Doc Emrick to Call Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs Game on MLB Network

NBC Sports lead hockey analyst Mike “Doc” Emrick will join Bob Costas on MLB Network in calling the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs game on July 8^th at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

After finishing up calling the 2016 National Hockey League Playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final, Emrick told the New York Times on Saturday, “I want to make sure what I do is at least MLB Network level. Maybe the bottom of the bar they set, but I want to be halfway professional.”

In May, Emrick won his fourth Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play for his coverage of the NHL on NBC. It was also his third straight Sports Emmy. 

Emrick has been a Pirates fan, since his childhood days in Indiana. After hearing his desire to call a Pirates game, Bob Costas reached out to Emrick with the opportunity. 

This will not be Doc’s first venture into broadcasting the Pirates. This past March, during spring training, he called two games at Pittsburgh’s, Grapefruit League facility in Bradenton, Florida.

The fact that he is a lifelong baseball fan, and follows the Pirates closely, he will not have to ask the little questions surrounding the team. Costas also told the New York Times, “And he is an obsessive preparer.”

 

During the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece and the 2012 London Olympics, Emrick called the Water Polo events for NBC. He has also done work for CBS in the past calling games in the National Collegiate Basketball Association Tournament and National Football League games. 

Known for the vocabulary that he uses during NHL games, the 70 year-old Emrick said, “I do not have a home run call. Whatever happens, happens.”

Emrick has been calling professional hockey games since 1973. His first job in the hockey booth, was with the Port Huron Flags of the International Hockey League, he also did public relations work with the Flags. From there he moved on to the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League in 1977, broadcasting the Calder Cup Finals in 1978 and 1979. 

He became the first voice of the New Jersey Devils in 1982, where he stayed until 1986 before returning in 1993 to replace Gary Thorne in the Devils booth. During the 1980’s, he wore several hats while working for the Philadelphia Flyers.

He served as spot announcer for the Flyers from 1983 to 1986. He was an in-studio analyst, when not doing national games, from 1986 to 1988. He was promoted to their lead play-by-play for both their local and cable network in 1988, where he worked with color analyst Bill Clement until the 1992-1993 season.  

In 1995 Doc announced the Devils Stanley Cup victory, alongside color commentator John Davidson for Fox Network. Emrick left the Devils in July of 2011 to work exclusively for NBC Sports. 

His first national over-the-air television network broadcasting work came during the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France when he covered the hockey events for CBS.