Recently retired slugger Yonder Alonso has joined the MLB Network as an on-air analyst, the network announced in a Tuesday press release. He’ll debut as a guest co-host on Intentional Talk this Friday.
“I am beyond thankful to be joining MLB Network’s team, and I can’t thank everybody enough that has helped me get to this point,” Alonso said in today’s press release. “Having just retired, I look forward to having fun and contributing new insights about the game to baseball fans all over the world.”
The 34-year-old Alonso announced his retirement back in November after a 10-year big league career split between the Padres, Athletics, Reds, Rockies, Indians, Mariners and White Sox. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2008 draft, Alonso finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting with the Padres in 2012 and was an All-Star with the 2017 A’s. He finished up his playing days with a career .259/.332/.404 batting line and an even 100 home runs.
excited for this, seems like a good fit
Can we talk about Ohtani a little somewhere?
Go to MLB Network. It is all they talk about.
You mean if I wanna hear about the Yankees?
And Tatis and Padres vs Dodgers
Agreed!
Just think it’s something that hasn’t happened for like a 100 years, especially when people get praise for going 5 innings and giving up 3 runs.
Guys playing the game we all did as kids, IN THE BIGS!
Huge news!
Wow a mediocre player becomes an analyst, lol. Man I sure look forward to his lack of knowledge.
Exactly, why can’t they hire guys that batted.289 or.300 that would be interesting to watch and listen to their approach.
To be fair, what separates a mediocre player and a great player is rarely knowledge. It is almost always raw ability. The best managers are guys who were mediocre or didn’t even make it, because they had to consume as much knowledge as possible just to compete. Conversely, the “great ones” typically have horrible analysis because their solutions were “just do it,” as they were just so naturally talented, they didn’t even know what they were doing. It is rare for a great player to make a great coach.
That being said…MLB Network’s “analysis” is about a basic as it could get and I expect the same generic takes from him as well.
Most superstars don’t make it as managers because they were annoyed by their own faults, and seeing lesser players faults was far too much to bare.
@ Steve – agree – would add that the best managers are usually catchers – they’re used to managing a game 50% of the time throughout their playing careers….
Yonder was great in Oakland – provided the bridge to Matt Olson & by all accounts a pretty good mentor too…
You brought up a tv station I don’t have access too,
Some people like to talk too much, when they know very little, others watch.
Thanks for defending me Steve
@Nebraska
You’re right. Bruce Bochy was mostly a bullpen catcher in the bigs. He’ll be giving a speech at Cooperstown in a few years.
Well I don’t know about you guys, but go Dodgers
When it comes to analysis, a star player’s take holds more weight and credibility… Frank Thomas and Pete Rose know hitting, and it’s an oversimplification to attribute their success in the game to raw ability alone
He played in the major leagues for a decade, which is significantly longer than most players who wore a uniform. I think that qualifies him to be an analyst for MLB.
Sorry @Max I wasn’t talking about Alonso, I wish him well. Hey Romo wasn’t great.
Maybe they are just angling for Manny Machado
Underrated comment!
According to Adams, this guy was a slugger. Geez, I wonder what qualifies as a regular hitter.
My pappy called me Lil’ Slugger and he never saw me hit a HR. What a liar.
100 career HR would probably be considered a slugger.
If they bring Jon Jay into the studio, then Machado is soon to follow, right?
Lol “woah Machado to CBS sports instead why would he do that?!”
Cancel all your plans for Friday. This is must-see tv.
I just called off work Friday.
Just quit my job. Wouldn’t dare take a chance on missing this.
Lol. Imagine not having dvr in 2021.
He’s done some radio work as a full hour guest on MLB Radio on XM, and he is now co-hosting a Sunday show for a couple of hours before the Sunday Night game.
He’s not bad at it, but isn’t yet comfortable criticizing players.
To be fair a lot of players cant handle criticism either
I’d rather they had kept Chris Rose around….
Yeah, Intentional Talk is a crap show now imo
In the light of this new announcement seems weird they dumped Chris Rose.
Rose has been doing commentary on Battlebots (which is more entertaining than IT).
I’ve been off cable and MLBN since last fall, who’d they get to replace Rose?
Stephen Nelson
Chris Rose was the highest paid person on MLB Network on the highest rated show the network had. That was a cost cutting move.
I really hope Trevor Bauer becomes an analyst some day.
@ I beg – above
Naturally – he’s got the one eyed approach down pat. Great at investigating sticky situations too.
BTW – any update on his suspicious balls?
Aaron Boone can use him as a job reference when the Yankees don’t bring him back at the end of this season.
ex-Padre and Manny’s brother-in-law, but I’m sure he’ll be unbiased
so how exactly do you ensure no bias besides hiring someone who was never a member or a fan of a team?
Exactly. You don’t. So brace yourself for Dodger dissing?
Who cares if he is? Most ex-players favor the teams they played for, and have friends who play or coach they root for. If something comes up about Machado that is negative, they just won’t turn to him. This isn’t even new.
Hey guys, I know it’s close knit kinda group, but I love baseball, and always wanna learn more about the game, I learnt from Joe Morgan and Jon Miller. Another English fan, but I bet I been more ballparks than at least most of you.
Bauer gonna me talking more junk in LA.
I meant be talking more in LA, sorry.
Tranquilo hijo
Machado to MLB Network?
He must work cheap. They got rid of a lot of their mid tier talent.
I used to enjoy Mitch Williams telling stories about his playing days and how Jim Fregosi could never watch him pitch but that was in the good old days when MLB network first launched. Now i don’t watch all that much and the “talent” is definitely not what it was. Though Lauren Shehadi and Alanna Rizzo are definitely worth watching…
Must be because they’re after his brother-in-law…
He will be in Studio 42,up Yonder
Can’t be any worse than the over-the-top platitudes being spewed by Carlos Pena…