This coming Sunday (April 10) is the debut of ESPN2's alternate Sunday Night Baseball broadcast featuring Alex Rodriguez and Michael Kay. Or, as the network is calling it, Sunday Night Baseball with Kay-Rod.

(Will "Kay-Rod" catch on? Probably. It's kind of catchy. And it's succinct, like "ManningCast.")

April 10 is also the debut of ESPN's new regular Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team of Karl Ravech calling play-by-play with new analysts David Cone and Eduardo Perez. Which telecast and broadcast crew viewers will be most intrigued by depends on their level of curiosity.

SNB, ESPN's weekly Major League Baseball showcase and arguably the sport's national regular-season stage, deserves a top-notch announcing team. That didn't really apply during the past two seasons as Matt Vasgersian and Rodriguez never quite clicked. (Jessica Mendoza was part of the crew in 2018, which made for some bumpy broadcasts. Yet moving her out didn't simplify matters as hoped.)

Perhaps the most reassuring aspect of the new SNB booth is that Cone and Perez are experienced broadcasters. So this isn't a "cross your fingers and hope we have a star" situation as it was when ESPN put A-Rod in the booth. Neither Cone nor Perez will have to figure out who they are as broadcasters or what their "hook" might be.

(Remember when A-Rod went through that phase of trying to predict pitches and plays, as Tony Romo does on NFL broadcasts? That didn't go so well.)

So the regular SNB crew should be solid, at the very least. Maybe they'll be even better than that, which would not only be refreshing but especially gratifying for Ravech and Perez who deserve the showcase after accomplished broadcasting careers at ESPN. Cone could be the X factor that makes this booth stand out and sustain itself for multiple seasons.

But there will be plenty of opportunities to see the regular SNB team (25 telecasts are scheduled). "Kay-Rod" will do their thing for only eight weeks this season as the alternate SNB telecast, including the first two Sundays on the schedule. (Kay and Rodriguez are also set to call a few games, including a postseason broadcast, in a traditional play-by-play/analyst set-up.)

Thus, it's only natural that curiosity is drawn to the "Kay-Rod" telecast at first. For one thing, we don't really know what it's going to be. Sure, the reflexive comparison will be to the Monday Night Football "ManningCast." But the rhythm of a baseball game and broadcast are much different than their football counterparts. Also, Kay and Rodriguez likely won't have the instant chemistry that Peyton and Eli Manning have as brothers.

However, the two do know each other quite well which is why A-Rod wanted Kay as his partner for this alternate telecast. "Kay-Rod" debuts with the New York Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox, arguably the greatest rivalry in Major League Baseball. Hopefully, they explore the space that they're given and talk about A-Rod's compelling history within the feud.

First, Rodriguez was nearly traded to the Red Sox in 2003 until the MLB Players Association objected to A-Rod lowering his salary to make the deal happen. That gave the Yankees the opportunity to swoop in and snatch away the impact slugger who could break the Curse of the Bambino in Boston. This also occurred months after the Yankees beat the Red Sox in the ALCS on a heartbreaking Game 7 walk-off home run by Aaron Boone.

There should be ample time during the alternate broadcast, which won't be obligated to follow the typical play-by-play format, for Kay to ask A-Rod about the trade that wasn't. Rodriguez has told this story before, on ESPN's Baseball Tonight podcast, and a 30 For 30 short was made about the trade. But "Kay-Rod" presents a new audience for the tale and the setting is ideal.

Oh, and during the subsequent season, there was the brawl between A-Rod and Boston catcher Jason Varitek. For anyone unfamiliar with the rivalry, a photo of Varitek shoving A-Rod in the face provides all the necessary information. There is undoubtedly a story to tell there.

Again, this is a Yankees-Red Sox telecast in an alternate format intended for conversation, rather than play-by-play and analysis. Kay has surely heard stories about the brawl before, probably even Rodriguez's account of it. So he likely knows exactly what questions to ask and how best to set A-Rod up for maximum storytelling impact.

The plan is to have guests on the telecast, as Peyton and Eli do for the "ManningCast." Here's hoping that Varitek will be making an appearance. Joining the show remotely might be a good idea, though.

Based on what the New York Post's Andrew Marchand reported in his weekly "Sports Clicker" newsletter (subscribe here), there's reason to be optimistic for "Kay-Rod." Kay understands the assignment. He knows it's up to him to get A-Rod to show the insight that fans have seen on Fox's MLB postseason coverage.

More importantly, Kay needs to get Rodriguez to make fun of himself and not be so image-conscious. Taking himself too seriously hurt his popularity as a player and restricted him in the Sunday Night Baseball booth.

"I told [A-Rod], 'I want you to make fun of me, and I'm going to make fun of you,'" Kay said to Marchand. "Hopefully we'll humanize each other."

Part of that mockery will include reading mean tweets during the telecast, a good idea that does well on Inside the NBA and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Let the viewing audience carry some of the load with sharp quips and hilarious GIFs. A-Rod just needs to laugh at himself as well as Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal do -- even when some of the jokes cut close.

Kay probably is the best choice for this endeavor. The question is whether A-Rod will give the people what they want or stay buttoned-up. Becoming anywhere near as popular as the "ManningCast" -- or even the Sue Bird-Diana Taurisi MegaCast for the NCAA Women's Final Four -- would be a great thing for baseball. And A-Rod would surely think it's a great thing for him, as well.