#Sports media mailbag: ESPN’s huge mistake in passing on David Cone

What’s David Cone’s contract with YES? @aI_bundy

First off, nice work, Al, on “Married with Children.”

Cone is the best analyst in New York and maybe all of baseball, combining old and new school commentary.

ESPN made a mistake not going through with signing him to join Matt Vasgersian and Alex Rodriguez in the “Sunday Night Baseball” booth. With ESPN likely to move further into the expanded MLB playoff format in the future, it should make another run at Cone. A-Rod and Vasgersian’s contracts are up at the end of the season.

Its booth will receive even more focus with bigger games.

To answer your question, Al, Cone’s contract is up at the end of this season with YES Network. YES’ president of production, John Filipelli, loves Cone and has helped make him better. So YES will want him back.

CC Sabathia does a regular podcast, loves NYC and (has a) great personality that’s around team. Including his passion for basketball, wouldn’t he be ideal NY Sports radio host for WFAN. @ray_maldonado

Very good call, Ray, and one radio executives agree with. The issue is that CC has shown no interest in wanting that five-day-a-week schedule. He’s told me that himself.

With $260 million of earnings as a player, CC can do whatever the heck he wants to do. Increasingly, retired players can have a voice on their time. CC and his Ringer podcast partner, Ryan Ruocco, seem to really enjoy each other’s company, which is why their impressively dorkily-named show, R2C2, has garnered a following. So Sabathia might be good, but it is not going to happen.

Why didn’t [Mike] Breen or [Jeff] Van Gundy get to call either of the Game 7s last week? @JonSklar

Mark Jones and Mark Jackson received the calls. I was told it was just how the schedule played out in the bubble. Personally, on a Game 7, I would have liked ESPN reconfigure to have its top team (Breen, JVG & Jackson) do the games.

It didn’t help that Jones failed to identify any of three pivotal players in the final seconds of Nuggets-Jazz.

Any thoughts on what networks pursue Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 football rights? I’m thinking it waits until after NFL rights are settled. @TheCLESportsFan

First off, sad news out of the Pac-12, where they cut much of its staff at the network. Mike Yam, the former “SportsCenter” anchor, was let go. Likable and smooth, you would think he would have some opportunities fast.

To your question, I think the traditional players (ESPN, Fox, etc) will be in on them.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple had talks with the Pac-12. It makes some sense, because, well, Apple can buy whatever it wants and, if it wants to go deeper into sports, beginning with the Pac-12 wouldn’t be a bad place to start. It is in its backyard.

Is @PatMcAfeeShow done with ESPN? @Andrew_Dangerjr

Nope, McAfee will likely be on “Get Up! and maybe GameDay too, though, it is not fully clear on exact assignments.

Starting this week, will Kevin Harlan be leaving the bubble permanently to call NFL games? @MoeKhan19

Harlan will be out by the end of the week, as his CBS NFL duties take precedence over his TNT NBA gig. Brian Anderson has the play-by-play on the conference finals.