Fox Sports is back to air the entire World Series, no matter how far it goes. Fox’s history with the World Series dates back to 1996 and since 2000, the network has aired the Fall Classic consecutively and will continue to do when the new MLB TV contract takes effect in 2014.
As usual, Joe Buck & Tim McCarver will be high above the fields in San Francisco and Detroit calling their 15th World Series together, a record for a network TV announcing team. And for McCarver, it will be his 23rd overall as an analyst dating back to 1985.
Erin Andrews and Ken Rosenthal will be the on-field reporters. Andrews makes her World Series debut for Fox.
And MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds will co-host the World Series pregame and will be joined by Fox’s Eric Karros and Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski.
In addition, Fox will unveil another camera called “Phantom Cam” which can record action at 20,000 frames a second further slowing down slow motion replay.
Here’s the Fox Sports press release.
FOX SPORTS’ 15th FALL CLASSIC FEATURES GIANTS & TIGERS IN FIRST WORLD SERIES MEETING
Game 1 Coverage Begins Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 PM ET from AT&T Park
Buck & McCarver Call Record 15th World Series Together
“FOX PHANTOM CAM” Added to Production Arsenal of 40 Cameras, 42 Mics
American Idol Winner Phillip Phillips Performs National Anthem at Game 1New York, NY – FOX Sports’ exclusive coverage of 108th Major League Baseball’s World Series begins Wednesday, Oct. 24 (7:30 PM ET), with Game 1 between the American League Champion Detroit Tigers and the National League Champion San Francisco Giants live from AT&T Park in San Francisco. The Tigers have been waiting to find out who they will face in the World Series since sweeping the New York Yankees last Thursday in Detroit. Justin Verlander, the Tigers’ well-rested ace takes the mound tomorrow night for Detroit while the Giants, just two days after winning NLCS Game 7 against the Cardinals, call on Barry Zito, to duplicate his commanding NLCS Game 5 performance. This marks the first time these two storied baseball franchises have met in a World Series.
Last season’s American Idol winner and singer-songwriter Phillip Phillips performs the National Anthem at Game 1 and the ceremonial first-pitch is delivered by Mario Barajas of the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco. Following the bottom of the fifth inning of Game 1, the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) initiative invites all fans at AT&T Park to stand united and hold placards with the names of loved ones affected by cancer as part of a special in-game tribute to promote the importance of advancing the fight against cancer.
Play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and analyst Tim McCarver, MLB on FOX’s Emmy Award-winning broadcast team, call their record 15th World Series together. Each also sets individual benchmarks in World Series broadcasting with Buck calling the most Fall Classics by a play-by-play announcer with 15 and McCarver adding to his record-setting achievement of 23World Series behind the microphone. Making her World Series debut, Erin Andrews serves as a field reporter for each game alongside MLB on FOX and FOXSports.com senior MLB writer Ken Rosenthal, who works his seventh World Series for FOX. This year marks the network’s 17th straight as the television home for postseason baseball and the 2012 Fall Classic will be FOX’s 13th consecutive and 15th overall.
FOX Sports and MLB Network continue their pregame collaboration into the Fall Classic to bring fans the most complete postseason coverage. Outspoken catcher A.J. Pierzynski joins longtime FOX Sports and MLB Network broadcaster Matt Vasgersian alongside the insightful analysis of FOX Sports’ Eric Karros and MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds. Pregame and postgame coverage for the 2012 World Series on FOX originates on-site from AT&T Park in San Francisco and Comerica Park in Detroit.
During FOX Sports’ coverage of the NLCS, one of the most-talked about elements of the broadcast was FOX’s “X-MO” Camera, capturing up to 3,000 frames per second. For the World Series, the network raises the bar again with the unveiling of “FOX PHANTOM CAM”, capable of capturing up to 20,000 frames per second.
WORLD SERIES PRODUCTION FACTS:
- 40 total cameras set up at AT&T Park and Comerica Park in Detroit
- Three “X-MO” cameras, capturing up to 3,000 frames per second. These “X-MO” cameras are positioned in the middle of both the first and third baselines with the third camera shooting from tight centerfield
- Two “FOX PHANTOM CAM” cameras capable of shooting up to 20,000 frames per second. The “FOX PHANTOM CAM” is the most “hyper” motion cameras ever used to capture a baseball game. These cameras are positioned at low first and third base angles showing the bend of the bat and the compression of the ball as it makes contact.
- Eight Robotic cameras
- 42 microphones spread in the infield
- Several different manned and unmanned FOX parabolic microphones for bat cracks and outfield sound.
- For the first time ever in baseball, FOX Player Pointer, which identifies the base runners in real time with a graphic over their heads on the bases and tracks their movements
- Approximate crew of 150-200 production, technical and support personnel
108TH WORLD SERIES ON FOX BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Schedule Subject to Change/All Times EasternWednesday, Oct. 24 — GAME 1, AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA, 7:30 PM
Thursday, Oct. 25 — GAME 2, AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 27 — GAME 3, Comerica Park, Detroit, MI, 7:30 PM
Sunday, Oct. 28 — GAME 4, Comerica Park, Detroit, MI, 8:00 PM
*Monday, Oct. 29 — GAME 5, Comerica Park, Detroit, MI, 7:30 PM
*Wednesday, Oct. 31 — GAME 6, AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA, 7:30 PM
*Thursday, Nov. 1 — GAME 7, AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA, 7:30 PM* If necessary
That will do it.
