The greatness of the network’s “Sunday Night Baseball” and “Baseball Tonight” and its use of the nation’s best writers invited fans to the game.

It would be nice if sports fans could continue making personal connections with the deep story-telling lens Peter Gammons (pictured above) provides, or that Wayne Embry writes for baseball.

Longtime baseball fans recall the golden era of ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, hosted by Carl Ravich, alongside analysts like Peter Gammons. The show played a crucial role in shaping baseball ...