From Newsday’s Neil Best :

It is my understanding that Major League Baseball has told ESPN it will not be allowed to do its customary special set at the All-Star Game for its SportsCenter crew beyond having a reporter on the scene as any other TV outlet can. (ESPN still will televise the Home Run Derby Monday night with its full team as well as do an episode of Baseball Tonight from San Francisco on Tuesday.)

The move is punishment for ESPN having reported the all-star selections Sunday afternoon even as TBS was doing so with a special show for which it had acquired rights. ESPN violated the embargo, presumably on the theory that various media types already had their hands on the information and it did not want its viewers to be left out.

I can only admire MLB’s chutzpah in trying to show Bristol U. they aren’t Kings Of The Universe. I mean, look how well that worked out for Gary Bettman.

But seriously, how hard would it have been for Best to ‘fess up to the real story : MLB is just trying to avoid an awkward confrontation between their new hire Harold Reynolds and ESPN’s Sir John Kruk.  Anyone who has ever issued invitations to a party knows all about this kind of thing.