Erin Andrews, one of Fox Sports’ most prominent sideline reporters, revealed on her “Calm Down” podcast why she will no longer return to covering Major League Baseball – a role she once held with the network.
In a candid revelation, Andrews admitted that hopping into MLB broadcasts late in the season after focusing on football left her feeling unprepared and doing a disservice to fans.
“I found that coming in at the end of the year after, you know, covering football and then jumping [in], I felt like I was doing a disservice to people that were watching at home,” she said, reflecting on her tenure with Fox’s MLB broadcasts from 2012 to 2015.
“I felt like there were other people that had covered it all throughout the year that knew the ins and outs.”
Andrews went on to critique the logistical challenge of entering a sport mid-stream. “If you’re not covering football all year long, and then you’re jumping into the playoffs, you don’t know the storylines. You don’t know what’s going on in the meetings,” she explained.
“And I just felt like I was not giving what I could give, and what other people could do, like a Kenny Rosenthal … I almost felt stupid. And the catch-up was really, really hard.”
Since 2016, Andrews has focused exclusively on NFL coverage, working alongside the Fox broadcast teams that have evolved over time – including her current pairing with Kevin Burkhardt and, more recently, Tom Brady.
Her decision to refocus on one sport reflects a desire to offer more depth and consistency rather than stretching across multiple leagues.
Choosing depth over breadth
The choice to step away from baseball underscores a broader tension in sports broadcasting: balancing versatility with mastery.
Andrews’ critique suggests that to provide meaningful insight, a commentator must live and breathe the sport year-round – understanding the subtleties, internal dynamics, and evolving storylines.
Her comparison to Kenny Rosenthal, a longtime MLB insider who tracks league developments continuously, highlights the contrast she felt. Rather than be a late-season fill-in, Andrews decided to anchor herself where she believed she could maintain credibility, continuity, and deeper contributions.
Her courage to acknowledge the mismatch speaks to her professionalism. Rather than risk appearing less informed or disconnected, she opted to carve out a role where she can consistently add value.
What next for Erin Andrews?
The reaction from sports media has been nuanced. Some respect her decision as reflective of the demands of modern broadcasting, where specialization often leads to better output.
Others suggest that versatility has become a luxury few can afford – and that focusing on one sport may enable more meaningful storytelling.
In the end, Andrews’ explanation isn’t about rejection of baseball – it’s about choosing where she can do her best work. She’s made it her priority to stay rooted in one sport, to understand its architecture deeply, and to refuse to fill in where her craft might fall short.
As the season progresses, Andrews will remain a fixture on NFL sidelines and in Fox’s top broadcasts. She also continues to do her podcast ‘Calm Down with Erin and Clarissa’.
Her MLB chapter may be closed, but her commitment to excellence continues – in football, in podcasting, and in the roles she chooses to take on going forward.
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