This morning, during an April Fools Day New Conference, Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred, announced major additions to the MLB Network programming schedule. Chief among these was the new travel/reality show “Swigging for the Fences” which would be produced in partnership with Tapey Beercone.
Per the MLB Commissioner this move represented part of “a concrete strategy to appeal to a younger audience by leveraging the growing popularity of the burgeoning sport of Tapey Beercone to attracted a more youthful viewership.” The show will be hosted by the Co-Commissioners of Tapey Beercone, Kelly “The Coach” and Eric “The Hammer”, with each episode featuring prominent stars and personalities from MLB. As to how Manfred come up with the idea, according to him while listening to one of his favorite Podcasts, the Tipping Pitches Baseball Podcast, he heard the hosts describing the idea and, he “immediately knew this was exactly the kind of show we needed to fix baseball’s image problem with the younger generation”. According to sources within MLB Network, within weeks of the podcast’s airing, a deal had already been reached between MLB and Tapey Beercone and episodes of the show were filming.
During each episode of “Swigging for the Fences” the show’s hosts will visit a different baseball city and meet with some players or persons of interest from the local team. The group of players will take the hosts around the city, where they visit their favorite bars, pubs, watering holes, and hot spots. They explore each city’s uniqueness and vibe as it relates to choice of beverage and drinking culture and love of baseball.
Expect in depth players interviews where the viewer will learn about how the players have assimilated into life in that particular part of the country, and as the social lubricants start to work their magic expect them to answer a few embarrassing questions as well.
Then once the players are appropriately liquored up, the Tapey Beercone Commissioners will find a nearby park, abandoned lot, or quiet street corner and play a game of Tapey Beercone, where hilarity would ensue. Will the professional baseball players be made to look somewhat aloof playing in an inibriated state?, or will they still absolutely dominate given that they literally play baseball for a living? Come watch to find out!
Asked about the opportunity Co-Host “The Coach” said, “We just assumed that the network green lighting this endeavor wouldn’t think that two nobodies with zero hosting experience or familiarity with MLB or its players would have the firepower to host. I figured they would go with someone like David Wells or Josh Beckett…”
Episodes will begin airing on MLB Network, MLB.TV and local sports network affiliates, and a live episode in already planned to take place in Washington D.C. over the All-Star Break. Asked about their favorite episodes so far “The Hammer” stated, “We’re really excited for a Chicago Episode where we start at Wrigley and go on a whirlwind tour of the city’s bars with Rizzo and Baez.” “The Coach” added,”You’ll really want to tune in for the San Francisco episode when Pence challenges Bumgarner to a chugging contest (don’t worry, Pence’s beers were all gluten free). And don’t get us started on how much MadBum rakes during the subsequent Tapey Beercone game…”
Some question the decision by Commissioner Manfred, but there’s no denying it will be entertaining regardless of the outcome.