Starting April 7, MLB Network will produce a 30-minute pregame show for Fox to be hosted by MLB Tonight Live’s Matt Vasgersian. He’ll be joined by fellow MLB Network staffers Harold Reynolds, Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams and Kevin Millar on a rotational basis. Other MLB Network analysts will be used throughout the season. For primetime games, the pregame will be cut to 15 minutes.
Chris Rose, the pregame show host for the last two seasons for Fox, will remain on MLB Network as the co-host of the abortion known as “Intentional Talk” with Millar.
We have the joint announcement from Fox and MLB Network.
FOX SPORTS & MLB NETWORK JOIN FORCES FOR NEW, EXPANDED PREGAME SHOW
Matt Vasgersian Takes Reigns as Host; 30-Minute Show Debuts April 7
New York, Los Angeles & Secaucus, NJ – This spring, FOX Sports and MLB Network team to present fans with a new-look and expanded pregame show prior to the FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL GAME OF THE WEEK, it was announced today by Eric Shanks, Co-President and COO, FOX Sports Media Group and FOX Sports Executive Producer, and Tony Petitti, President and CEO of MLB Network.
FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL PREGAME SHOW, a full 30-minute program, originates live from MLB Network’s state-of-the-art Studio 3 in Secaucus, NJ and is hosted by longtime FOX Sports and MLB Network broadcaster Matt Vasgersian. He’s joined each week by a rotating roster of MLB Network’s studio analysts including Harold Reynolds, Mitch Williams, Eric Byrnes and Kevin Millar. Chris Rose, host of FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL since 2009, devotes his complete energy this year to his role as host of MLB Network’s popular show, Intentional Talk.
This collaboration is the latest example of unprecedented cooperation between FOX Sports and MLB Network since its launch in 2009. In addition to sharing below-the-line resources and video, the networks have shared numerous on-air personalities including Vasgersian and Rose as well as Millar, Williams and reporter Ken Rosenthal.
“We’ve enjoyed a terrific working relationship with Major League Baseball and MLB Network, sharing broadcasters and resources over the years and we’re proud to form this partnership,” said Shanks. “Combining our expertise with MLB Network’s ample resources and high-caliber production capabilities makes sense on multiple levels, none of which is more important than providing fans the best pregame and studio coverage possible week in and week out.”
FOX Sports, in cooperation with MLB Network, is now able to bring fans the best and most complete coverage possible from around the league using the vast resources available to both networks, including frequent live updates throughout FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL broadcasts, MLB Network’s Emmy-nominated Ballpark Cam system, audio and video content, and reporters ready to provide breaking news, analysis and coverage of milestone performances.
“This is a groundbreaking partnership between a broadcast network and a league-owned cable network and we’re excited to work with FOX Sports to continue to provide viewers with the most comprehensive programming in baseball,” said Petitti.
Vasgersian’s work with MLB Network includes studio host and play-by-play duties, appearing on Thursday Night Baseball, MLB Tonight and Baseball IQ. He has also worked regularly with FOX Sports including play-by-play duties on the FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL and NFL ON FOX. Rosenthal has reported for both FOX Sports and MLB Network since 2009, and Williams was a pregame analyst for FOX Sports’ 2010 National League Championship coverage and throughout the regular season in 2011. Millar was a studio analyst for MLB on FOX pregame coverage in 2010 in addition to his work on MLB Network’s MLB Tonight and Intentional Talk, and Byrnes has also contributed to MLB on FOX as well as his role as an MLB Tonight analyst.
The new pregame show runs 30-minutes most weeks with the exception of FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL GAME OF THE WEEK’s eight consecutive primetime dates, when the pregame show is 15-minutes long beginning at 7:00 PM ET.
The 2012 MLB on FOX season opens on Saturday, April 7 at 3:30 PM ET with a grand slam lineup featuring the Boston Red Sox with new manager Bobby Valentine visiting the Detroit Tigers and new slugger Prince Fielder (Joe Buck/Tim McCarver). The last two World Series champions are also slated Week 1 as the St. Louis Cardinals head to Milwaukee to face the Brewers in an NLCS rematch (Thom Brennaman/Eric Karros), while the San Francisco Giants go on the road against the NL West Champion Arizona Diamondbacks (Daron Sutton/Eric Byrnes). Fans can also catch the incomparable Albert Pujols in his new uniform as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Kansas City Royals (Kenny Albert/Mark Gubicza). Coverage is regional; check local listings.
That will do it.
