In a very interesting twist of fate, both Joe Buck and Tim McCarver get the week off and that’s with four games this Saturday. So with another week off, Joe will have called 8 out of a possible 13 games this season. Let’s see what the announcing assignments and regional splits are this week.
FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
Interleague Action Anchored By Mets/Rangers; Indians/Giants Saturday at 4:00PM ET
Eight MLB All-Star Classics Still Vying for Title of Best Moment
Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Pete Rose and Cal Ripken Jr. Among CandidatesINTERLEAGUE PLAY CONTINUES ON FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL – For the second consecutive weekend, the FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL GAME OF THE WEEK features interleague action with four matchups on Saturday, June 25 (4:00 PM ET). Jose Reyes and the New York Mets head to Texas to take on Josh Hamilton’s AL West leading Rangers. The Washington Nationals look to continue their hot streak in Chicago, facing Paul Konerko and the White Sox. In Los Angeles, crosstown rivals square off with the Angels heading to Dodger Stadium to take on Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp. As the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants host Asdrubal Cabrera and the AL Central leading Cleveland Indians in an exciting matchup in the Bay Area. The MLB on FOX pregame originates live from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, with host Chris Rose. Once game action begins, Rose joins Dick Stockton and Eric Karros as a field reporter.
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 and www.myspace.com/foxsports.
New York Mets at Texas Rangers, Kenny Albert & Mark Grace, going to 50% of USA
Rangers Ballpark – Arlington, TX
MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, San Antonio, Seattle, Tampa, Tulsa, West Palm Beach
Probable Pitchers: Jon Niese, LHP (6-6, 3.70 ERA) vs. Alexi Ogando, RHP (7-2, 2.66 ERA)Cleveland Indians at San Francisco Giants, Jose Mota, Mitch Williams & Ken Rosenthal, going to 31% of USA
AT&T Park– San Francisco, CA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Louisville, Memphis, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Louis
Probable Pitchers: Justin Masterson, RHP (5-5, 3.18 ERA) vs. Matt Cain, RHP (6-4, 3.44 ERA)Washington Nationals at Chicago White Sox, Josh Lewin & Sean Casey, going to 12% of USA
AT&T Park– San Francisco, CA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Baltimore, Chicago, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Norfolk, Richmond, Washington
Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. John Danks, LHP (3-8, 4.29 ERA)LA Angels of Anaheim at LA Dodgers, Dick Stockton & Eric Karros, going to 6% of USA
Dodger Stadium– Los Angeles, CA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Las Vegas, Los Angeles
Probable Pitchers: Tyler Chatwood, RHP (4-4, 3.84 ERA) vs. Hiroki Kuroda, RHP (5-8, 3.07 ERA)WILLIAMS, MUSIAL, RIPKEN, ROSE BATTLE IN NEXT ROUND TO NAME GREATEST MOMENT IN ALL-STAR GAME HISTORY – Eight (four American League and four National League) All-Star moments remain in the quest to crown the fan’s favorite moment in All-Star Game history. This week’s bracket matchups pit such stellar moments as the six straight all-star strikeouts by Fernando Valenzuela and Dwight Gooden vs. Carl Hubbell striking out five consecutive Hall of Famers. Each week during coverage of FOX’s SATURDAY GAME OF THE WEEK, winners of the previous round are announced and fans can vote for the next round’s matchup. One AL and one NL moment face-off in the final week leading into the Midsummer Classic with the top moment revealed during the 82nd MLB All-Star Game, broadcast exclusively on FOX on Tuesday, July 12 (8:00 PM ET).
The voting periods will be as follows:
Round Two (8 Midsummer Classics): Saturday, June 18 – Saturday, June 25
Round Three (4 Midsummer Classics): Saturday, June 25 – Saturday, July 2
Round Four (2 Midsummer Classics): Saturday, July 2 – Saturday, July 9WHAT TIE WILL ROSETHAL WEAR TO SALUTE OUR TROOPS? VOTE ON FOXSPORTS.COM – The fan-designed bow ties supporting our troops are in and we’re one step closer to deciding which bow tie MLB on FOX reporter and FOXSports.com senior MLB columnist Ken Rosenthal wears on the final regular-season broadcast of 2011. The field, which started with the top 32 designs submitted in the Bow Ties for the Troops Tournament, has now been cut in half. Fans can vote for their favorite design through Thursday, July 7 at http://msn.foxsports.com/other/page/Rosenthals-Bow-Tie-Bracket. Rosenthal wears the winning bow tie during the September 24 MLB on FOX SATURDAY GAME OF THE WEEK. The MLB insider has been rocking a bow tie every week this season in support of NFL player Dhani Jones’ Bowtie Cause initiative. For more information on the Bowtie Cause, visit www.bowtiecause.org.
JON PAUL MOROSI: AL IS REAL PITCHING-DOMINANT LEAGUE – National MLB on FOX writer Jon Paul Morosi takes a look at pitching this season and comes up with one clear winner: the American League. “DH, no DH, whatever: Right now, the American League has better pitchers than the National League. For decades, it would have been absurd to make such a statement. Everyone knew the NL pitched and the AL hit. But times have changed. At some point this year, the Junior Circuit sneaked into his older brother’s room and stole his identity. Now the league with the DH rule is ruled by the pitchers.”
For Morosi’s full analysis, visit: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/josh-beckett-justin-verlander-james-shields-jered-weaver-American-League-is-real-pitching-dominant-league-062011.
There you go.
