Jessica Mendoza joins ESPN's 'Sunday Night Baseball' for rest of season

Bob Hille

•
Jessica Mendoza joins ESPN's 'Sunday Night Baseball' for rest of season image

Analyst Jessica Mendoza will join ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" broadcast for the rest of the regular season beginning this weekend for Pirates-Cardinals in St. Louis, the network announced via Twitter on Friday.

Mendoza, an All-American softball player at Stanford, has earned high praise for her work as Curt Schilling's replacement, smoothly working with play-by-play man Dan Shulman and fellow analyst and former major leaguer John Kruk.

MORE: Jessica Mendoza's performance shows 'Sunday Night Baseball' and America at their greatest | Sarah Palin defends Curt Schilling, blasts ESPN for buying into 'ISIS propaganda'

Schilling has been barred  from appearing on the network's MLB broadcasts and litany of shows for the remainder of the regular season in light of disparaging comments he made last month comparing Muslims to Nazis.

ESPN announced the suspension, effective until at least Oct. 6, in a statement Thursday afternoon.

 

Bob Hille

Bob Hille Photo

Bob Hille, a senior content consultant for The Sporting News, has been part of the TSN team for most of the past 30 years, including as managing editor and executive editor. He is a native of Texas (forever), adopted son of Colorado, where he graduated from Colorado State, and longtime fan of “Bull Durham” (h/t Annie Savoy for The Sporting News mention).