ESPN Castoff, Little League World Series Icon Offers ‘Surreal’ Update After Sudden Layoffs

KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 26: Karl Ravech of ESPN speaks connected group the time earlier Game 1 of the 2015 World Series betwixt the Royals and Mets astatine Kauffman Stadium connected October 26, 2015 successful Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images)

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ESPN's caller layoffs sent shockwaves done the sports-media world, pinch longtime on-air personalities among the notable names affected by the network's latest information of cuts. But for 1 instrumentality favorite, the iconic sound of the Little League World Series, the fallout has been peculiarly bizarre.

After spending much than 3 decades astatine ESPN, becoming intimately associated pinch MLB coverage, “Baseball Tonight” and the Little League World Series, Karl Ravich offered his first extended comments connected the layoffs during a podcast question and reply released connected Saturday.

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ESPN Castoff Karl Ravech Sends Little League World Series Update

Despite being fired, he confirmed that he is still group to activity the yearly Little League showcase, and he said retired astir his individual guidance to his profession update.

“The astir surreal portion has been the notes of gratitude, the notes of vexation that I’ve received (from fans),” Ravech told the Westwood One Sports Night show. “That portion has been truthful overwhelming and gratifying and bosom warming, that’s really benignant of the overriding emotion that I person astatine this point.”

And Ravech added that he bears nary sick will toward ESPN arsenic he prepared to return for the Little League World Series this month.

“(I) can’t hold to get to the Little League World Series, because it’s evidently the arena that I deliberation astir group subordinate maine with,” he added.

Little League World Series, MLB Broadcaster Karl Ravech Suddenly Fired During ESPN Layoffs

Ravech’s firing caught the shot world by astonishment because of his unsocial relationship to the Little League World Series but besides because he has been the sound of astir MLB broadcasts and typical shot events astatine the broadcaster for decades.

“Ravech has been astatine ESPN since 1993 and was the lead play-by-play sound for its shot coverage,” Scooby Axson and Mark Giannotto noted for USA Today. “The 61-year-old Ravech has besides called assemblage basketball, assemblage shot and the Little League World Series for the network. He besides anchored SportsCenter during his tenure pinch ESPN.”

Ravech was among respective high-profile names caught up successful the network's latest restructuring. The cuts besides affected figures specified arsenic Ryan Clark, Cam Newton, Tom Pelissero, David Lloyd, Stephania Bell and Charles Davis, pinch ESPN tying overmuch of the restructuring to its integration of NFL Network assets.

Yet Ravech's attraction has seemingly shifted distant from the circumstances of his departure and toward the group who supported him passim his career, arsenic good arsenic those preparing to watch his favourite shot arena of the twelvemonth successful the adjacent future.