ABC Says Cosell Won’t Cover World Series

Howard Cosell has been bumped from ABC’s announcing team for the World Series. Working in the booth will be Al Michaels, Jim Palmer and Tim McCarver. The Angels’ Reggie Jackson will work with Michaels on the pregame shows.

An ABC spokesman, reading a network statement, said Wednesday: “ABC Sports offered Howard the pregame show, with the feeling he would be excellent in the role of pregame anchor, but Howard refused that position and suggested he not work the World Series, at all.”

Although nothing officially was said about Cosell’s new book, “I Never Played the Game,” its contents might have played a role in ABC’s decision not to use him in the booth. In the book, Cosell is critical of colleagues at ABC, among them Roone Arledge, the president of ABC News and Sports.