ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball crew meets MLB Fan Cave Dwellers

NEW YORK — Last week’s Rays-Yankees game gave ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball crew of Dave O’Brien, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark Mulder and Pedro Gómez the chance to visit MLB’s Fan Cave in Manhattan.

Nine “Cave Dwellers” — including Garciaparra jersey-wearing Oakland A’s fan Benjamin Christensen, featured in the video above– are seeking to watch every game from the MLB season inside the Cave.

The place itself actually resembles a technological fun house more than it does a cave.

It’s a multi-floor hangout equipped with video game stations, a pool table, a “Dirt Bar” with samples from all 30 MLB ballparks, a Wall of Fame where visiting players and celebrities sign baseball skins and of course, several couches and big screen TVs.

While there, the ESPN crew talked baseball with the fans and enjoyed some games. In a video game home run derby competition, Garciaparra’s “David Ortiz” lost to Mulder’s “José Bautista” 6-4.

After leaving the Cave, the crew headed off to Yankee Stadium where Yankee closer Mariano Rivera was beginning a pre-game news conference to discuss his recent injury. Soon thereafter, Gómez landed a one-on-one interview with Rivera, which he conducted in Spanish (for ESPN Deportes).

That night, the visiting Rays rallied off Rivera’s replacement, David Robertson, to win the game, a thrilling ending for ESPN’s Wednesday Night telecast.

The MLB Cave Dwellers, of course, were watching.