Bob Costas Could Join MLB Network

January 1 will be a very big day for baseball. Following in the footsteps of the NFL, Major League Baseball will launch their very own cable channel that day. And they've trumped the NFL, still at odds with cable providers about carrying their channel, by ensuring that it will be the largest launch of a new channel in history.

What they'll actually have for programming remains a mystery but once the season starts they'll be broadcasting games. Who will call those games? A story in Sports Business Daily ($ via Biz of Baseball) hints that Bob Costas may be on the top of their wish list.

"The network has discussed using Costas – a noted baseball fan – on some of its game coverage, which will consist of at least one game per week, or its studio coverage, which will be on air for several hours per night during the season starting at 7:00pm ET."

I always liked Costas as a play-by-play guy but wouldn't be too thrilled to see him as a studio host. It's a waste and would offer him too much time and space to revive his tired arguments against the Wild Card, steroids, the internet and anything else that's got a bug up his craw. There's some truth in all of his arguments but we've heard them before while calling games would provide a chance for him to just talk about what's going on in front of him.