Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer and Joe Girardi Join Brendan Burke (Play-by-Play) in MLB Sunday Leadoff Booth
Ahmed Fareed Hosts Pregame Coverage on Peacock at 12:30 p.m. ET, Alongside Former World Series Champion Cameron Maybin
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 15, 2023 – Shortstop Dansby Swanson and the Chicago Cubs host catcher Adley Rutschman and the Baltimore Orioles – owners of the second-best record in MLB – on MLB Sunday Leadoff this Sunday, June 18, at 1:05 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock.
Play-by-play announcer Brendan Burke will be joined in the MLB Sunday Leadoff booth at Wrigley Field by analysts Jim Palmer and Joe Girardi. Game analysis in the MLB Sunday Leadoff booth is provided each week by announcers from the participating teams.
Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990, Palmer spent his entire 19-year MLB career with the Orioles from 1965-67 and 1969-84. He won three World Series titles with Baltimore, earned three AL Cy Young Awards, and was named an All-Star six times. Palmer, who threw a no-hitter on August 13, 1969, is a member of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame and his No. 22 is retired by the club. He currently serves as an Orioles television and radio analyst, a role which he has held since 1984. Palmer also worked alongside Al Michaels and Tim McCarver on ABC’s Monday Night Baseball from 1985-89.
Girardi had a 15-year MLB career as a catcher (1989-2003) with the Cubs, Rockies, Yankees, and Cardinals, and was named an All-Star in 2000. Following his retirement as a player, Girardi managed the Marlins (2006), Yankees (2008-17), and Phillies (2020-22). He is a four-time World Series champion with the Yankees -- winning three as a player in 1996, 1998 and 1999, and one as a manager in 2009 -- and was named NL Manager of the year in 2006 with the Marlins. Girardi currently serves as a Cubs analyst on Marquee Sports Network and has previously been an analyst with FOX Sports, MLB Network, and YES Network.
Orioles outfielder Austin Hays will be mic’d up to communicate with the MLB Sunday Leadoff booth in-game.
This week’s MLB Sunday Leadoff coverage begins with the pregame show at 12:30 p.m. ET on Peacock. Ahmed Fareed is the pre- and postgame host of MLB Sunday Leadoff and also serves as the in-game reporter.
Former World Series champion Cameron Maybin, who had a 15-year MLB career, will serve as this week’s pre- and postgame analyst alongside Fareed. Maybin will make his debut as an analyst on MLB Sunday Leadoff this week.
How to Watch:
| Date | Show | Time (ET) | Platform |
| Sun., June 18 | MLB Sunday Leadoff Pregame | 12:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Sun., June 18 | Orioles vs. Cubs | 1:05 p.m. | Peacock |
Commentators:
- Play by Play: Brendan Burke
- Analysts: Joe Girardi and Jim Palmer
- Pre- and Postgame Host/In-game Reporter: Ahmed Fareed
- Pre- and Postgame Analyst: Cameron Maybin
Beginning on Sunday, April 23, when the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies hosted the Colorado Rockies from Citizens Bank Park, Peacock will stream an NBC Sports-produced baseball game live in 19 of 20 weeks. Each game will feature NBC Sports-produced pre- and post-game shows on Peacock.
On each of the 19 Sundays that Peacock presents a game, it will be scheduled as the exclusive home of live MLB action until 1:35 p.m. ET that day, when the remainder of the day’s schedule will begin. The package will include start times of 11:35 a.m. ET (six games), 12:05 p.m. ET (10 games), and 1:05 p.m. ET (three games).
The MLB Sunday Leadoff package began in 2022 with 18 exclusive Sunday morning games on Peacock, continuing NBC Sports’ storied baseball tradition. The first Major League Baseball television broadcast was a 1939 Cincinnati Reds-Brooklyn Dodgers doubleheader on W2XBS (the precursor to WNBC-TV) in New York.
NBC Sports was a home to the first World Series broadcast in 1947, the first All-Star Game nationally broadcast in 1952, and has televised 39 World Series – more than any other network. Additionally, from 1957-2000, NBC Sports was home to a wealth of baseball programming, including Game of the Week and Monday Night Baseball telecasts, more than 30 All-Star Games, and countless Postseason moments.
Peacock’s expansive programming offers the most live sports of any SVOD service in the United States, including live coverage of Sunday Night Football, Olympic Games, Premier League, Notre Dame Football, NASCAR, NTT IndyCar Series, Big Ten football (beginning in September), and much more. Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel.
To learn more about Peacock and MLB Sunday Leadoff, including how to sign up, click here.
2023 MLB Sunday Leadoff Schedule on Peacock
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup |
| June 18 | 1:05 p.m. | Baltimore Orioles at Chicago Cubs |
| July 2 | 12:05 p.m. | Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles |
| July 9 | 12:05 p.m. | Texas Rangers at Washington Nationals |
| July 16 | 12:05 p.m. | San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates |
| July 23 | 12:05 p.m. | San Diego Padres at Detroit Tigers |
| July 30 | 12:05 p.m. | Los Angeles Angels at Toronto Blue Jays |
| August 6 | 12:05 p.m. | Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians |
| August 13 | 12:05 p.m. | Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox |
| August 20 | 1:05 p.m. | Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros |
| August 27 | 12:05 p.m. | Los Angeles Angels at New York Mets |
| September 3 | 1:05 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers |
--NBC SPORTS—
