Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel stopped by the ESPN campus yesterday while he was up north for a weekend series with the New York Mets. The final game of the series will be featured on the Memorial Day Weekend edition of Sunday Night Baseball (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET).

During his visit in Bristol, Kimbrel sat down with Front Row to discuss his favorite moments of the day, what it feels like to take the mound on “baseball’s biggest stage” and whose job he’d like to take on SNB.

Looking toward Sunday Night Baseball this week, what does it mean to take the mound on “baseball’s biggest stage”?
It’s awesome. It’s fun to know you’re the only game on TV and everybody’s watching you. It’s a time when a lot of guys who are under the radar can really show up, have a big game, get noticed and have people say, “Wow – who is this guy?”

What was it like visiting ESPN?
I’ve done a lot — first thing, I came in and did SportsCenter. They just threw me right in the fire. It’s been a lot of fun walking through the halls, seeing people and being like, “I watch you on TV!”

Was there anyone in particular you were excited to see?
We saw Jerry Rice in the cafeteria. I got a picture with him, so that was cool.

What’s your favorite non-baseball ESPN show to watch?
That’s hard — I watch a lot of baseball. During the season, baseball is on all the time. Other than that, I’ll watch anything about SEC football. I know the SEC Network is coming, so I’ll be watching that a lot. For me, when it’s not baseball, it’s football.

Monsters University (Disney/PIXAR)

Editor’s note: ESPN’s studio jack-of-all trades and Front Row’s big-screen consultant Adnan Virk submits his summer movie insights.

Summer movies are like college parties; boisterous, noisy and generally forgettable. If fall movies are the domain of prestige pictures seeking Oscar gold, then summer blockbusters are designed to create box office demand and flat-out entertain. The downside is that many of the movies can feel disposable but if you’re looking for a genuine thrill ride, then cinema’s silly season is for you.

Star Trek Into Darkness
Boldly revisiting where we’ve been before.
James Tiberius Kirk and his Vulcan friend, Spock, face a new enemy in the second installment of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot. Solid reviews from critics but spoiler alert: You’ll be walking out of the theater shaking your fist in the air and screaming “KHAN!”
YES

Fast & Furious 6
Vin Diesel milks the cash cow again
Who would have thought we would have six installments of this high-octane, adrenalized series? As many cinematic variations as Rocky, but at least the original Balboa won a Best Picture Oscar over classics like Taxi Driver and Network. This series has no such higher aspirations.
NO

The Hangover Part III
Add, Rinse, Repeat
The first was inspired hilarity. The sequel was a note-for-note, highly disappointing remake. Is there any doubt the third installment will be devoid of any creative juice despite a likable and talented cast going through the motions again?
NO

This Is The End
Chemistry test
Granted, James Franco has had a wildly uneven career bottoming out with the worst received Oscars hosting since David Letterman’s gig, but generally he and Seth Rogen make for an entertaining tandem.
MAYBE

Man of Steel
Superman trumps all
This summer season is heavy on sequels and remakes, but advance buzz has been excellent for Zach Snyder’s reinterpretation of Superman. Snyder directed 300, so you know he’s capable of bombast. The fact it’s produced by the great Christopher Nolan (Batman Trilogy, Memento) bodes well.
YES

Monsters University
Sully and Mike are back!
One of my favorite children’s movies is Monsters Inc. John Goodman and Billy Crystal hook up for the prequel of Monsters Inc. film from the hit-making factory that is Pixar. Little doubt it will pack plenty of heart along with wondrous visuals. Editor’s note: This film is distributed by The Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ESPN/ABC.
YES

The Lone Ranger
Hi-Yo Silver!
From producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, the filmmaking team behind the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, comes yet another update of a classic story. Another element in the Pirates connection? The always enigmatic Johnny Depp playing Tonto. Editor’s note: This film is co-produced by The Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ESPN/ABC.
MAYBE

Grown Ups 2
Sophomoric laughs again?
Adam Sandler and an all-star cast look to strike it rich after the original, which I found to be lame, tired and lackadaisical.
NO

Only God Forgives
Indie Alert
One of the best actors working today, the mesmerizing Ryan Gosling, hooks up again with the director of Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn, for a visionary Bangkok-set thriller.
YES

The Wolverine
Canadian superhero seeks justice
The versatile Hugh Jackman keeps his sideburns from Les Miserables to fight evil again with a script penned by the Usual Suspects Oscar- winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Walk the Line’s James Mangold. Editor’s note: This film is co-produced by Marvel Entertainment, part of The Walt Disney Company, which is the parent company of ESPN/ABC.
MAYBE

Mike Ditka (89) played for George Halas’ Bears in the early 1960s.
(Credit: Getty Images)

On Friday morning, the Chicago Bears officially announced plans to retire Mike Ditka’s jersey No. 89 during halftime of the team’s ESPN Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 9.

Ditka, an ESPN NFL analyst since 2004 and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played and coached for the Bears during his legendary career. In fact, he is the only individual in the NFL’s modern era to win a league championship with the same team as both a player (1963) and head coach (1985).

Selected by the Bears with the fifth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft, Ditka was named NFL Rookie of the Year, catching 56 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns. In six seasons in the Windy City, he was voted to five Pro Bowls. During his final six NFL seasons, Ditka played with the Philadelphia Eagles (1967-1968) and then the Dallas Cowboys (1969-1972) before retiring.

The video below is from ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike this morning, when Ditka discussed becoming only the 14th player to have his number retired by the Bears.

“We are thrilled that the Bears are honoring Coach Ditka in this way,” added senior coordinating producer Seth Markman, who oversees ESPN’s NFL studio shows. “Everyone who knows Coach, knows how much the Bears and the city of Chicago mean to him. The honor is extra special because it will happen during such a big Monday Night Football game and our ESPN team will be able to celebrate with him.”

Usually in studio in Bristol, Conn., for Monday Night Countdown pregame duties, Ditka will be in Chicago on Dec. 9 when his jersey is retired. Before he is honored that night, Ditka will appear on Countdown alongside Stuart Scott, Trent Dilfer, Ray Lewis and Steve Young.

In September 2012, the NCAA implemented a stall warning procedure for men’s lacrosse to include a 30-second time frame for the offensive team to take a shot — or risk losing possession.

Working with the NCAA, ESPN’s Emerging Technology division constructed a Stall Warning Device for the referees to wear during ESPN televised games. The referee flips the switch at the start of the Stall Warning, and the production truck produces a countdown clock graphic.

It will be used again at the 2013 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by Northwestern Mutual, set to air on ESPN networks Saturday and Monday from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Front Row talked with Anthony Bailey, vice president for Emerging Technology, about ESPN’s newest creation.

Where did the concept for this device come from?
We repurposed technology that has been used in past events such as the X Games and the Great Outdoors Games. Dave Casamona, director, Emerging Technology, designed and developed the device at the Emerging Technology Innovation Lab at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla. Emerging Technology is always looking to bring fans closer to the game through innovative production enhancements.

What was the process for developing the device?
We met with the NCAA in December to discuss the initial concept. With their approval and support, we tested the first device in February at a Johns Hopkins/Michigan game. Each week, we have talked with the referees to gather their feedback to assist us in refining and enhancing the product.

How does it enhance the overall experience for the fans at home?
The stall warning can be a point of drama in the game. It is a moment when something critical may happen such as a shot, a goal or a turnover and we wanted the fan to be able to see both the action and the clock at the same time. We know that championship weekend is an event that is “community viewing” and we wanted to give the audience that may be new to lacrosse a simple way to understand this unique aspect of the game.

Can this technology be used for future sporting events or other sports?
This was developed specifically to enhance lacrosse, but if we see that it can be used for another sport, we will look to implement it.

In the video above, ESPNU’s Paul Carcaterra and NCAA Division I Lacrosse official Kevin O’Leary discuss the device. The video below demonstrates the use of the Stall Warning Device.

Paul Finebaum (Joe Faraoni/ ESPN Images)

Earlier today, ESPN announced the hiring of the “Voice of the SEC,” Paul Finebaum. With duties that will range from hosting a daily radio show (eventually simulcasting it on the SEC Network) to appearing on a variety ESPN shows and platforms, Finebaum will work with a wide cross-section of people at ESPN. Here, a few offer their thoughts on the multi-talented Finebaum.

“Paul knows the SEC better than anyone – the passion, the rivalries and the hot buttons for an electric fan base. We are thrilled to have Paul join the ESPN team. He will be a fantastic addition and help both ESPN and the SEC Network serve sports fans in a unique and powerful way.” – Justin Connolly, ESPN Senior Vice President of College Networks

“You can shake your head at what you may hear but there’s no denying that The Finebaum Show is the beating heart of the SEC. It’s hard to imagine the passion and characters of college football so neatly corralled and then amplified by one broadcaster, but somehow through the years Paul has been able to do just that. From the moment we first outlined the 30 for 30 film, Roll Tide/War Eagle, there was no doubt his show would be the thread weaving its way through that story. Paul is a master at stoking the flames of the hot burning SEC fire with smarts and credibility.” – Joe Tessitore, Host of ESPN’s College Football Live and play-by-play announcer

“Paul Finebaum is must-listen for college football fans, especially those in the SEC markets. His knowledge and passion will bring great value to our ESPN Audio platforms.” – Tim McCarthy, Sr. Vice President, ESPN Radio

“I was raised in the house of a Vols diehard, in the swirl of the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry, back when UT was still winning on the Third Saturday in October more than it lost. Paul Finebaum was then, and still is, appointment listening among Southerners. Inevitably his reach has crossed the Mason Dixon and stretched to the other side of the Mississippi as more and more ears turn to the land of crystal footballs. He raises the ire of fans across the nation because of his clear-eyed views about the sports landscape, and the SEC’s place in it. He’d have the same opinions over a cup of coffee in the back of the local drug store. That’s what makes ‘The Finebaum Show’ such a staple: To talk SEC sports and be taken seriously, you have to be one of us.” – LaRue Cook, General Editor, College Football, ESPN The Magazine.

Mike Humes, Carrie Kreiswirth, Diane Lamb and Keri Potts contributed to this post.

The Pulitzers are nice, but Don Van Natta Jr. had a bucket list moment from the May 22 episode of “Jeopardy!”

Don Van Natta Jr.’s career in journalism has reached peaks only imagined by most of his colleagues. A winner of multiple Pulitzer Prizes at the Miami Herald and the New York Times, Van Natta is also an accomplished author and in relatively short time with ESPN, he has made an indelible mark on the company’s sports journalism.

But it wasn’t until yesterday’s episode of the long-running game show, “Jeopardy!,” that Van Natta truly ascended to a place few will ever reach. He shares his story with Front Row:

A pal left the voicemail message at 7:57 last night: “Dude, the $1000 clue today on JEOPARDY!… ‘Wonder Girl,’ under Sports Biographies. It was awesome.”

This was an awesome surprise. “Wonder Girl” is the title of my third book, a 2011 biography of the phenomenal all-sport athlete, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, widely considered the greatest female athlete in American sports history. Born in 1911 in Port Arthur, Texas, Babe was an All-American basketball player, won two track and field gold medals at the 1932 Olympics and became a champion golfer before making an astonishing comeback from cancer in the mid-50s.

“Wonder Girl” making Jeopardy! as a clue in the category, ‘Sports Biographies” (“A sports star of the 1930s”) was as cool as hearing that contestant, Cecily Squier (see tweet below), gave Alex Trebek the correct response: “Who is Babe Didrikson Zaharias?”

Everyone in my family is fans of Jeopardy! (my mother never misses an episode — she, too, was watching last night). Making Jeopardy! is a cultural touchstone, like discovering your name or your book’s title in the New York Times crossword puzzle. (I came close, in 2003, when my first book, “First Off the Tee”, was the hidden answer in a Times’ acrostic).

Better yet, the timing was fortuitous: “Wonder Girl” was just published in paperback. My book won the United States Golf Association’s Herbert Warren Wind Book Award, a great thrill.

But I was as thrilled to hear about Jeopardy!’s nod. A couple of Twitter friends shared in my special moment:

Today, I noticed Alex Trebek had hardly turbo-charged my book’s sad Amazon sales ranking. But I’m not letting that spoil this party.

ESPN Stats & Information’s Jeremy Mills. (Courtesy of Jeremy Mills)

Perfection is imperative for ESPN researchers responsible for supplying facts and nuggets for use on air or in print. Jeremy Mills from ESPN Stats & Information is seeking perfection in another, more forgiving area: college baseball Bracketology. This is the fifth year he has projected the field of 64 teams in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.

Mills’ most recent Bracketology is available on ESPN.com. His final projection of the season will be available Sunday before the official brackets are released Monday at noon ET on ESPNU. He spoke with Front Row about how it all started, the projecting process, fellow bracket generator, Joe Lunardi, and more.

How did you come up with the idea of Bracketology for college baseball?
It seemed strange that the network with the most postseason coverage wasn’t predicting the brackets. So I pitched the idea to ESPN.com editor Lauren Reynolds and went from there.

What is your process for bracketing out the 64 teams?
There are only five delineations — eight national seeds, eight additional No. 1 seeds and 16 each Nos. 2-4 seeds — so I usually start by bucketing teams rather than creating a true S-curve like you see for basketball. With the committee, there’s no difference between being the 17th and 32nd best teams. In baseball, they can pair any No. 1 seed with any No. 2 seed, as long as they aren’t from the same conference, which is a stark contrast to the balancing of strength across regions in basketball.

I’m looking at a variety of numbers to create the buckets. RPI drives the seeding a lot more in baseball than in other sports, so the original grouping starts there. But other considerations are records against various RPI categories, record in weekend series (which carry more weight than midweek games since that’s the postseason format) and standing within the team’s conference.

As for particular location assignments, the NCAA prefers to keep teams as close to home as possible. Even knowing the 16 sites, it’s hard to get all four teams at a location correct. Usually I get one or two of the 16 regionals completely correct and three of the four teams in a handful [of other regionals].

What is your success rate?
I’ve had 63 out of the 64 twice. Two years ago, I missed two and both were cases of the committee rewarding teams from mid-major conferences for good seasons over lower teams in the power conferences.

Do you exchange ideas and concepts with Joe Lundardi about his Bracketology?
I’ve had the opportunity to work with Joe on shows as part of my “day job” in research, but we’ve never discussed compiling brackets. Maybe I need to pick his brain the next time we’re in the same room.

Editor’s note: Yesterday, SportsCenter reporter Shelley Smith was in Oklahoma City neighborhoods devastated by Monday’s tornado. Smith and producer Shari Greenberg were with Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant as he toured the area. She shared some thoughts on the visit with Front Row.

Producer Shari Greenberg and I were headed to San Francisco for 49ers OTAs when we were re-assigned to Norman, Okla., to cover the devastation and its effect on the area’s sports teams. While we were in the air, ESPN got an invitation (shared with select media outlets) from the Red Cross and Kevin Durant’s foundation director, Emmanuel Bailey, to tour the destruction with Durant.

Police told us only four cars would be allowed into the area, so in a refreshing example of media togetherness, journalists from all the outlets piled into vehicles — stacking people onto laps. An Associated Press photographer climbed onto the middle console of the SUV I was driving, crammed beside Shari, our two-man camera crew, and a reporter from The Oklahoma Daily, Joe Mussatto, whom we enlisted the night before via email to be our runner/navigator/photographer.

Because of Durant’s status, and his $1 million relief donation, we had a police escort. I realized as we approached the designated site we were following the storm’s path. First we saw trees down, then shingles from houses, then complete roofs, houses and utter wreckage. There were trailers on top of houses, cars on top of cars, tons and tons of debris and wires, homes in total disrepair.

“Where,” I kept asking myself, “do you even start cleaning up?”

When Durant got out and began to walk, residents slowly plowed through what was left of their homes and inched toward him, at first, incredulous that one of their sports heroes was really sharing in their grief and supporting their strength and resilience.

He seemed sad at first, but he fought to smile. Durant posed for photographs, signed every autograph and listened to every story. After walking about a mile to a flattened Briarwood Elementary School, Durant said his heart was broken knowing children had been killed in other schools, but also that children at Briarwood were cowering in utter fear as the storm went through.

He promised he would return, and return again, to the school and the entire area to do what he could to lift spirits in the state he calls home, whose residents he considers family.

“Kevin has always talked about the Thunder being part of the community, and he really showed that today,” Mussatto told me. “It wasn’t him doing something physically necessarily, it was his presence — I think it really helped those kids who came up to him.”

Durant didn’t do this for publicity. At first, he didn’t want anyone to know, but in the end, he said he wanted to call attention to what athletes can do, and should do, for communities they want to support, as much as they are supported.

Today, Smith will provide a special report on the Oklahoma softball team, currently No. 1 in the nation, as they compete for a spot in the Women’s College World Series (WCWS). The team plays tonight against No. 16 Texas A&M in the Norman Super Regional airing on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET. ESPN also will air every game in the WCWS from Oklahoma City, Okla. May 30-June 5.

As told to Dan Quinn