Tim Kurkjian

Tim Kurkjian, born December 10, 1956 in Bethesda, Maryland, is a Major League Baseball analyst on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" and "SportsCenter." He is also a contributor to "ESPN The Magazine" and "ESPN.com." He guests on "Mike & Mike in the Morning" on Thursdays at 7:44 AM, discussing the latest in happenings in Major League Baseball. He is of Armenian descent.

Kurkjian is well known for his Baseball Tonight segments and SportsCenter reports that include an in-depth analysis of statistics, trade situations, and unusual "Did-You-Know?" facts. In his article "Gaining an Appreciation for the Sacrifice Fly" (July 14, 2007, ESPN the Magazine), he confessed, "I've always been fascinated by sacrifice flies." [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=2935734]

Kurkjian has an extensive background in covering baseball. His journalism career began with the Washington Star in 1978 following his graduation from the University of Maryland; he then worked briefly for the Baltimore News American in 1981. He began covering baseball as the Texas Rangers beat writer for the Dallas Morning News where he worked from 1981 to 1985. Kurkjian then covered the Baltimore Orioles for the Baltimore Sun beginning in 1986. He was a senior writer for Sports Illustrated from 1989-1997 as well as a reporter for CNN/SI from 1996-1997.

He authored his first book, "America's Game," in 2000 and released his second book, "Is This a Great Game, or What?: From A-Rod's Heart to Zim's Head--My 25 Years in Baseball" in May 2007. He was the 1999 and 2007 Commencement speaker at his alma mater, Walter Johnson High School and also delivered the winter commencement speech at the University of Maryland on December 19, 2007.

He admitted on a July 12, 2008 episode of Baseball Tonight that he has clipped every Major League Baseball game's boxscore from the newspaper since the start of the 1990 season. Also, he noted on an episode that aired on August 23, 2008 that he is 4'9" tall. This comment although taken seriously by some is clearly a joke (as he stands at 5'5").