Bob Costas Leaves HBO for MLB Network

Bob Costas has always been, first and foremost, a baseball guy. So although he's been a consummate professional on HBO (as host of Inside the NFL, On the Record and Costas Now) and on NBC (as host of Football Night in America and the network's Olympics coverage) it always felt like he belonged on a network that would let him return to calling baseball.

Now that's what he's doing. Costas has left HBO to take a deal with MLB Network that will expand his baseball duties and allow him to call live games again. He'll interview Dodgers manager Joe Torre on Thursday, host other shows throughout the year, and, according to USA Today, "call an unspecified number of the channel's 26 regular-season TV games."

I'll miss Costas Now (I guess we won't see a "Bissinger vs. Leitch: One Year Later" anniversary special this year), but this sounds to me like the right move for Costas. Any broadcaster who works for the league he's covering has to be very careful about maintaining his objectivity, but Costas has always been independent, and I don't think he would have taken this deal without assurances that he could be fiercely independent. He should be great in this role.

HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg released a statement saying, "Bob Costas was a terrific addition when he joined HBO Sports eight years ago, providing us with a distinct and unique presence. Television is about change and we respect Bob's decision to move to the MLB Network. We are very proud of the work Bob did at HBO, and we wish him well in his new endeavor."

Costas is staying at NBC, and the MLB Network deal is not expected to affect his role there.