My inbox is overflowing with press releases today. There are so many that I’m breaking them up into multiple posts.
I have a few baseball-related press releases and I’ll begin with MLB Network which will premiere its first reality series called “The Pen”. Check out the release and subsequent videos.
MLB NETWORK TO BROADCAST REALITY SERIES THE PEN FOLLOWING PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES BULLPEN
Original Series from MLB Productions Covers Players from Spring Training to All-Star Game
Secaucus, N.J., June 10, 2009 – MLB Network will televise a new reality program titled The Pen, an original series produced by MLB Productions that follows members of the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen with unprecedented access to a Major League team, which will debut on Sunday, June 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The series, which features on-the-field and off-the-field interviews, will air for six weeks and include coverage from 2009 Spring Training to the All-Star break.
Narrated by former Phillies relief pitcher and MLB Network analyst Mitch Williams, The Pen takes a look at the players’ lives following the team’s 2008 World Series win and the pressures of keeping their roster spot for the 2009 team. The series features relief pitchers Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero, Scott Eyre, Clay Condrey, Chad Durbin, Gary Majewski, Jack Taschner, J.A. Happ, Chan Ho Park and bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer, and follows them to everything from fishing trips and youth baseball games to the White House for a post-World Series visit. The program also speaks with players following the sudden death of longtime Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas on April 13.
“As a reality-based series The Pen is the ultimate look into the lives of these players, both on and off the field,” said Tony Petitti, President and CEO of MLB Network. “So much of what we know about relief pitchers is based on statistics and saves, and a series like The Pen gives a level of familiarity to each player.”
The program, a co-production between MLB Network and MLB Productions, marks the first program ever produced using a camera and microphones installed in a Major League bullpen to film in-game and practice footage. Two other cameras were installed in Citizens Bank Park – one behind home plate and one at low first base – and were controlled by MLB Network’s headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey. Producer Danny Field suited up as a catcher with a camera attached to his mask to capture footage during Spring Training in Clearwater, Florida.
“The Pen is a first for MLB Productions, as we have never had such continued open access to one team’s players during Spring Training and the regular season,” said David Gavant, Executive in charge of Production and Vice President, MLB Productions. “Our goal was to shed light on the pressure-filled lives these players live on the field and how they unwind off the field.”
The Pen was produced by MLB Productions. Gary Waksman is the Lead Producer, Danny Field is the Associate Producer, and David Check is the Executive Producer. The Pen is the third series produced by MLB Network and MLB Productions, following Prime 9 and Baseball Seasons.
MLB Network’s broadcast schedule for The Pen appears below. Prior to each new episode, the previous week’s episode will air in its entirety.
THE PEN BROADCAST SCHEDULE (all times Eastern):
June 14 – 8:00 p.m. Debut, Episode One
June 21 – 9:00 p.m. Episode Two
June 28 – 8:30 p.m. Episode Three
July 12 – 8:30 p.m. Episode Four
July 19 – 8:30 p.m. Episode Five
July 26 – 8:30 p.m. Finale, Episode Six
Next, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia says it has received overwhelming response to its “Take The World Series Trophy to Work” Contest which is winding down to its final weeks.
LESS THAN THREE WEEKS LEFT IN COMCAST SPORTSNET AND THE PHILLIES “TAKE THE WORLD SERIES TROPHY TO WORK” CONTEST
So far over 12,000 Phillies fans have signed up for the opportunity to host the World Series Championship Trophy at their workplace. The contest runs through Friday, June 26 at 11:59 a.m. Fans can still log onto CSNPhilly.com or Phillies.com to register for their chance to host the trophy for the day.
The contest is open to anyone 18 and over and working in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware. For a complete list of rules, fans can log onto CSNPhilly.com or Phillies.com
Below are comments that excited Phillies fans have posted on CSNPhilly.com about the contest:
“Repeat in ’09!!!
I’ve been a Phillies fan since 1957 and I enjoyed this championship even more than the 1980 win. We just had a “Night at the Phillies” and my co-workers would be thrilled and excited beyond belief if I were able to bring the trophy to work for them to see. Thank you for giving this lifelong “kid” and Phillies fan a chance to thrill himself and many other fans at work!”
-Posted by Robert
“GOTTA BE US
Where else but a Children’s Hospital Operating Room could a visit with a World Series trophy make more people happier. Not to mention the opportunity to show it to all of the Yankee and Mets fans we have.”
-Posted by JD
“Show off in Nursing Home
I work in a Nursing Home/Rehab Center and our residents would be so happy to see the trophy. And I work with a lot of Mets/Yankee fans and I would love to show them OUR TROPHY!!!!”
-Posted by Nancy
And MLB.com has won an award for its MLB.com At Bat iPhone and iPod Touch app.
NEW YORK, JUNE 10, 2009 – MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, announced that At Bat 2009, its interactive application designed exclusively for iPhone™ and iPod® touch, was selected as a winner of an Apple Design Award in the iPhone™ Developer Showcase category. The award was announced on Tuesday night during ceremonies at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.
Apple’s Design Awards recognize technical excellence, innovation, and outstanding achievement in iPhone™ and Mac® software development. Each year, winning products set new standards for usability, performance, technology integration and adoption.
This award represents the second premier honor bestowed upon MLB.com At Bat 2009 in the past two weeks, as the application also was named Best in Sports Technology at the 2009 SportsBusiness Journal Awards on May 28 in New York.
The application offers live audio broadcasts without blackout restrictions, a continuously updated scoreboard, MLB.com Gameday™ functionality, real-time video highlights and Condensed Games, a short-form video recap of the most important hits, pitches and outs of every game.
MLB.com At Bat for the 2009 baseball season, including the entire postseason, is available for a one-time fee of $9.99 from Apple’s iTunes App Store on iPhone™ and iPod® touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. It remains the top-selling sports application and also ranks among the top 100 overall paid applications more than two months after becoming available.
That concludes this post. I have several more press releases for you. Keep your Twitter and/or RSS feeds updated. Our next post will be NBA-centric.
