MLB The Show (The Show): Watch The Only Game In Town

Against all climatological odds, March 26, 2020 proved to be the perfect weather day for Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. The temperature reached 57 degrees in New York, 67 in Los Angeles, and stayed in the 60s through much of the country in-between. It was a ideal time for communities to gather together, sit in the sun, enjoy some hotdogs, and take in America’s Pastime.

Of course, we didn’t get to do any of that on March 26. Nor will we the week after that, nor for many weeks still yet to come. Baseball, like everything else, is on hold while the world deals with the surging coronavirus pandemic. But while the games may not be getting played, the spirit of the sport soldiers on. 

In a video message posted by MLB and narrated by the three-time American League Most Valuable Player Mike Trout, the superstar slugger (and amateur meteorologist) forecasts unity and hope while the season is postponed and the world faces a common foe: “Even though we’re apart, we can come together.”

The baseball community is finding ways to make the best of a difficult and scary situation. MLB and its players have pledged millions of dollars to help relief efforts, shown their support to healthcare workers, and, at least in the short term, pledged to pay the salaries of ballpark workers while the season is on hiatus.

In the digital space, the soul of Opening Day is alive and well; fans showed off their favorite jerseys, the league’s #OpeningDayAtHome campaign provided a reason to stay in and watch recent classics, Uni Watch still trotted out its annual MLB Uniform Preview, and Mets announcers Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez kept sharp by previewing a simulated Opening Day.

It’s likely we won’t see a real Opening Day for several months. Still, that won’t stop fans from finding creative ways to celebrate the sport they love or keep players away from engaging with their communities. We’re going to join in on the fun by celebrating the sport in our new weekly video series: MLB The Show (The Show).

In place of real results and highlights, our new weekly series will use simulations from Sony’s MLB The Show to create the ultimate baseball placeholder until the real thing returns to our lives. 

(The Show) is part interview series, part video game let’s play, and part love letter to baseball. Our “in-studio” hosts will gather expert analysis from current and former baseball players. We’ll also have segments with prominent members of the baseball media and the highly influential (and hilarious) baseball Twitter community. And it wouldn’t be a Den of Geek production without celebrity baseball fans from the entertainment industry and comedians weighing in to have some fun. 

Watch the teaser below! Please note the clips in the teaser are placeholder interviews. Our guest lineup is TBA in the coming days, although we’d love to have Pedro Martinez actually come on the show…

Each episode will appear Thursdays on DenofGeek.com starting April 2 and will be promoted through our social media channels and video platforms. 

For over 150 years, a children’s game played by increasingly more jacked men (and Bartolo Colon) has provided escape from the problems in our world. Baseball carried on during World War II even as many of the game’s best players went to serve our country. Right now, the circumstances dictate that a strict ban on large gatherings and social distancing are the temporary norm—and America’s Pastime must adhere. We’re all in this together, and we might as well have some fun doing it. Our goal is to build a community around the show for as long as the real baseball season is postponed. Do you have suggestions for the show, requests, or want to be directly involved? We want to hear from you! 

Someday in the near future we’ll meet once again, in person, at ballparks across the country. For now, we’ll see you on the digital playing field when MLB The Show (The Show) drops on April 2 on Den of Geek.