To kick off the 2012 MLB regular season, the Major League Baseball Network will go all in by airing 30 games in the first month involving all 30 teams over a span of 30 days. Now MLB Network will not air games every day. The games will usually air on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, but in the first full week of the season, MLB Network will stretch its schedule from Monday through Saturday which will be a treat for fans.
Five of the 30 games will be produced by MLB Network, two of which will be called by Bob Costas and Jim Kaat. Matt Vasgersian will call the other three and be joined by either Katt or John Smoltz.
Also announced, Lauren Shehadi, formerly of CBS Sports Network, will be the co-host of The Rundown with Matt Yallof. Lauren replaces Hazel Mae who left after the 2011 season to return to Canada’s Rogers Sportsnet.
We have the MLB Network press release and its game schedule after a jump break.
MLB NETWORK ANNOUNCES FIRST LIVE GAME SCHEDULE FOR 2012 MLB REGULAR SEASON
30 Games, 30 Clubs, 30 Days Begins Thursday, April 5 with the Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres
MLB Network Showcase, A Series of MLB Network-Produced Live Games, Begins with Bob Costas & Jim Kaat Calling the Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies on April 12
Opening Day Studio Coverage to Include More Than 10 Live Hours Starting at 10:00 a.m. ET on April 5Secaucus, N.J., March 27, 2012 – With Opening Day less than two weeks away, MLB Network today announced its live game schedule for the 2012 regular season through Friday, May 4. The schedule features the return of 30 Games, 30 Clubs, 30 Days, a package of 30 live games featuring all 30 Clubs, beginning with the only prime time matchup scheduled for Opening Day on Thursday, April 5, as 2011 N.L. Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw takes the ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres in the Padres’ home opener at 7:00 p.m. ET. The 30 Games, 30 Clubs, 30 Days schedule features eight home openers, including the 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals hosting their division rival Chicago Cubs on Friday, April 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Nine matinee games and two Tuesday night doubleheaders will be featured, including the 2011 A.L. Champion Texas Rangers taking on the Boston Red Sox on April 17 at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by the 2011 N.L. East Champion Philadelphia Phillies matching up against the San Francisco Giants.
The game schedule also includes the debut of MLB Network Showcase, a series of MLB Network-produced games, that starts with an N.L. East matchup between the Miami Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET. MLB Network’s Bob Costas and Jim Kaat, who were each nominated for a 2011 Sports Emmy Award, will call the game live from Citizens Bank Park. To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of Fenway Park, MLB Network Showcase will feature the Boston Red Sox hosting their division rival New York Yankees on Friday, April 20 at 3:00 p.m. ET with MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian and John Smoltz calling the game. Pregame coverage will start with a special live edition of Intentional Talk, hosted by Chris Rose and Kevin Millar, at 1:00 p.m. ET from Fenway Park.
As part of Opening Week on MLB Network, Opening Day, Thursday, April 5, will include more than 10 hours of live studio coverage beginning with Intentional Talk with Rose and Millar at 10:00 a.m. ET, followed by the season debut of The Rundown with Matt Yallof and Lauren Shehadi at 11:00 a.m. ET. MLB Tonight will come on at 1:00 p.m. ET, leading up to a special edition of Intentional Talk at 5:00 p.m. ET live from the MLB Fan Cave in New York City. Following the Dodgers at Padres game, MLB Network’s regular season highlight show of record Quick Pitch will recap the day’s action. A preview of MLB Network’s Opening Day coverage can be viewed here. MLB Tonight will continue to air live seven days a week this season, including extended coverage on Sunday’s beginning on April 8 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
“FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL Pregame Show,” a co-production between MLB Network and FOX Sports, premieres Saturday, April 7 at 3:30 p.m. ET. For the season opener, host Matt Vasgersian will be joined by analysts Kevin Millar and Harold Reynolds. Week 1 coverage on FOX Sports features the Boston Red Sox at the Detroit Tigers, the St. Louis Cardinals at the Milwaukee Brewers, the San Francisco Giants at the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Anaheim Angels at the Kansas City Royals.
To preview the season, MLB Network will air a special live MLB Tonight: 2012 Predictions show on Wednesday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Hosted by Greg Amsinger, the show will feature MLB Network analysts Peter Gammons, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams breaking down each division and making their Postseason picks. MLB Network’s panel of analysts will also serve as mock general managers in My Team Right Now: The Reality Draft on Sunday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Hosted by Matt Vasgersian, the show will feature Eric Byrnes, John Hart, Al Leiter, Kevin Millar, Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams each constructing the lineup they think would have the best chance to win a World Championship, using the position rankings from MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Now episodes from this past offseason. The champion will be determined by simulating a regular season and Postseason using Major League Baseball 2K12.
MLB Network’s complete game schedule through May 4 is available below. Games will be blacked out in each team’s home television territory unless otherwise announced. Viewers in areas subject to blackouts will be provided with an alternate game telecast or other programming.
And after the jump break, the entire 30 Games, 30 Clubs, 30 Days schedule.
| Game Date | Time (ET) | Primary | Alternate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thurs., April 5 | 7:00 p.m. | Los Angeles Dodgers @ San Diego Padres |
|
| Fri., April 6 | 2:00 p.m. | Chicago White Sox @ Texas Rangers |
New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays (3 p.m.) |
| Sat., April 7 | 7:00 p.m. | New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays |
Philadelphia Phillies @ Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Mon., April 9 | 1:00 p.m. | Miami Marlins @ Philadelphia Phillies |
|
| 4:00 p.m. | Anaheim Angels @ Minnesota Twins |
San Francisco Giants @ Colorado Rockies |
|
| Tues., April 10 | 4:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Pirates @ Los Angeles Dodgers |
|
| 7:00 p.m. | St. Louis Cardinals @ Cincinnati Reds |
New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles |
|
| 10:00 p.m. | Kansas City Royals @ Oakland Athletics |
Arizona D-backs @ San Diego Padres |
|
| Wed., April 11 | 12:30 p.m. | Boston Red Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays |
St. Louis Cardinals @ Cincinnati Reds** |
| Thurs., April 12 | 1:00 p.m. | Cincinnati Reds @ Washington Nationals |
Tampa Bay Rays @ Detroit Tigers |
| 7:00 p.m. | Miami @ Phillies* Booth: Bob Costas & Jim Kaat |
||
| Fri., April 13 | 3:00 p.m. | Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals |
Tampa Bay Rays @ Boston Red Sox (2 p.m.) |
| 7:30 p.m. | Milwaukee Brewers @ Atlanta Braves |
Houston Astros @ Miami Marlins** (7 p.m.) |
|
| Sat., April 14 | 8:00 p.m. | Arizona D-backs @ Colorado Rockies |
Milwaukee Brewers @ Atlanta Braves |
| Tues., April 17 | 7:00 p.m. | Rangers @ Red Sox* Booth: Costas & Kaat |
Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees |
| 10:00 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies @ San Francisco Giants |
Cleveland Indians @ Seattle Mariners |
|
| Thurs., April 19 | 12:30 p.m. | Chicago Cubs @ Miami Marlins |
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Milwaukee Brewers (1 p.m.) |
| 7:00 p.m. | Texas Rangers @ Detroit Tigers |
Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees |
|
| 10:00 p.m. | Cleveland Indians @ Seattle Mariners |
Oakland Athletics @ Anaheim Angels |
|
| Fri., April 20 | 3:00 p.m. | Yankees @ Red Sox* Booth: Matt Vasgersian & John Smoltz |
Cincinnati Reds @ Chicago Cubs (2:15 p.m.) |
| 8:00 p.m. | Colorado Rockies @ Milwaukee Brewers |
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Houston Astros |
|
| Sat., April 21 | 9:00 p.m. | Baltimore Orioles @ Anaheim Angels |
Cleveland Indians @ Oakland Athletics |
| Tues., April 24 | 8:00 p.m. | New York Yankees @ Texas Rangers |
Boston Red Sox @ Minnesota Twins |
| Thurs., April 26 | 8:00 p.m. | Boston Red Sox @ Chicago White Sox |
Toronto Blue Jays @ Baltimore Orioles (7 p.m.) |
| Fri., April 27 | 7:00 p.m. | Tigers @ Yankees* Booth: Vasgersian & Kaat |
Chicago Cubs @ Philadelphia Phillies |
| Sat., April 28 | 7:00 p.m. | Chicago Cubs @ Philadelphia Phillies |
Arizona D-backs @ Miami Marlins |
| Tues., May 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Phillies @ Braves* Booth: Vasgersian & Smoltz |
Oakland Athletics @ Boston Red Sox |
| Wed., May 2 | 2:00 p.m. | New York Mets @ Houston Astros |
Kansas City Royals** @ Detroit Tigers (1 p.m.) |
| Thurs., May 3 | 8:00 p.m. | New York Yankees @ Kansas City Royals |
Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox |
| Fri., May 4 | 7:00 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies @ Washington Nationals |
Chicago White Sox @ Detroit Tigers |
Games subject to local blackout unless otherwise announced.
** Denotes blackout lift for that market.
* Denotes an MLB Network-produced game.
Bolded teams are playing their home openers.
