Fox’s foray into primetime baseball is in its second week and Fox will spread five games across the country. As it was last week, Fox Saturday Baseball Pregame will hit the air at 7 p.m. ET and then the games will start about 7:15 p.m.
Joe Buck will be back again this week meaning he’ll have called a total of six out of a possible eight games which is quite good for him. He won’t have to travel far as he, Tim McCarver and Ken Rosenthal will be in the Gateway City for the Philadelphia at St. Louis game.
Other games to be aired Saturday night by Fox will be Tampa Bay at Boston, Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh, Anaheim Angels at Seattle and Colorado at Cincinnati.
Fox will again use some local announcers to fill its teams including Brian Anderson from Sun Sports for Rays-Red Sox, Bob Brenly from Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN America on Cubs-Bucs and Victor Rojas from Fox Sports West calling the Angels-Mariners. Fox also taps MLB Network to rent Mitch Williams and Eric Byrnes for this week.
Your assignments and regional splits.
FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
MLB on FOX Presents Baseball Night in America Saturday in Primetime at 7:00 PM ET
BASEBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA – BASEBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA returns Saturday, May 26 (7:00 PM ET) with five enticing matchups. The MLB on FOX crew visits the home of the World Series champs as Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltran lead the Cardinals against the Phillies. Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Ken Rosenthal call the action from Busch Stadium. In Boston, AL East rivals meet as David Ortiz and the Red Sox host David Price and the Rays. Also, the Pirates welcome the Cubs to Pittsburgh. Out west, a rejuvenated Albert Pujols and the Angels face Felix Hernandez and the Mariners in Seattle. The hard-hitting Reds combo of Jay Bruce and Joey Votto look to out-slug Troy Tulowitzki and the Rockies.
Coverage begins with the BASEBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA PREGAME SHOW, originating live from MLB Network’s state-of-the-art Studio 3 in Secaucus, NJ. The show is hosted by MLB Network studio host Matt Vasgersian, who is joined by analysts Harold Reynolds and Billy Ripken.
For instant updates throughout the week and during games from the entire MLB on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MLBONFOX. Fans can gain more access to exclusive FOX Sports content by logging on to www.facebook.com/foxsports.
Philadelphia Phillies at St. Louis Cardinals — Joe Buck, Tim McCarver & Ken Rosenthal, going to 47% of USA
Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO
MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Charlotte, Dallas, Greensboro, Greenville, Houston, Kansas City, Knoxville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tulsa, Washington
Probable Pitchers: Kyle Kendrick, RHP (0-4, 5.23 ERA) vs. Jaime Garcia, LHP (3-2, 3.55 ERA)
Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox — Dick Stockton & Brian Anderson, going to 25% of USA
Fenway Park – Boston, MA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Fort Myers, Hartford, Jacksonville, Miami, New York, Orlando, Providence, San Diego, Tampa, West Palm Beach
Probable Pitchers: David Price, LHP (6-3, 2.88 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett, RHP (4-4, 4.38 ERA)Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates — Kenny Albert & Bob Brenly, going to 10% of USA
PNC Park – Pittsburgh, PA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Chicago, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Pittsburgh
Probable Pitchers: Paul Maholm, LHP (4-3, 4.73 ERA) vs. Kevin Correia, RHP (1-5, 4.50 ERA)
Anaheim Angels at Seattle Mariners — Victor Rojas & Eric Byrnes, going to 11% of USA
Safeco Field – Seattle, WA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle
Probable Pitchers: Jerome Williams, RHP (4-2, 3.74 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez, RHP (4-3, 2.80 ERA)
Colorado Rockies at Cincinnati Reds — Thom Brennaman & Mitch Williams, going to 6% of USA
Great American Ballpark – Cincinnati, OH
MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Denver, Louisville, Salt Lake City
Probable Pitchers: Jeremy Guthrie, RHP (2-2, 5.55 ERA) vs. Mike Leake, RHP (1-5, 5.32 ERA)IS NEW WILD CARD STRUCTURE SAVING MANAGERS FROM HOT SEAT? – Struggling skippers like Boston’s Bobby Valentine are usually on the hot seat by this point in the season. FOXSports.com National MLB writer Jon Paul Morosi examines why not this year. “Three teams changed managers last June – the A’s, Marlins and Nationals – and none finished with a winning record. In 2010, six clubs replaced their manager during the season. All ended up below .500. In-season firings happen every year, except maybe this one. At the risk of underestimating the inevitable turmoil of a baseball season, no big league manager is in immediate danger of losing his job.” After speaking to number of GMS, Morosi worked through some theories on the stability for managers this season.
EXPANDED PLAYOFFS = INCREASED HOPE
“The Red Sox, Yankees and Phillies are on the short list of baseball’s most disappointing teams, all hovering around the .500 mark. But the most important column in the standings is not record or winning percentage. It is games back. And in that regard, things don’t look as bad for the East Coast titans. For that, they have the second wild card to thank.”
WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR
“Many current managers haven’t been on the job long enough to really screw up, with 19 starting their jobs since the end of the 2009 season. Some fans called for Miami’s Ozzie Guillen and Boston’s Bobby Valentine to be fired last month — albeit for very different reasons. But that wasn’t going to happen during the early weeks of their multiyear contracts, even if Valentine is signed only through next year. In that regard, the landscape could have a much different look one year from now. Seventeen managers have contracts that will expire after the 2013 season, including those with some of the highest-profile franchises in the sport: the Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, Mets, Cardinals, Braves and Giants. If your idea of fun is speculating about where Terry Francona will manage next, my suggestion is to wait another 12 to 16 months and stay busy in the interim with this year’s midsummer trade rumors.”
For more from Morosi, visit: http://tinyurl.com/7nhb53k
That does it.
