Aaron Boone and the rest of the team are reportedly threatening to boycott ESPN reporters for the rest of the season.

The anger stems not from the timing of the Sunday game specifically, but because of the travel strain that puts on the Yankees as they have a doubleheader against the Orioles the following day. Which would force them to fly from Toronto to Baltimore and play three games in 24 hours, a daunting task before you take into account the travel struggles New York has already been put through this season.

According to reports from the New York Post, ESPN chose to time shift the Yankees-Blue Jays game because they are airing the All-Star Game selection show that Sunday night and allegedly are using the first-place AL East team as eyeball bait.

So If ESPN doesn’t change the timing of the Sunday game to alleviate the schedule stress, the Yankees are reportedly prepared to boycott ESPN’s reporters and decline to participate in any other media opportunities with the network throughout the season — those SportsCenter call-ins, for example.

Of the possible boycott, Boone told the Post,

“I’ve kind of said all I’m gonna say on that for now. Hopefully, it’s something that works itself out.”

Yankees players voted affirmatively to play the Baltimore doubleheader on Monday, July 9, but they didn’t know about ESPN’s shift when they did so. If only they could channel some of the riches in their coffers towards time travel science, they wouldn’t have to deal with this controversy.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Yankees players reached out to the union for help diffusing the matter while the team itself is communicating with the Office of the Commissioner to see what can be done.

Looking at where the situation stands — with multiple “sources” speaking out about ESPN easily being able to find another game for that Sunday night and intimating the Yankees will indeed follow through on this boycott — it seems the Yankees are completely comfortable being on the offensive here and forcing the network’s hand.

There are a few reasonably high-profile matchups that could be swapped in for Yankees-Blue Jays (which honestly won’t even be that entertaining a matchup if both team’s trajectories stay the same) that day: Angels-Dodgers, Braves-Brewers, and Phillies-Pirates are all facing off.

Otherwise, ESPN will have to find a way to fill the content hole that not having the cooperation of Yankees players or coaches would leave them with for the rest of the season.