MLB on FOX
Encyclopedia
Major League Baseball on Fox or MLB on Fox is the Fox Broadcasting Company
's presentation of Major League Baseball
games, produced by Fox Sports
. Major League Baseball on Fox began on June 1, 1996 and will continue at least through the 2013 World Series.
made a deal with Fox
and NBC
on November 7, 1995
. Fox paid a fraction less of the amount of money that CBS
had paid for the Major League Baseball television rights for the 1990–1993 seasons. Unlike the previous television deal, "The Baseball Network
", Fox reverted to the format of televising regular season games (approximately 16 weekly telecasts that normally began on Memorial Day
weekend) on Saturday afternoons. Fox did however, continue a format that The Baseball Network started by offering games based purely on a viewer's region. Fox's approach has usually been to offer three regionalized telecasts.
When Fox first got into baseball, it used the motto
"Same game, new attitude." Fox's primary goal when they first launched baseball was to promote their weak prime time
schedule. "We'll use the World Series and League Championship Series to spur our shows", said network sports president Ed Goren.
Like its predecessor NBC, Fox determined its Saturday schedule by who was playing a team from one of the three largest television markets: New York, Los Angeles
, or Chicago. If there was a game which combined two of these three markets, it would be aired.
concluded a six year, $
2.5 billion contract with Fox to show Saturday baseball, the All-Star Game
, selected Division Series
games and exclusive coverage of the League Championship Series
and World Series
. 90% of the contract's value to Fox, who paid Major League Baseball $417 million per year, came from the postseason, which not only attracted large audiences, but also provided an opportunity for the network to showcase its fall schedule.
The contract protected Major League Baseball in the event of a labor dispute (something that didn't occur with "The Baseball Network
" in 1994). If some of the games were cancelled by a strike or lockout, Major League Baseball still got all its money, but had to compensate Fox with additional telecasts. On the other hand, a repeat of the 1994 Major League Baseball strike would've cost Fox well over $1 billion; the television contract created an incentive not to cause a strike, as it would hurt broadcast networks since they paid for the deal, unlike the 1994–95 television package.
Under the previous five year deal with Major League Baseball
, Fox paid $115 million while NBC only paid $80 million per year. Fox paid about $575 million overall while NBC paid about $400 million overall. The difference between the Fox and the NBC contracts implicitly valued Fox's Saturday Game of the Week at less than $90 million for five years. Before NBC officially decided to part ways with Major League Baseball (for the second time in about 12 years) on September 26, 2000
, Fox's payment would've been $345 million while NBC would've paid $240 million. Before 1990, NBC had carried Major League Baseball since 1947.
Under the new deal, Fox would now pay out an average of $417 million a year, which was about a 45 percent increase from the previous deal (worth $290 million a year) that Fox, NBC, and ESPN
contributed together. CBS and ABC reportedly were not interested in buying the rights at the prices Major League Baseball was offering.
When asked about the new deal with Fox, Commissioner
Bud Selig
said, "We at Major League Baseball could not be happier with the result. They have been a good partner and an innovative producer of our games."
Neal Pilson, who was the president of CBS Sports
when the network had the exclusive television rights for Major League Baseball said of Fox's $2.5 billion deal:
Some observers believed that gaining the relative ratings boost from the League Championship Series and World Series meant more to Fox than the other broadcast networks. That was because Fox had the biggest prime time
ratings decline of the four major networks during the 1999
–2000
season. Its average prime time audience of 8.97 million was down 17 percent from the year before, according to Nielsen Media Research
.
The package was officially announced on October 17, 2006. Under the terms of the arrangement, Fox retains its rights to its regular-season package, which now begins in April, and remains the exclusive home of the All-Star Game and World Series. Fox's postseason coverage beyond the World Series is limited to one League Championship Series
per year (the American League Championship Series
in odd numbered years and National League Championship Series
in even numbered years), which alternates every year with TBS (who took over exclusive rights to the Division Series
from ESPN
) airing the other LCS.
each week, except during the three NASCAR on Fox
Saturday night races (games start at 1 p.m. ET; before 2011, the games started at 3:30 p.m.), and the day of the UEFA Champions League
soccer finals (7 p.m. ET). An additional prime time
game instead of an afternoon aired on June 26, again with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.) Each week Chris Rose
sets the pregame storylines from one of the game sites, followed by game coverage at approximately ten minutes past the hour.
This short show replaces a full-scale pregame show that aired at 3:30 p.m. ET from 2007 to 2008, in which host Jeanne Zelasko
was joined by a rotating group of studio analysts. This was followed by regional telecasts of up to three games, starting at about 3:55 p.m. ET. Previously, the games had staggered start times of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET.
Also, games have been aired in high definition since 2007. In 2007, only the primary game was aired in HD, but since 2008, all games have been aired in HD.
Fox has certain rights for afternoon Major League Baseball games on Saturdays, and ESPN
has the same rights for night games on Sundays
. Broadcasters cannot show games of in-market teams regardless of whether the game is home or away as long as the game of the local team has a start time or likely end time intruding on Fox or ESPN's national window, unless that network waives its exclusivity. This is to encourage people to watch the ESPN or Fox game. A further enticement comes simply through the fact that Fox offers mostly regional coverage. Currently, local broadcasts are allowed on Saturdays if the game starts at 1 p.m. ET, but at no other time. If a game starts at 6 p.m. ET (both the teams in the state of Florida
, the Florida Marlins
and the Tampa Bay Rays
, have done this occasionally), the local broadcaster must either join the game in progress or air it on tape delay at 7 p.m. ET, the end of the exclusive Fox window. Also, none of the local 1 p.m. telecasts can be rebroadcast outside the market of the participating teams, specifically on MLB Extra Innings
, except that Chicago Cubs
and White Sox
games can be shown on the superstation
WGN America.
Usually there are no other games scheduled at these times, except when a team decides not to change the start-time even after Fox drops the game in favor of a better match-up, which they can and often will do on a few weeks notice, particularly after the All-Star Game
. ESPN's post-All-Star Game schedule is likewise picked as little as two weeks ahead of time (schedules for the first half of the season are usually set during the winter). Other teams simply schedule games for other time-slots, particularly on Saturday nights or on Sunday afternoons. Also, the Texas Rangers
often play summertime home games at night on Sundays because of the extreme heat common to Texas during much of the season, and normally receive special permission from ESPN to televise these games locally (their opponent's TV partner can also show the game). The Toronto Blue Jays
sometimes have home games that conflict with Fox's Saturday afternoon telecasts, as Canada is not subject to Fox's exclusivity. Unlike ESPN, Fox does not normally permit the visiting U.S.-based team to televise the game live in its regional market.
Fox is allowed to show each team up to nine times during the regular season.
was home to a weekly Thursday night
Major League Baseball game (a game that had previously aired nationwide on Fox Sports Net
from 1997–1999), as well as select games in the Division Series
round of playoffs. Among the noteworthy games that aired on Fox Family was the San Francisco Giants
at the Houston Astros
on October 4, 2001
. That night, Barry Bonds
hit his 70th home run
of the season, which tied the all-time single season record that Mark McGwire
had set only three years earlier
. (Bonds broke the record the next night.)
As part of its purchase of Fox Family, in addition to the Thursday night game, Disney
acquired the MLB rights that were also held by FX. Those two game packages were moved to ESPN
beginning with the next baseball season
, but the playoff games remained on ABC Family for one additional year due to contractual issues. A deal was made to move those playoff games to ESPN, who produced the games for ABC Family, starting with the 2003
season. Although the games aired on Disney networks, Fox kept the exclusive negotiation to renew the contract after the 2006
season. Fox chose not to renew their rights to the Division Series, which (as previously mentioned) went to TBS as part of its new baseball contract.
Meanwhile, the Fox Broadcasting Company's other sister network FX, aired numerous Major League Baseball
contests on Saturday nights in 2001, including Cal Ripken, Jr.
's final game at Camden Yards. FX also aired one game in the Major League Baseball postseason each year from 2001
to 2005
, on the first Wednesday night of League Championship Series
week when MLB scheduled two games at the same time. On that night, Fox distributed one game to local affiliates based on a regional coverage map, and the other game aired on the corresponding cable
affiliate of FX, the main DIRECTV
or Dish Network
channel, or an alternate channel on the satellite
services.
With a new MLB TV contract signed, again excluding FX, the last such broadcast was scheduled for October 11, 2006, but that night's NLCS
game between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets
was rained out
, making the Detroit Tigers
-Oakland Athletics
game in the ALCS
a national broadcast; FX aired the movie Any Given Sunday
instead. Both series were played on October 13, but Fox showed both games, with the ALCS during the day and the NLCS at night.
FX is occasionally used to air the end of a Saturday afternoon game that begins on Fox, when said game runs past its allotted time and conflicts with Fox's primetime NASCAR coverage
, which as of 2010, is 7:30 p.m. ET.
and other shows in November, although a few shows begin in August or September and then go on hiatus until after the World Series. In 2005, Fox started its season in September, took October off to show the Major League Baseball playoffs, and resumed non-baseball programming in November. Both approaches have drawn criticism, indicating that there may not be a perfect way to accommodate both sports and regular programming.
In the first year of its six year, exclusive contract (2001), Fox did a split-telecast (not seen of since the days of the ill-fated "Baseball Network
") for the League Championship Series. This meant that two games were played simultaneously on the same night, with one game airing on the Fox network and the other on the local regional Fox Sports Net
cable channel (depending on market, as some markets had no regional sports network
with a relationship to FSN). The rationale behind the split-telecast was that because of the September 11 attacks, the whole post-season schedule was pushed back a week. Because of this, two Sunday LCS games came in conflict with an NFL on Fox
doubleheader. The fans and sports media reporters were unimpressed with the situation and MLB commissioner Bud Selig
vowed it was a one-time deal necessitated by circumstance. However, in later years Fox used split telecasts on a few occasions to keep the playoffs "on schedule" and maximize its prime time advertising revenue, and aired the second game on FX
(as previously mentioned), which has virtually national cable/satellite coverage. This ensured that Fox did not have to air an LCS game on a weekday afternoon, when many viewers are unable to watch. The 2007–2013 contract eliminates this, as TBS (as previously mentioned) will have one of the League Championship Series each year.
's single-season home run record in 1998, Fox aired a Sunday afternoon Cincinnati Reds
/St. Louis Cardinals
game on September 6 and a Tuesday night Chicago Cubs/St. Louis Cardinals game on September 8 of that year. (McGwire hit his record-breaking 62nd home run of the season in the latter game, which got a 14.5 rating for Fox and remains the network's highest-rated regular season Major League Baseball telecast.) On April 16, 2004, the network aired a Friday night game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to cover those teams' first head-to-head meeting since the memorable 2003 ALCS
.
For a Saturday afternoon telecast of a Los Angeles Dodgers
/Chicago Cubs
game at Wrigley Field
on August 26, 2000, Fox aired a special "Turn Back the Clock" broadcast to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the first televised baseball game. The broadcast started with a re-creation of the television technology of 1939, with play-by-play announcer Joe Buck working alone with a single microphone, a single black-and-white camera, and no graphics; then, each subsequent half-inning would see the broadcast "jump ahead in time" to a later era, showing the evolving technologies and presentation of network baseball coverage through the years.
, son of Hall of Fame
St. Louis Cardinals
broadcaster Jack Buck
, is Fox's lead play-by-play commentator (a role he has had since Fox's debut year with Major League Baseball in 1996). Since 1996 Buck has been teamed with Tim McCarver
, although McCarver was considered the main reason behind the firing of Jack Buck from CBS five years earlier
(due to poor on-air chemistry between the two). Unlike the team of Jack Buck and McCarver on CBS, Joe Buck and McCarver have fused. According to McCarver, "The play-by-play man [should] explain what and where and analyst answer why and how. [Joe Buck] does both."
During the pre-2001 period, Bob Brenly
acted as the third man in the booth with Buck and McCarver during the All-Star Game, League Championship Series and World Series. Buck and McCarver were at the microphone when Brenly led the Arizona Diamondbacks
as manager to the 2001 World Series
title.
Since Joe Buck was hired to work on The NFL on Fox
, following the retirement of lead play-by-play voice Pat Summerall
in 2002
, Dick Stockton
and Kenny Albert
have both filled-in for Joe Buck whenever he is unable to work a game.
For several years, Fox utilized active or former players and managers as "guest analysts" on the network's League Championship Series telecasts. These included Bret Boone
(2003 ALCS
), Al Leiter
(2003 NLCS
and 2004 ALCS
), Brenly (2004
and 2005 NLCS
), Lou Piniella
(2005
and 2006 ALCS
), and Luis Gonzalez (2006 NLCS
). Many fans accuse Fox of choosing announcers biased towards large market teams, citing some of these choices, including Boone, whose brother, Aaron Boone
, was playing for the Yankees
in the 2003 ALCS games covered by Bret Boone.
and Steve Lyons
were the show's original analysts. Unlike the network's primary broadcast teams, the studio personnel have not had the same longevity. Winfeld left Fox after only one season, and both Caray and Lyons would move to the broadcast booth before leaving the network. From 1999–2000, Keith Olbermann
took over the hosting seat from Caray, before being replaced by Jeanne Zelasko
, who was promoted from Fox Sports Net
's National Sports Report
.
According to Keith Olbermann, he was fired from Fox in 2001 after reporting on rumors that Rupert Murdoch
, whose News Corporation
owns Fox, was planning on selling the Los Angeles Dodgers
. When asked about Olbermann, Murdoch said: "I fired him...He's crazy." News Corp. went on to sell the Dodgers to Frank McCourt
in 2004. That year, Olbermann remarked, "Fox Sports was an infant trying to stand [in comparison to ESPN], but on the broadcast side there was no comparison—ESPN was the bush leagues."
As previously mentioned, due to poor ratings and budget concerns, Fox beginning in 2009, has decided to scrap the studio/pregame show altogether (in return, host Jeanne Zelasko and analyst Kevin Kennedy
were dropped by Fox altogether—Kennedy has since re-appeared on Fox Sports as a fill in commentator), although it is being used for the League Championship Series. For instance, for Fox's coverage of the 2009 ALCS
, Chris Rose
(who as previously mentioned, beginning in the 2009 season, became the defacto pregame host, albeit on location from one of Fox's game sites) hosted from Fox's studio in Los Angeles with analysts Eric Karros and Mark Grace. For the 2009 World Series
the same host analysts had an onfield studio for the pregame show, and Chicago White Sox
manager Ozzie Guillen
was a guest analyst throughout the series. The studio show was also used for the prime time games in 2010. Kevin Millar
meanwhile, joined Chris Rose for the Budweiser Pregame Report.
, which had previously been in syndication. TWIB has been on Fox ever since.
(out of Jacobs Field
in Cleveland
). For this particular game, Fox introduced "Catcher-Cam" in which a camera
was affixed to the catchers' masks in order to provide unique perspectives of the action around home plate. Catcher-Cam soon would become a regular fixture in Fox's baseball broadcasts.
In addition to Catcher-Cam, other innovations (some of which have received more acclaim than others) that Fox has provided for baseball telecasts have been:
Fox executives shelved the ball tracer, strike zone, and high home cam after the prime time game on April 16, 2004, although Scooter was still used until 2006.
In October 2004, Fox started airing all Major League Baseball postseason broadcasts (including the League Championship Series
and World Series
) in high definition. Fox also started airing the Major League Baseball All-Star Game
in HD that year
and the following year
. Prior to the 2008 season, one of the three regional games the network televises each Saturday was presented in HD. Now, all MLB games Fox televises—including Saturday regional games—are presented in HD.
On September 29, 2010, Fox announced that their plans to use cable-cams for their coverage of the National League Championship Series
and World Series
. The cable-cams according to Fox, can roam over the field at altitudes ranging from about 12 to 80 feet above ground. They will be able to provide overhead shots of, among other things, "close plays" at bases and "managers talking to their pitchers on the mound."
between the Colorado Rockies
and Boston Red Sox
, for instance, a blackout
occurred during the top half of the seventh inning, resulting in the disruption of a key moment in the game.
's 62nd home run, the final out of the World Series
, etc.). It was only the 1996 and 1998 World Series that the network left the bug on for the final out; it wasn't until the bug was upgraded in 1999 that the network turned it off for the final out of the 2000 World Series
. This was criticized as the network's purpose was to provide the play rather than the usual information given during that certain at-bat.
Like the scoring bug, this version of the score banner would also be turned off at critical points. Midway in 2003, the banner was slightly changed to mirror that of FSN
although Fox retained its own graphics package; it was enlarged (except for All-Star Game and World Series broadcasts) and made more transparent. During Fox's coverage the 2003 World Series
and the 2004 All-Star Game
, the logo on the far right would be something else instead than the MLB on Fox logo if the broadcasts were not regular season games (e.g. World Series on Fox, All-Star Game on Fox, etc.)
Starting with the 2003 NFL season
, Fox upgraded the graphics packages on its other properties, the NFL
, NFL Europe
, and NASCAR
, but the network retained portions of this on-screen look for its baseball telecasts in 2004
except during its coverage of that year's postseason. This banner was also used by FSN
for all sports broadcasts from 2001 until the middle of 2005 but using different graphics packages than the one Fox used.
A graphic from this package was seen during the 15th inning of the 2008 All-Star Game
when Fox displayed highlights from the 1967 MLB All-Star Game
.
postseason, Fox's baseball broadcasts began using the same graphics package adopted for its NFL broadcasts
in 2003. The team abbreviations this time were electronic eggcrate lettering in the team's main color, the shaded area above the score banner was removed, and the scores were shown in white text in black parallelograms. Whenever team-specific information was displayed in the banner such as a run scored or an out, the abbreviation would morph into the team logo; with the run scored being displayed, the team whose run scored would have its abbreviation morph into its logo, and a "strobe light
" would flash over the black parallelogram as the score changes. When a home run was displayed in the banner, a split "strobe light
" would flash a few times across the banner; then the words "HOME RUN (team)" in the team's color zoom in to the center from both left and right, accompanied by two distorted electric buzzes followed by a futuristic computer sounder; this was the first time a home run was displayed in the banner. When it was turned on, flashing lights spanning the top of the screen with two moving lines on top and bottom would join to morph into the banner; when first formed, the team logos are seen before changing into the abbreviations. When turned off, the banner became just a quick beam of light spanning the top of the screen, which would disappear very quickly.
During the 2005 World Series
, a new white banner was introduced, resembling a chrome finish, and the team abbreviations became white letters in the team's main color; the next couple of years, the new banner was adopted for all games. This banner, unlike the 2001–2004 version wouldn't be turned off at the final out of the World Series
, but it was turned off at other critical points (like whenever Alex Rodriguez
came to bat, tied with an April record 14 home run
s, and when Barry Bonds
had 753 home runs).
Beginning with the 2006 NFL season
, Fox adopted another new graphics look for its other properties, the NFL
, NASCAR
, BCS
, and Formula One
(which used a different graphics package than the other three properties) but retained this on-screen look for its baseball broadcasts in 2007.
It was also used in the Rockies
vs. Mets
game on July 12, 2008
until the ninth inning but with the 2008 graphics package instead of the package that was used with this banner.
, Fox's baseball broadcasts began using the same graphics package adopted for NFL on Fox
in 2006. The diamond graphic now appears to the right of the scores, slimmed down to only consist of the main three bases (unlike other implementations which include the home plate). The MLB on Fox logo was moved to the far left. The colored strip across the top of the banner is locked to being blue (instead of being in the colors of the active team), the team abbreviations are no longer in the team's main color, like the 2001–2004 banner, and the shaded area above, which is used for the first time since the 2001–2004 banner was last used, does not contain the animated stripe pattern. They only had the stripe pattern in the player stats graphic.
The team's logo no longer flashes after scoring a run but the background sound of a computer mouse clicking is played with the changing of the score. The banner no longer flashes after a home run. Instead, along with the usual clicking sound, the text "HOME RUN: (team)" on the team color's background clicks in the empty space on the far right, which also includes the count and the out-of-town scores. The same goes for the NFL on Fox scoreboard when a touchdown or a field goal is scored. This banner is very similar to the 2001–2004 score banner since it and the shaded area above retract from the top of the screen whenever turned on or off but in a rather different way. The team names are always abbreviations (for example if the Phillies were playing the Mets the Philadelphia Phillies
would be listed as "PHI" and the New York Mets
as "NYM"), but the scores aren't shown in yellow boxes. If a team scores, the team letters and score numbers flip while the points are being added. If a team scores on a home run, this happens 5 or 6 seconds after the "HOME RUN" bar pops out.
The ball strike count pops out of the blank area when needed. The bug is turned off for reporting camera angles and for the press box camera. Note that like its predecessor, the bug wasn't turned off for the final out of the World Series.
implemented by FSN
, now consisting of a rectangular box in the top-left corner of the screen for the first time since 2000. However, for the pregame show during the 2009 postseason, the previous graphics were used, but the new FSN graphics were still used during the game. Along with FSN in observance of the holiday weekend, the baserunner graphic changed to be blue with stars during the Fourth of July weekend in 2010, a color scheme also applied during that year's All-Star Game
. In July 2010, on-screen graphics were repositioned for the 16:9
aspect ratio
, as all HDTV programming from the Fox network will be presented in letterbox
using an Active Format Description
code for standard definition viewers.
Despite Fox adopted new graphics for its NFL, NASCAR, and MLB properties, FSN Pittsburgh and FSN Rocky Mountain have retained this on-screen look for their baseball broadcasts in 2011.
and the parent network began using the same graphics package adopted for NFL on Fox
in 2010
. On the baseball broadcasts, the score bug has both teams on each side with the team abbreviations and the scores underneath the abbreviations, all in white text on the background of the teams' primary colors. In between, from left to right, is the inning, the diamond graphic, and the pitch speed/pitch count/number of outs. The number of outs is indicated by illuminating three buttons (e.g. one button lit indicated one out in the inning; two buttons lit indicated two outs). When the bug is turned on, it zooms in; it zooms out when it is turned off. Whenever a home run was displayed, the bug would expand, the background color changing to the color of the team that hit the home run and the words "HOME RUN" and the team's logo zoom in. The text would read "SOLO HOME RUN", "2-RUN HOME RUN", "3-RUN HOME RUN", and "GRAND SLAM". Then the score bug goes back to its normal shape displaying the change in score.
affiliates began using the 2007 version, but other affiliates continued to use the original version until the end of the 2010 season
.
During the 2007 ALCS
, a new theme composed by Jochen Flach was introduced for postseason broadcasts, consisting of a majestic, moderate-slow orchestral piece. This theme would then be used for World Series broadcasts beginning with the 2007 World Series
and All-Star Game broadcasts beginning with the 2008 All-Star Game
. However, the theme was not used for the 2010 World Series
and the 2011 All-Star Game
.
In late , Fox Sports made its NFL
theme the theme for all of its sports properties, including baseball. This was first implemented during Fox's coverage of the NLCS
. The FSN stations continue to use the MLB on Fox theme as of 2011, but now all the FSN stations are using the 2007 version.
and the World Series
, usually the National Football Conference
in football (due to the fact that Fox owns the rights to NFC
games) and the American League
in baseball (especially the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox). Fox rarely shows teams from outside the top-10 media markets during the regular season. Also in recent years, both "O Canada
" and the "Star Spangled Banner" were preempted during the All-Star Game for commercials.
In Game 4 of the 1997 American League Championship Series
, on a wild pitch with runners dashing around the bases, when umpire Durwood Merrill
gestured to where the ball was, color commentator Tim McCarver
sarcastically commented that "maybe he was trying to tell himself where the ball is!" Merrill heard about that, took offense to it, and fired back in his autobiography that he was letting the other umpires know that the situation was under control. Meanwhile, when rule questions come up during a broadcast, McCarver frequently will explain the rule, sometimes incorrectly. For example, after a St. Louis Cardinals
balk
in Game 4 of the 2006 NLCS
, McCarver explained, "You have to have 'one thousand one' when coming to a stop, and you have to stop your glove in the same place every time in front of your body," when the rules state that there must be merely a complete discernible stop anywhere in front of the pitcher's body; no certain duration or location is necessary.
McCarver has also been known to make verbal gaffes, particularly with player's names (notably confusing Albert Pujols
with the retired Luis Pujols
, as well as repeatedly referring to Bronson Arroyo
as "Brandon Arroyo" during the 2004 World Series
). During the 2009 World Series
, he referred to New York Yankees
shortstop Derek Jeter
as "Jerek Deter". In 2006, Family Guy
lampooned McCarver's broadcasting ability with the quip, "...well, at least he couldn't be any worse than Tim McCarver is at sportscasting". To make matters worse, during the 2011 World Series
, Joe Posnanski
of Sports Illustrated
argued that McCarver was becoming more and more useless as an analyst. McCarver has in general, been accused ofr overanalyzing situations, being too verbose, and not allow a game to breathe.
Scooter
debuted in the 2004 baseball season
on April 16, during a game between the New York Yankees
and Boston Red Sox
. While Fox Sports television chairman David Hill called Scooter "really cute and really terrific," the character has garnered few positive reactions otherwise, with Sports Illustrated
writer John Donovan warning "purists everywhere, grab the barf bag," and Sports Illustrated media writer Richard Deitsch using Scooter as an example of "how technology does not always help society." The Sporting News
reported polling their staff with the question "What best summarizes your feelings for Scooter, Fox's talking baseball?", and 45% of responders chose the answer "Send him to a slow, painful death." Despite most reactions, Scooter would still be used in televised baseball games until after the 2006 World Series
.
While covering the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
in Detroit
's Comerica Park
, host Jeanne Zelasko
angered many fans for her treatment of legendary broadcaster Ernie Harwell
. Many didn't like the way Zelasko abruptly—and in many fans' eyes, awkwardly—cut Harwell off just 17 seconds into a pre-game interview, as Harwell was detailing the accomplishments of famous Tiger Al Kaline
. Harwell later said he wasn't offended by Zelasko, and let the matter drop.
Commissioner Bud Selig
presented the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award
to deceased Pittsburgh Pirates
legend Roberto Clemente
between the fourth and fifth innings of the 2006 All-Star Game
. Clemente's widow, Vera, accepted the award. Fox play-by-play announcer Joe Buck
emceed the ceremony. As a result, he called the bottom of the fourth inning from the entrance behind home plate. Buck arguably created a little controversy when after Vera Clemente spoke what many said was a beautiful, moving speech Buck asked the fans "You guys having fun out here?!" In , Joe Buck was only scheduled to call eight regular season MLB games out of a 26-game schedule for Fox (along with a handful of regional St. Louis Cardinals
telecasts on FSN Midwest
). In an interview with Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, Buck defended his reduced baseball commitment:
During their broadcast of Game 3 of the 2006 American League Championship Series
, Lou Piniella
, who is of Spanish
descent, made an analogy involving the luck of finding a wallet, and then briefly used a couple of Spanish phrases. Fox color commentator Steve Lyons
responded by saying that Piniella was "hablaing Espanol" – Spanglish
for "speaking Spanish" – and added, "I still can't find my wallet. I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit close to him now." On October 13, 2006, Fox fired Lyons for making these remarks, which Fox determined to be racially insensitive. Lyons was replaced for the last game of the series in Detroit by Los Angeles Angels
announcer José Mota. Piniella later stated that he thought that Lyons was just "kidding" and that Lyons was, per Piniella's experience, not bigoted. Lyons had previously maligned Los Angeles Dodgers
outfielder Shawn Green
, who is Jewish, for sitting out a game on Yom Kippur
in , saying: Lyons was suspended briefly without pay after his remarks, and Fox apologized for Lyons' comments, though Lyons never made an on-air apology.
Chris Rose
has been criticized for appearing to be too chummy with players he has interviewed during Fox's baseball coverage. For example during the 2009 World Series
, Rose referred to Derek Jeter
of the New York Yankees
as "Jeets". One year later during the World Series
, Rose referred to both Brian Wilson and Tim Lincecum
of the San Francisco Giants
as "his friends".
As a result of Fox using its NFL theme during the 2010 MLB playoffs
, there has been some backlash from fans who preferred to hear the theme that Fox has used for MLB in the past. A poll by Sports Media Watch noted that as of October 23, 2010, while nearly 60% of fans thought that Fox made a bad move, only 11% thought it was a good move and 30% had no opinion (all percentages rounded). A Facebook
campaign has also been started to bring the MLB theme back to Fox baseball broadcasts.
As previously mentioned, in July 2010, the on-screen graphics were repositioned for the 16:9
aspect ratio
, as all HDTV programming from the Fox network will be presented in letterbox
using an Active Format Description
code for standard definition viewers. The supposed high-definition picture however has been derided as really coming across as a muddy mess, lacking the detail and clarity normally expected from a high-def broadcast.
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's presentation of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games, produced by Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
. Major League Baseball on Fox began on June 1, 1996 and will continue at least through the 2013 World Series.
Early years: 1996–2000
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
made a deal with Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on November 7, 1995
1995 in television
The year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. Fox paid a fraction less of the amount of money that CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
had paid for the Major League Baseball television rights for the 1990–1993 seasons. Unlike the previous television deal, "The Baseball Network
The Baseball Network
The Baseball Network was a short-lived television broadcasting joint venture between ABC, NBC, and Major League Baseball. Under the arrangement, beginning in the 1994 season, the league produced its own in-house telecasts of games, which were then brokered to air on ABC and NBC...
", Fox reverted to the format of televising regular season games (approximately 16 weekly telecasts that normally began on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend) on Saturday afternoons. Fox did however, continue a format that The Baseball Network started by offering games based purely on a viewer's region. Fox's approach has usually been to offer three regionalized telecasts.
When Fox first got into baseball, it used the motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
"Same game, new attitude." Fox's primary goal when they first launched baseball was to promote their weak prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
schedule. "We'll use the World Series and League Championship Series to spur our shows", said network sports president Ed Goren.
Like its predecessor NBC, Fox determined its Saturday schedule by who was playing a team from one of the three largest television markets: New York, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, or Chicago. If there was a game which combined two of these three markets, it would be aired.
Exclusivity: 2001–2006
In September 2000, Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
concluded a six year, $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2.5 billion contract with Fox to show Saturday baseball, the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, selected Division Series
Division Series
In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Currently, a total of four series are played in this opening round, two each for both the American League and the National League.-1981 season:...
games and exclusive coverage of the League Championship Series
League Championship Series
The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969...
and World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. 90% of the contract's value to Fox, who paid Major League Baseball $417 million per year, came from the postseason, which not only attracted large audiences, but also provided an opportunity for the network to showcase its fall schedule.
The contract protected Major League Baseball in the event of a labor dispute (something that didn't occur with "The Baseball Network
The Baseball Network
The Baseball Network was a short-lived television broadcasting joint venture between ABC, NBC, and Major League Baseball. Under the arrangement, beginning in the 1994 season, the league produced its own in-house telecasts of games, which were then brokered to air on ABC and NBC...
" in 1994). If some of the games were cancelled by a strike or lockout, Major League Baseball still got all its money, but had to compensate Fox with additional telecasts. On the other hand, a repeat of the 1994 Major League Baseball strike would've cost Fox well over $1 billion; the television contract created an incentive not to cause a strike, as it would hurt broadcast networks since they paid for the deal, unlike the 1994–95 television package.
Under the previous five year deal with Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, Fox paid $115 million while NBC only paid $80 million per year. Fox paid about $575 million overall while NBC paid about $400 million overall. The difference between the Fox and the NBC contracts implicitly valued Fox's Saturday Game of the Week at less than $90 million for five years. Before NBC officially decided to part ways with Major League Baseball (for the second time in about 12 years) on September 26, 2000
2000 in television
The year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:...
, Fox's payment would've been $345 million while NBC would've paid $240 million. Before 1990, NBC had carried Major League Baseball since 1947.
Under the new deal, Fox would now pay out an average of $417 million a year, which was about a 45 percent increase from the previous deal (worth $290 million a year) that Fox, NBC, and ESPN
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
contributed together. CBS and ABC reportedly were not interested in buying the rights at the prices Major League Baseball was offering.
When asked about the new deal with Fox, Commissioner
Baseball Commissioner
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
said, "We at Major League Baseball could not be happier with the result. They have been a good partner and an innovative producer of our games."
Neal Pilson, who was the president of CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
when the network had the exclusive television rights for Major League Baseball said of Fox's $2.5 billion deal:
Some observers believed that gaining the relative ratings boost from the League Championship Series and World Series meant more to Fox than the other broadcast networks. That was because Fox had the biggest prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
ratings decline of the four major networks during the 1999
1999 in television
The year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
–2000
2000 in television
The year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:...
season. Its average prime time audience of 8.97 million was down 17 percent from the year before, according to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
.
New contract: 2007–2013
On July 11, 2006, rumors of the demise of Major League Baseball on Fox were put to rest when it was announced that the network had signed a new seven-year contract, which will guarantee that the World Series will appear on Fox through the 2013 season. Fox had widely been expected to renew the deal, but it was unclear what they would be willing to air beyond the All-Star Game and World Series.The package was officially announced on October 17, 2006. Under the terms of the arrangement, Fox retains its rights to its regular-season package, which now begins in April, and remains the exclusive home of the All-Star Game and World Series. Fox's postseason coverage beyond the World Series is limited to one League Championship Series
League Championship Series
The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969...
per year (the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
in odd numbered years and National League Championship Series
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
in even numbered years), which alternates every year with TBS (who took over exclusive rights to the Division Series
Division Series
In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Currently, a total of four series are played in this opening round, two each for both the American League and the National League.-1981 season:...
from ESPN
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
) airing the other LCS.
Fox Saturday Baseball Game of the Week
Fox airs a Game of the Week every Saturday of the season. Currently, coverage begins at 4 p.m. Eastern timeNorth American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
each week, except during the three NASCAR on Fox
NASCAR on Fox
NASCAR on Fox is the Emmy-winning branding used for Fox Sports's broadcasts of NASCAR races airing on the Fox network since 2001. The production has been in high-definition since 2005.-Background:...
Saturday night races (games start at 1 p.m. ET; before 2011, the games started at 3:30 p.m.), and the day of the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
soccer finals (7 p.m. ET). An additional prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
game instead of an afternoon aired on June 26, again with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.) Each week Chris Rose
Chris Rose
Christopher Rose is an American sportscaster.-Early life and career:Rose attended University School in Hunting Valley during high school. Rose attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated in 1993...
sets the pregame storylines from one of the game sites, followed by game coverage at approximately ten minutes past the hour.
This short show replaces a full-scale pregame show that aired at 3:30 p.m. ET from 2007 to 2008, in which host Jeanne Zelasko
Jeanne Zelasko
Jeanne Zelasko is a journalist and sportscaster who took over as the pre-game host of Fox's MLB games in 2001 after the departure of Keith Olbermann until October 2008. She also covered pre-game for MLB 2K6, MLB 2K7, and MLB 2K8 alongside Steve Physioc...
was joined by a rotating group of studio analysts. This was followed by regional telecasts of up to three games, starting at about 3:55 p.m. ET. Previously, the games had staggered start times of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET.
Also, games have been aired in high definition since 2007. In 2007, only the primary game was aired in HD, but since 2008, all games have been aired in HD.
Fox has certain rights for afternoon Major League Baseball games on Saturdays, and ESPN
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
has the same rights for night games on Sundays
Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball is the Major League Baseball exclusive game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN during the regular season...
. Broadcasters cannot show games of in-market teams regardless of whether the game is home or away as long as the game of the local team has a start time or likely end time intruding on Fox or ESPN's national window, unless that network waives its exclusivity. This is to encourage people to watch the ESPN or Fox game. A further enticement comes simply through the fact that Fox offers mostly regional coverage. Currently, local broadcasts are allowed on Saturdays if the game starts at 1 p.m. ET, but at no other time. If a game starts at 6 p.m. ET (both the teams in the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
and the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, have done this occasionally), the local broadcaster must either join the game in progress or air it on tape delay at 7 p.m. ET, the end of the exclusive Fox window. Also, none of the local 1 p.m. telecasts can be rebroadcast outside the market of the participating teams, specifically on MLB Extra Innings
MLB Extra Innings
MLB Extra Innings is an Out-of-Market Sports Package distributed in North America by satellite provider DirecTV since 1996 and by most cable providers since 2001. The package allows its subscribers to see up to 80 out-of-market Major League Baseball games a week using local over the air stations...
, except that Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
games can be shown on the superstation
Superstation
Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
WGN America.
Usually there are no other games scheduled at these times, except when a team decides not to change the start-time even after Fox drops the game in favor of a better match-up, which they can and often will do on a few weeks notice, particularly after the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
. ESPN's post-All-Star Game schedule is likewise picked as little as two weeks ahead of time (schedules for the first half of the season are usually set during the winter). Other teams simply schedule games for other time-slots, particularly on Saturday nights or on Sunday afternoons. Also, the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
often play summertime home games at night on Sundays because of the extreme heat common to Texas during much of the season, and normally receive special permission from ESPN to televise these games locally (their opponent's TV partner can also show the game). The Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
sometimes have home games that conflict with Fox's Saturday afternoon telecasts, as Canada is not subject to Fox's exclusivity. Unlike ESPN, Fox does not normally permit the visiting U.S.-based team to televise the game live in its regional market.
Fox is allowed to show each team up to nine times during the regular season.
Fox Sports Net, Fox Family and FX's coverage
For the 2000 and 2001 seasons, the Fox Broadcasting Company's then sister network, Fox FamilyABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
was home to a weekly Thursday night
Thursday Night Baseball
Thursday Night Baseball is the title of a presentation of Major League Baseball on cable and satellite channel MLB Network, that premiered on April 9, 2009. Longtime NBC Sports broadcaster Bob Costas is one of the play-by-play voices of the broadcasts. Matt Vasgersian also does play-by-play on some...
Major League Baseball game (a game that had previously aired nationwide on Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
from 1997–1999), as well as select games in the Division Series
Division Series
In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Currently, a total of four series are played in this opening round, two each for both the American League and the National League.-1981 season:...
round of playoffs. Among the noteworthy games that aired on Fox Family was the San Francisco Giants
2001 San Francisco Giants season
-Offseason:*November 18, 2000: Bill Mueller was traded by the San Francisco Giants to the Chicago Cubs for Tim Worrell. *January 11, 2001: Eric Davis was signed as a Free Agent with the San Francisco Giants. -Regular season:...
at the Houston Astros
2001 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 2001 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros successfully attempting to win the National League Central.-Offseason:*January 2, 2001: Charlie Hayes was signed as a Free Agent with the Houston Astros....
on October 4, 2001
2001 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season finished with the Arizona Diamondbacks defeating the New York Yankees in a Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. The attacks of September 11 pushed the end of the regular-season from September 30 to October 7. Because of that, the World Series was not completed until...
. That night, Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
hit his 70th home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
of the season, which tied the all-time single season record that Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
had set only three years earlier
1998 Major League Baseball season
*American League Championship Series MVP: David Wells**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Sterling Hitchcock**National League Division Series*All-Star Game, July 7 at Coors Field: American League, 13-8; Roberto Alomar, MVP...
. (Bonds broke the record the next night.)
As part of its purchase of Fox Family, in addition to the Thursday night game, Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
acquired the MLB rights that were also held by FX. Those two game packages were moved to ESPN
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
beginning with the next baseball season
2002 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Anaheim Angels*Postseason - October 1 to October 27Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
, but the playoff games remained on ABC Family for one additional year due to contractual issues. A deal was made to move those playoff games to ESPN, who produced the games for ABC Family, starting with the 2003
2003 in baseball
-Headline event of the year:*The Florida Marlins become World Series champions, holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team, 4 games to 2.-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Florida Marlins...
season. Although the games aired on Disney networks, Fox kept the exclusive negotiation to renew the contract after the 2006
2006 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
season. Fox chose not to renew their rights to the Division Series, which (as previously mentioned) went to TBS as part of its new baseball contract.
Meanwhile, the Fox Broadcasting Company's other sister network FX, aired numerous Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
contests on Saturday nights in 2001, including Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. , nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles ....
's final game at Camden Yards. FX also aired one game in the Major League Baseball postseason each year from 2001
2001 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Arizona Diamondbacks*Postseason - October 9 to November 4Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
to 2005
2005 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
, on the first Wednesday night of League Championship Series
League Championship Series
The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969...
week when MLB scheduled two games at the same time. On that night, Fox distributed one game to local affiliates based on a regional coverage map, and the other game aired on the corresponding cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
affiliate of FX, the main DIRECTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
or Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
channel, or an alternate channel on the satellite
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
services.
With a new MLB TV contract signed, again excluding FX, the last such broadcast was scheduled for October 11, 2006, but that night's NLCS
2006 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St...
game between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets
2006 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 2006 season was the 45th regular season for the Mets. They went 97-65 and won the NL East. They were managed by Willie Randolph. They played home games at Shea Stadium. They used the marketing slogan of "The Team. The Time...
was rained out
Rainout
A rainout is the process of precipitation causing the removal of radioactive particles from the atmosphere onto the ground, creating nuclear fallout by rain...
, making the Detroit Tigers
2006 Detroit Tigers season
The 2006 Detroit Tigers won the American League Pennant. They represented the AL in the World Series before falling to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1. The season was their 106th since they entered the AL in 1901.- Regular season :...
-Oakland Athletics
2006 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 2006 season was the 106th season of the Athletics franchise and its 43rd in Oakland. The A's finished 1st in the American League West with a record of 93 wins and 69 losses...
game in the ALCS
2006 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland was 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, while Detroit turned four double plays...
a national broadcast; FX aired the movie Any Given Sunday
Any Given Sunday
Any Given Sunday is a 1999 American drama film directed by Oliver Stone depicting a fictional professional American football team. The film features an ensemble cast, consisting of Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, LL Cool J, Matthew Modine, John C...
instead. Both series were played on October 13, but Fox showed both games, with the ALCS during the day and the NLCS at night.
FX is occasionally used to air the end of a Saturday afternoon game that begins on Fox, when said game runs past its allotted time and conflicts with Fox's primetime NASCAR coverage
NASCAR on Fox
NASCAR on Fox is the Emmy-winning branding used for Fox Sports's broadcasts of NASCAR races airing on the Fox network since 2001. The production has been in high-definition since 2005.-Background:...
, which as of 2010, is 7:30 p.m. ET.
Postseason coverage
Since the network bought the rights to postseason baseball coverage, Fox has received criticism from non-baseball fans for not airing first-run original programming during October. (Baseball fans point out that there are plenty of other broadcast and cable networks available on every TV package that do show original scripted programming.) For the majority of the years that Fox has aired baseball, the network started the season for The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and other shows in November, although a few shows begin in August or September and then go on hiatus until after the World Series. In 2005, Fox started its season in September, took October off to show the Major League Baseball playoffs, and resumed non-baseball programming in November. Both approaches have drawn criticism, indicating that there may not be a perfect way to accommodate both sports and regular programming.
In the first year of its six year, exclusive contract (2001), Fox did a split-telecast (not seen of since the days of the ill-fated "Baseball Network
The Baseball Network
The Baseball Network was a short-lived television broadcasting joint venture between ABC, NBC, and Major League Baseball. Under the arrangement, beginning in the 1994 season, the league produced its own in-house telecasts of games, which were then brokered to air on ABC and NBC...
") for the League Championship Series. This meant that two games were played simultaneously on the same night, with one game airing on the Fox network and the other on the local regional Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
cable channel (depending on market, as some markets had no regional sports network
Regional sports network
In the United States of America and Canada, a regional sports network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market. The most important programming on an RSN consists of live broadcasts of professional and college sporting events, as those games generate...
with a relationship to FSN). The rationale behind the split-telecast was that because of the September 11 attacks, the whole post-season schedule was pushed back a week. Because of this, two Sunday LCS games came in conflict with an NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
doubleheader. The fans and sports media reporters were unimpressed with the situation and MLB commissioner Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
vowed it was a one-time deal necessitated by circumstance. However, in later years Fox used split telecasts on a few occasions to keep the playoffs "on schedule" and maximize its prime time advertising revenue, and aired the second game on FX
FX Networks
FX is the name of a number of related pay television channels owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group...
(as previously mentioned), which has virtually national cable/satellite coverage. This ensured that Fox did not have to air an LCS game on a weekday afternoon, when many viewers are unable to watch. The 2007–2013 contract eliminates this, as TBS (as previously mentioned) will have one of the League Championship Series each year.
Special coverage
Since its baseball coverage began in 1996, Fox has aired three regular season games on days other than Saturday. As part of its coverage of Mark McGwire's bid to break Roger MarisRoger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
's single-season home run record in 1998, Fox aired a Sunday afternoon Cincinnati Reds
1998 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1998 season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Cincinnati Reds attempting to win the National League Central.-Offseason:...
/St. Louis Cardinals
1998 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 1998 season was the team's 117th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 107th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 83-79 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League Central division....
game on September 6 and a Tuesday night Chicago Cubs/St. Louis Cardinals game on September 8 of that year. (McGwire hit his record-breaking 62nd home run of the season in the latter game, which got a 14.5 rating for Fox and remains the network's highest-rated regular season Major League Baseball telecast.) On April 16, 2004, the network aired a Friday night game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to cover those teams' first head-to-head meeting since the memorable 2003 ALCS
2003 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkBacked by three home runs, Tim Wakefield shut the Bombers down in Game 1.-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York...
.
For a Saturday afternoon telecast of a Los Angeles Dodgers
2000 Los Angeles Dodgers season
In 2000, the Dodgers set a club record for home runs with 211, led by Gary Sheffield, who tied Duke Snider's single-season club mark with 43. Eric Karros became the L.A. Dodger all-time leader with his 229th home run and Dave Hansen set a Major League record with seven pinch-hit home runs. Kevin...
/Chicago Cubs
2000 Chicago Cubs season
The 2000 season was the Chicago Cubs 128th in their franchise history. The Cubs played in the first game held outside of North America on Opening Day. The Cubs played the New York Mets in front of over 55,000 at the Tokyodome in Japan...
game at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
on August 26, 2000, Fox aired a special "Turn Back the Clock" broadcast to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the first televised baseball game. The broadcast started with a re-creation of the television technology of 1939, with play-by-play announcer Joe Buck working alone with a single microphone, a single black-and-white camera, and no graphics; then, each subsequent half-inning would see the broadcast "jump ahead in time" to a later era, showing the evolving technologies and presentation of network baseball coverage through the years.
In-game commentators
As of 2010, Joe BuckJoe Buck
Joseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
, son of Hall of Fame
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford Christopher Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball...
St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
broadcaster Jack Buck
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
, is Fox's lead play-by-play commentator (a role he has had since Fox's debut year with Major League Baseball in 1996). Since 1996 Buck has been teamed with Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
, although McCarver was considered the main reason behind the firing of Jack Buck from CBS five years earlier
1991 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves ; Jack Morris, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Kirby Puckett*National League Championship Series MVP: Steve Avery...
(due to poor on-air chemistry between the two). Unlike the team of Jack Buck and McCarver on CBS, Joe Buck and McCarver have fused. According to McCarver, "The play-by-play man [should] explain what and where and analyst answer why and how. [Joe Buck] does both."
During the pre-2001 period, Bob Brenly
Bob Brenly
Robert Earl Brenly is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. He played the majority of his career as a catcher with the San Francisco Giants and played half a season for the Toronto Blue Jays...
acted as the third man in the booth with Buck and McCarver during the All-Star Game, League Championship Series and World Series. Buck and McCarver were at the microphone when Brenly led the Arizona Diamondbacks
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, in their fourth year of existence, looked to improve on their 2000 season. They had to contend in what was a strong National League West Division....
as manager to the 2001 World Series
2001 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...
title.
Since Joe Buck was hired to work on The NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
, following the retirement of lead play-by-play voice Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
in 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton is an American sportscaster. He is currently employed by Fox Sports and Turner Sports as a football, baseball, and basketball play-by-play announcer.-Early life and career:...
and Kenny Albert
Kenny Albert
Kenny Albert , is an American sportscaster, and the son of sportscaster Marv Albert and the nephew of sportscasters Al Albert and Steve Albert...
have both filled-in for Joe Buck whenever he is unable to work a game.
For several years, Fox utilized active or former players and managers as "guest analysts" on the network's League Championship Series telecasts. These included Bret Boone
Bret Boone
Bret Robert Boone is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.-Personal life:Boone was born in El Cajon, California to Susan G. Roel and Bob Boone. He is a graduate of El Dorado High School and the University of Southern California. He is the grandson of former major leaguer Ray Boone and...
(2003 ALCS
2003 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkBacked by three home runs, Tim Wakefield shut the Bombers down in Game 1.-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York...
), Al Leiter
Al Leiter
Alois Terry "Al" Leiter is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is now a studio analyst for MLB Network, and a color commentator for the YES Network.-Early career :Leiter attended Central Regional High School....
(2003 NLCS
2003 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 7, 2003 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Marlins took Game 1 of the series, coming back from an early 4–0 deficit. They scored five runs in the third on three home runs from Juan Encarnacion, rookie Miguel Cabrera, and Ivan "Pudge" Rodríguez. In the sixth inning,...
and 2004 ALCS
2004 American League Championship Series
The 2004 American League Championship Series was the Major League Baseball playoff series to decide the American League champion for the 2004 season. It was played between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, at Fenway Park and the original Yankee Stadium, from October 12 to October 20, 2004...
), Brenly (2004
2004 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 13, 2004 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe series opener at St. Louis' Busch Stadium was a slugfest involving four homers, 17 runs, and 22 hits, eventually won by St. Louis, 10–7. Houston struck the first blow of the series when Carlos Beltrán hit a two-run home...
and 2005 NLCS
2005 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 12, 2005 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIn the series opener, the Cardinals won 5–3 behind a strong pitching performance by Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter and a two-run home run by Reggie Sanders in the first inning...
), Lou Piniella
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...
(2005
2005 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 2005 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, IllinoisIn the series opener, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won 3–2 in their third game in as many nights and as many cities. The Angels took the lead in the second inning on a Garret Anderson home run. The Angels added two...
and 2006 ALCS
2006 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland was 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, while Detroit turned four double plays...
), and Luis Gonzalez (2006 NLCS
2006 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St...
). Many fans accuse Fox of choosing announcers biased towards large market teams, citing some of these choices, including Boone, whose brother, Aaron Boone
Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone is a former Major League Baseball infielder whose famous home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield won the 2003 American League Championship Series for the New York Yankees. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Washington...
, was playing for the Yankees
2003 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2003 season was the 100th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 101-61 finishing 6 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the playoffs, they defeated the Boston Red Sox in 7 games in...
in the 2003 ALCS games covered by Bret Boone.
Studio commentators
The original studio host in 1996 was Chip Caray. Dave WinfieldDave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
and Steve Lyons
Steve Lyons (baseball)
Stephen John Lyons is a former Major League Baseball player and a television sportscaster. He is of French and Irish descent, and currently resides in Hermosa Beach, California....
were the show's original analysts. Unlike the network's primary broadcast teams, the studio personnel have not had the same longevity. Winfeld left Fox after only one season, and both Caray and Lyons would move to the broadcast booth before leaving the network. From 1999–2000, Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...
took over the hosting seat from Caray, before being replaced by Jeanne Zelasko
Jeanne Zelasko
Jeanne Zelasko is a journalist and sportscaster who took over as the pre-game host of Fox's MLB games in 2001 after the departure of Keith Olbermann until October 2008. She also covered pre-game for MLB 2K6, MLB 2K7, and MLB 2K8 alongside Steve Physioc...
, who was promoted from Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
's National Sports Report
National Sports Report
The National Sports Report was a "sportscast" that aired on United States television channel Fox Sports Net.-Brief history:The program began in 1996, when FSN was launched, as Fox Sports News. The show aired twice a night, at 6 and 10 p.m. It was the national network's equivalent to SportsCenter...
.
According to Keith Olbermann, he was fired from Fox in 2001 after reporting on rumors that Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
, whose News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
owns Fox, was planning on selling the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. When asked about Olbermann, Murdoch said: "I fired him...He's crazy." News Corp. went on to sell the Dodgers to Frank McCourt
Frank McCourt (executive)
Frank McCourt is the owner and chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine. In , he purchased a controlling interest of the Dodgers from Fox Entertainment Group, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
in 2004. That year, Olbermann remarked, "Fox Sports was an infant trying to stand [in comparison to ESPN], but on the broadcast side there was no comparison—ESPN was the bush leagues."
As previously mentioned, due to poor ratings and budget concerns, Fox beginning in 2009, has decided to scrap the studio/pregame show altogether (in return, host Jeanne Zelasko and analyst Kevin Kennedy
Kevin Kennedy (baseball)
Kevin Curtis Kennedy is a former manager in American Major League Baseball and a former television host for Fox Sports' baseball coverage. He was given the nickname "The Skipper" by Fox Sports due to his prior managerial career...
were dropped by Fox altogether—Kennedy has since re-appeared on Fox Sports as a fill in commentator), although it is being used for the League Championship Series. For instance, for Fox's coverage of the 2009 ALCS
2009 American League Championship Series
The American League Championship Series , the second round of the 2009 American League playoffs, was a best-of-seven game series matching the two winners of the 2009 American League Division Series...
, Chris Rose
Chris Rose
Christopher Rose is an American sportscaster.-Early life and career:Rose attended University School in Hunting Valley during high school. Rose attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated in 1993...
(who as previously mentioned, beginning in the 2009 season, became the defacto pregame host, albeit on location from one of Fox's game sites) hosted from Fox's studio in Los Angeles with analysts Eric Karros and Mark Grace. For the 2009 World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
the same host analysts had an onfield studio for the pregame show, and Chicago White Sox
2009 Chicago White Sox season
The 2009 Chicago White Sox season is the organization's 110th season in Chicago and 109th in the American League. The Sox entered the 2009 season as the defending American League Central champions, attempting to repeat against the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota...
manager Ozzie Guillen
Ozzie Guillén
Oswaldo José "Ozzie" Guillén Barrios is a Venezuelan-American former Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Miami Marlins. He managed the Chicago White Sox from 2004 to 2011 before asking for his release at the end of the 2011 season....
was a guest analyst throughout the series. The studio show was also used for the prime time games in 2010. Kevin Millar
Kevin Millar
Kevin Charles Millar is an American former professional baseball first baseman and current analyst for MLB Network and New England Sports Network. Millar played college baseball at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he continues to reside in the off-season. Millar is the nephew of former...
meanwhile, joined Chris Rose for the Budweiser Pregame Report.
Pregame shows
Most Saturday baseball games on Fox have been preceded by a baseball-oriented show. From 1996 to 1999, Fox aired a baseball program geared to children and teenagers called In the Zone. In 2000, In the Zone was replaced by This Week in BaseballThis Week in Baseball
This Week in Baseball is a weekly television program, originally designed to show highlights of the previous week's Major League Baseball action. TWIB debuted in .-Genesis of the series:...
, which had previously been in syndication. TWIB has been on Fox ever since.
Innovations
On July 8, 1997, Fox televised its first ever All-Star Game1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 68th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 8, 1997 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of the...
(out of Jacobs Field
Jacobs Field
Progressive Field is a ballpark located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and is the home of the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball and the American League. Along with Quicken Loans Arena, it is part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex...
in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
). For this particular game, Fox introduced "Catcher-Cam" in which a camera
Professional video camera
A professional video camera is a high-end device for creating electronic moving images...
was affixed to the catchers' masks in order to provide unique perspectives of the action around home plate. Catcher-Cam soon would become a regular fixture in Fox's baseball broadcasts.
In addition to Catcher-Cam, other innovations (some of which have received more acclaim than others) that Fox has provided for baseball telecasts have been:
- SennheiserSennheiserSennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG is a private German audio company specializing in the design and production of a wide range of both consumer and high fidelity products, including microphones, headphones, telephony accessories, and avionics headsets for consumer, professional, and business...
MKE-2 microphones and SK-250 transmitters in the bases. - Between 12 and 16 microphones throughout the outfield, ranging from Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun microphones to DPA 4061s with Crystal Partners Big Ear parabolic microphoneParabolic microphoneA parabolic microphone is a microphone that uses a parabolic reflector to collect and focus sound waves onto a receiver, in much the same way that a parabolic antenna does with radio waves...
s to Crown Audio PCC160 plate microphones. - The continuous "FoxBox" graphicFoxBox (sports)Fox Box is Fox Sports's term for the digital on-screen graphic used during broadcasts of baseball and the National Football League, among other events. The FoxBox displays real-time information such as the current score in the upper corner of the screen...
, which contained the score, inning and other information in an upper corner of the TV screen. Since 20012001 in televisionThe year 2001 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2001.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:*Meet the Press .*Candid Camera .*CBS Evening News ....
, the FoxBox has morphed into a strip across the top of the screen which would later be used by NBC. For baseball broadcasts, it would be turned off when something really important happened (Mark McGwireMark McGwireMark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
's record-breaking 62nd home run in 1998, the last out of the World Series, et cetera). Beginning in 2009, the top-screen strip would return to a box in the top left-hand corner of the screen. - Audio accompanying graphics and sandwiched replays between "whooshes."
- "Mega Slo-MoSlow motionSlow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
" technology. - ScooterScooter (talking baseball)Scooter is an animated character used by Fox Sports during Major League Baseball games. The character, a baseball with human facial characteristics, is voiced by Tom Kenny and was designed by Fox to explain different types of pitches with the education of children in mind.-Critical...
, a 3-D animated talking baseball voiced by Tom KennyTom KennyThomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
who explained pitch types and mechanics to younger viewers. - Ball Tracer, a stroboscopic comet tail showing the path of a pitch to the catcher's glove.
- Strike Zone, which shows pitch sequences with strikes in yellow and balls in white. It can put a simulated pane of glass that shatters when a ball goes through the zone.
- The "high home" camera from high behind home plate. Its purpose is that it can trace the arc of a home run and measure the distance the ball traveled. The "high home" camera can also measure a runner's lead off first base while showing in different colors (green, yellow, red) and how far off the base and into pickoff danger a runner is venturing.
- Diamond-Cam, introduced at the 2004 All-Star Game2004 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 75th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 13, 2004 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas,...
, a cameraProfessional video cameraA professional video camera is a high-end device for creating electronic moving images...
buried four inches in the ground between the pitcher's mound and home plate to provide field-level views of home plate and the pitcher's mound. - "Hot Spot", introduced at the 2011 World Series2011 World SeriesThe 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
, an infrared camera used to show friction, or when a baseball hits a surface and leaves heat behind. Fox used the technology during a controversial call for the first time in Game 1 of the 2011 World Series, when umpires failed to call a ball that batter Adrian BeltreAdrián BeltréAdrián Beltré Pérez is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Texas Rangers.The youngest player in the National League when he made his major league debut, he has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , the Seattle Mariners , the Boston Red Sox , and the Texas Rangers . He bats and...
claimed bounded off his leg. "Hot Spot" showed a patch of heat on Beltre's left shoe, evidence that the ball had in fact hit Beltre and should have been called foul.
Fox executives shelved the ball tracer, strike zone, and high home cam after the prime time game on April 16, 2004, although Scooter was still used until 2006.
In October 2004, Fox started airing all Major League Baseball postseason broadcasts (including the League Championship Series
League Championship Series
The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969...
and World Series
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
) in high definition. Fox also started airing the Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in HD that year
2004 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since , ending the Curse of the Bambino.*With 262 hits, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners breaks George Sisler's record of 257. Suzuki also sets the record for most singles in a season, with 225.*2004 also marked the final...
and the following year
2005 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
. Prior to the 2008 season, one of the three regional games the network televises each Saturday was presented in HD. Now, all MLB games Fox televises—including Saturday regional games—are presented in HD.
On September 29, 2010, Fox announced that their plans to use cable-cams for their coverage of the National League Championship Series
2010 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 2010 — 7:30 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaIn one of the most touted postseason pitching matchups in recent history, two former Cy Young Award winners faced off: Roy Halladay for the Phillies and Tim Lincecum for the Giants...
and World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
. The cable-cams according to Fox, can roam over the field at altitudes ranging from about 12 to 80 feet above ground. They will be able to provide overhead shots of, among other things, "close plays" at bases and "managers talking to their pitchers on the mound."
Technical difficulties
During some broadcasts, Fox has experienced various technical difficulties. In its broadcast of Game 3 of the 2007 World Series2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
between the Colorado Rockies
2007 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2007 season started off with the team trying to improve on their 2006 record . They finished with a franchise record of 90 wins in 163 games and earned a playoff berth as the National League Wild Card team. The Rockies swept their first seven playoff games en route to winning...
and Boston Red Sox
2007 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2007 season began with the Boston, Massachusetts-based Major League Baseball team trying to rebound after a disappointing 2006 season, in which they finished third in the American League East behind the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, and missed the postseason for...
, for instance, a blackout
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
occurred during the top half of the seventh inning, resulting in the disruption of a key moment in the game.
1996–2000
In 1996, Fox used the scoring bug on their MLB telecasts. Within two years, the bug would be expanded to all sportscasts. However, golf wouldn't use them at all, and scoring bugs would phased onto tennis broadcasts. On baseball broadcasts, the bug would be turned off at critical points (e.g. Mark McGwireMark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
's 62nd home run, the final out of the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, etc.). It was only the 1996 and 1998 World Series that the network left the bug on for the final out; it wasn't until the bug was upgraded in 1999 that the network turned it off for the final out of the 2000 World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
. This was criticized as the network's purpose was to provide the play rather than the usual information given during that certain at-bat.
2001–2004
Beginning with the 2001 season, Fox implemented a new graphics package for its MLB telecasts. The graphics package was an updated version of the 1999 design but implementing a top-screen banner. A simple, transparent black rectangle with a shaded area above it spanned the top of the screen from left to right, displaying the diamond graphic, this time consisting home plate as well as the main three bases, representing the baseball diamond, the abbreviations of both teams in white. The scores would be shown in yellow boxes next to the team. The center showed the inning (a triangle was placed to the left of the inning number to show which half-inning it was: pointing up, top of an inning; pointing down, bottom of an inning), to the right was the number of outs, right of that was the pitch count and the pitch speed (the pitch speed in the same location as the pitch count; pitch speed would appear be in a yellow box). The far right was the MLB on Fox logo. This banner along with the shaded area above it retracted from the top of the screen whenever it turned on or turned off.Like the scoring bug, this version of the score banner would also be turned off at critical points. Midway in 2003, the banner was slightly changed to mirror that of FSN
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
although Fox retained its own graphics package; it was enlarged (except for All-Star Game and World Series broadcasts) and made more transparent. During Fox's coverage the 2003 World Series
2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
and the 2004 All-Star Game
2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 75th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 13, 2004 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas,...
, the logo on the far right would be something else instead than the MLB on Fox logo if the broadcasts were not regular season games (e.g. World Series on Fox, All-Star Game on Fox, etc.)
Starting with the 2003 NFL season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, Fox upgraded the graphics packages on its other properties, the NFL
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
, NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
, and NASCAR
NASCAR on Fox
NASCAR on Fox is the Emmy-winning branding used for Fox Sports's broadcasts of NASCAR races airing on the Fox network since 2001. The production has been in high-definition since 2005.-Background:...
, but the network retained portions of this on-screen look for its baseball telecasts in 2004
2004 Major League Baseball season
* Playoff MVPs** Manny Ramírez ** David Ortiz ** Albert Pujols * All-Star Game, July 13 at Minute Maid Park: American League, 9-4; Alfonso Soriano, MVP-References:* *...
except during its coverage of that year's postseason. This banner was also used by FSN
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
for all sports broadcasts from 2001 until the middle of 2005 but using different graphics packages than the one Fox used.
A graphic from this package was seen during the 15th inning of the 2008 All-Star Game
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
when Fox displayed highlights from the 1967 MLB All-Star Game
1967 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1967 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 38th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 11, 1967 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. The game resulted...
.
2004–2007
Starting with the 20042004 Major League Baseball season
* Playoff MVPs** Manny Ramírez ** David Ortiz ** Albert Pujols * All-Star Game, July 13 at Minute Maid Park: American League, 9-4; Alfonso Soriano, MVP-References:* *...
postseason, Fox's baseball broadcasts began using the same graphics package adopted for its NFL broadcasts
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
in 2003. The team abbreviations this time were electronic eggcrate lettering in the team's main color, the shaded area above the score banner was removed, and the scores were shown in white text in black parallelograms. Whenever team-specific information was displayed in the banner such as a run scored or an out, the abbreviation would morph into the team logo; with the run scored being displayed, the team whose run scored would have its abbreviation morph into its logo, and a "strobe light
Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
" would flash over the black parallelogram as the score changes. When a home run was displayed in the banner, a split "strobe light
Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
" would flash a few times across the banner; then the words "HOME RUN (team)" in the team's color zoom in to the center from both left and right, accompanied by two distorted electric buzzes followed by a futuristic computer sounder; this was the first time a home run was displayed in the banner. When it was turned on, flashing lights spanning the top of the screen with two moving lines on top and bottom would join to morph into the banner; when first formed, the team logos are seen before changing into the abbreviations. When turned off, the banner became just a quick beam of light spanning the top of the screen, which would disappear very quickly.
During the 2005 World Series
2005 World Series
The 2005 World Series, the 101st Major League Baseball championship series, saw the American League champion Chicago White Sox sweep the National League champion Houston Astros four games to none in the best-of-seven-games series, winning their third championship and first since 1917.Home-field...
, a new white banner was introduced, resembling a chrome finish, and the team abbreviations became white letters in the team's main color; the next couple of years, the new banner was adopted for all games. This banner, unlike the 2001–2004 version wouldn't be turned off at the final out of the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, but it was turned off at other critical points (like whenever Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
came to bat, tied with an April record 14 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, and when Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
had 753 home runs).
Beginning with the 2006 NFL season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
, Fox adopted another new graphics look for its other properties, the NFL
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
, NASCAR
NASCAR on Fox
NASCAR on Fox is the Emmy-winning branding used for Fox Sports's broadcasts of NASCAR races airing on the Fox network since 2001. The production has been in high-definition since 2005.-Background:...
, BCS
BCS on Fox
Fox College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football produced by Fox Sports....
, and Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
(which used a different graphics package than the other three properties) but retained this on-screen look for its baseball broadcasts in 2007.
It was also used in the Rockies
2008 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2008 season was the team's 16th season overall. The Rockies attempted to repeat their previous season's success after making it to the World Series; however, they ended up finishing third place in the National League West with a record of 74-88. The Rockies drew 2,650,218...
vs. Mets
2008 New York Mets season
The 2008 New York Mets season was the franchise's 47th season. The Mets finished the season with an 89–73 record, second place in the National League East, three games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, and one game worse than the wild card winners, the Milwaukee Brewers...
game on July 12, 2008
2008 Major League Baseball season
The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the...
until the ninth inning but with the 2008 graphics package instead of the package that was used with this banner.
2008
For the 2008 season2008 Major League Baseball season
The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the...
, Fox's baseball broadcasts began using the same graphics package adopted for NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
in 2006. The diamond graphic now appears to the right of the scores, slimmed down to only consist of the main three bases (unlike other implementations which include the home plate). The MLB on Fox logo was moved to the far left. The colored strip across the top of the banner is locked to being blue (instead of being in the colors of the active team), the team abbreviations are no longer in the team's main color, like the 2001–2004 banner, and the shaded area above, which is used for the first time since the 2001–2004 banner was last used, does not contain the animated stripe pattern. They only had the stripe pattern in the player stats graphic.
The team's logo no longer flashes after scoring a run but the background sound of a computer mouse clicking is played with the changing of the score. The banner no longer flashes after a home run. Instead, along with the usual clicking sound, the text "HOME RUN: (team)" on the team color's background clicks in the empty space on the far right, which also includes the count and the out-of-town scores. The same goes for the NFL on Fox scoreboard when a touchdown or a field goal is scored. This banner is very similar to the 2001–2004 score banner since it and the shaded area above retract from the top of the screen whenever turned on or off but in a rather different way. The team names are always abbreviations (for example if the Phillies were playing the Mets the Philadelphia Phillies
2008 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2008 season was the 126th in the history of the franchise. The team finished with a regular season record of 92–70, first in the National League East. In the post-season, the Phillies won the World Series; this was the first major sports championship for...
would be listed as "PHI" and the New York Mets
2008 New York Mets season
The 2008 New York Mets season was the franchise's 47th season. The Mets finished the season with an 89–73 record, second place in the National League East, three games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, and one game worse than the wild card winners, the Milwaukee Brewers...
as "NYM"), but the scores aren't shown in yellow boxes. If a team scores, the team letters and score numbers flip while the points are being added. If a team scores on a home run, this happens 5 or 6 seconds after the "HOME RUN" bar pops out.
The ball strike count pops out of the blank area when needed. The bug is turned off for reporting camera angles and for the press box camera. Note that like its predecessor, the bug wasn't turned off for the final out of the World Series.
2009–2010
For the 2009 season, telecasts began using the same graphics packageFox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
implemented by FSN
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
, now consisting of a rectangular box in the top-left corner of the screen for the first time since 2000. However, for the pregame show during the 2009 postseason, the previous graphics were used, but the new FSN graphics were still used during the game. Along with FSN in observance of the holiday weekend, the baserunner graphic changed to be blue with stars during the Fourth of July weekend in 2010, a color scheme also applied during that year's All-Star Game
2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 81st midseason exhibition between the All-Stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
. In July 2010, on-screen graphics were repositioned for the 16:9
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
aspect ratio
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
, as all HDTV programming from the Fox network will be presented in letterbox
Letterbox
Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
using an Active Format Description
Active Format Description
In television technology, Active Format Description is a standard set of codes that can be sent in the MPEG video stream or in the baseband SDI video signal that carries information about their aspect ratio and active picture characteristics...
code for standard definition viewers.
Despite Fox adopted new graphics for its NFL, NASCAR, and MLB properties, FSN Pittsburgh and FSN Rocky Mountain have retained this on-screen look for their baseball broadcasts in 2011.
2011–present
Starting with Opening Day of the 2011 MLB season, both FSNFox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
and the parent network began using the same graphics package adopted for NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
in 2010
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
. On the baseball broadcasts, the score bug has both teams on each side with the team abbreviations and the scores underneath the abbreviations, all in white text on the background of the teams' primary colors. In between, from left to right, is the inning, the diamond graphic, and the pitch speed/pitch count/number of outs. The number of outs is indicated by illuminating three buttons (e.g. one button lit indicated one out in the inning; two buttons lit indicated two outs). When the bug is turned on, it zooms in; it zooms out when it is turned off. Whenever a home run was displayed, the bug would expand, the background color changing to the color of the team that hit the home run and the words "HOME RUN" and the team's logo zoom in. The text would read "SOLO HOME RUN", "2-RUN HOME RUN", "3-RUN HOME RUN", and "GRAND SLAM". Then the score bug goes back to its normal shape displaying the change in score.
Theme music
The Major League Baseball on Fox theme music was composed by NJJ Music, who has composed many other Fox Sports themes. It was used for the entire duration of Fox's MLB coverage until the 2010 MLB playoffs (see paragraph below). On the May 12, telecasts, Fox rolled out a revised version of the theme, although the original version was used for some games. In 2009, many FSNFox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
affiliates began using the 2007 version, but other affiliates continued to use the original version until the end of the 2010 season
2010 Major League Baseball season
The 2010 Major League Baseball season began Sunday, April 4, when the Boston Red Sox defeated their long-time rivals, the 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees at Fenway Park, 9–7; the regular season ended on October 3. The 2010 All-Star Game was played on July 13 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim...
.
During the 2007 ALCS
2007 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Friday, October 12, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsIn Game 1, the Cleveland Indians took the lead when Travis Hafner hit a home run to deep right field in the first inning against Josh Beckett. Beckett retired the next ten batters in a row, finishing by striking out seven while...
, a new theme composed by Jochen Flach was introduced for postseason broadcasts, consisting of a majestic, moderate-slow orchestral piece. This theme would then be used for World Series broadcasts beginning with the 2007 World Series
2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
and All-Star Game broadcasts beginning with the 2008 All-Star Game
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
. However, the theme was not used for the 2010 World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
and the 2011 All-Star Game
2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
.
In late , Fox Sports made its NFL
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
theme the theme for all of its sports properties, including baseball. This was first implemented during Fox's coverage of the NLCS
2010 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 2010 — 7:30 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaIn one of the most touted postseason pitching matchups in recent history, two former Cy Young Award winners faced off: Roy Halladay for the Phillies and Tim Lincecum for the Giants...
. The FSN stations continue to use the MLB on Fox theme as of 2011, but now all the FSN stations are using the 2007 version.
Criticism
Fox Sports has also received criticism from sports fans for perceived bias toward teams in certain conferences, especially during the Super BowlSuper Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
and the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, usually the National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
in football (due to the fact that Fox owns the rights to NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
games) and the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in baseball (especially the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox). Fox rarely shows teams from outside the top-10 media markets during the regular season. Also in recent years, both "O Canada
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
" and the "Star Spangled Banner" were preempted during the All-Star Game for commercials.
In Game 4 of the 1997 American League Championship Series
1997 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland...
, on a wild pitch with runners dashing around the bases, when umpire Durwood Merrill
Durwood Merrill
Edwin Durwood Merrill was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League for 23 seasons ....
gestured to where the ball was, color commentator Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
sarcastically commented that "maybe he was trying to tell himself where the ball is!" Merrill heard about that, took offense to it, and fired back in his autobiography that he was letting the other umpires know that the situation was under control. Meanwhile, when rule questions come up during a broadcast, McCarver frequently will explain the rule, sometimes incorrectly. For example, after a St. Louis Cardinals
2006 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
balk
Balk
In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disregarded...
in Game 4 of the 2006 NLCS
2006 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St...
, McCarver explained, "You have to have 'one thousand one' when coming to a stop, and you have to stop your glove in the same place every time in front of your body," when the rules state that there must be merely a complete discernible stop anywhere in front of the pitcher's body; no certain duration or location is necessary.
McCarver has also been known to make verbal gaffes, particularly with player's names (notably confusing Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
with the retired Luis Pujols
Luis Pujols
Luis Bienvenido Pujols Toribio was a catcher and manager in Major League Baseball. He played nine seasons with the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers. Luis Pujols and St...
, as well as repeatedly referring to Bronson Arroyo
Bronson Arroyo
Bronson Anthony Arroyo , is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and an aspiring musician. He has previously played for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 2000 and 2002 and Boston Red Sox from 2003 to 2005...
as "Brandon Arroyo" during the 2004 World Series
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
). During the 2009 World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
, he referred to New York Yankees
2009 New York Yankees season
The 2009 New York Yankees season was the 107th season for the New York Yankees franchise. The Yankees opened their new Yankee Stadium on April 3, 2009, when they hosted an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs...
shortstop Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
as "Jerek Deter". In 2006, Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
lampooned McCarver's broadcasting ability with the quip, "...well, at least he couldn't be any worse than Tim McCarver is at sportscasting". To make matters worse, during the 2011 World Series
2011 World Series
The 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
, Joe Posnanski
Joe Posnanski
Joe Posnanski is an American journalist and senior columnist for Sports Illustrated and former columnist for the The Kansas City Star. He writes extensively on his personal site, Joe Blogs and his SI blog Curiously Long Posts.-Journalism:Posnanski began his journalism career as a multi-use...
of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
argued that McCarver was becoming more and more useless as an analyst. McCarver has in general, been accused ofr overanalyzing situations, being too verbose, and not allow a game to breathe.
Scooter
Scooter (talking baseball)
Scooter is an animated character used by Fox Sports during Major League Baseball games. The character, a baseball with human facial characteristics, is voiced by Tom Kenny and was designed by Fox to explain different types of pitches with the education of children in mind.-Critical...
debuted in the 2004 baseball season
2004 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since , ending the Curse of the Bambino.*With 262 hits, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners breaks George Sisler's record of 257. Suzuki also sets the record for most singles in a season, with 225.*2004 also marked the final...
on April 16, during a game between the New York Yankees
2004 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2004 season was the 102nd season for the Yankees. The Yankees opened the season by playing two games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Japan on March 30, 2004. The team finished with a record of 101-61, finishing 3 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. New...
and Boston Red Sox
2004 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox 2004 season was the 103rd Major League Baseball season for the Boston Red Sox franchise. Managed under Terry Francona, the team finished with a 98–64 record...
. While Fox Sports television chairman David Hill called Scooter "really cute and really terrific," the character has garnered few positive reactions otherwise, with Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
writer John Donovan warning "purists everywhere, grab the barf bag," and Sports Illustrated media writer Richard Deitsch using Scooter as an example of "how technology does not always help society." The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
reported polling their staff with the question "What best summarizes your feelings for Scooter, Fox's talking baseball?", and 45% of responders chose the answer "Send him to a slow, painful death." Despite most reactions, Scooter would still be used in televised baseball games until after the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
.
While covering the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 76th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 12, 2005 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan,...
in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
's Comerica Park
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
, host Jeanne Zelasko
Jeanne Zelasko
Jeanne Zelasko is a journalist and sportscaster who took over as the pre-game host of Fox's MLB games in 2001 after the departure of Keith Olbermann until October 2008. She also covered pre-game for MLB 2K6, MLB 2K7, and MLB 2K8 alongside Steve Physioc...
angered many fans for her treatment of legendary broadcaster Ernie Harwell
Ernie Harwell
William Earnest "Ernie" Harwell was an American sportscaster, known for his long career calling play-by-play of Major League Baseball games. For 55 years, 42 of them with the Detroit Tigers, Harwell called the action on radio and/or television...
. Many didn't like the way Zelasko abruptly—and in many fans' eyes, awkwardly—cut Harwell off just 17 seconds into a pre-game interview, as Harwell was detailing the accomplishments of famous Tiger Al Kaline
Al Kaline
Albert William "Al" Kaline is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline played his entire 22-year baseball career with the Detroit Tigers. Kaline still works for the Tigers as a front office official. Because of his lengthy career and...
. Harwell later said he wasn't offended by Zelasko, and let the matter drop.
Commissioner Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
presented the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award
Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award
The Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award is awarded by the Commissioner of Major League Baseball to a group or individual who has made a "major impact on the sport" of baseball. It is not an annual award; rather, the Commissioner presents the trophy at his discretion. The trophy is a gold...
to deceased Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
legend Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
between the fourth and fifth innings of the 2006 All-Star Game
2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh,...
. Clemente's widow, Vera, accepted the award. Fox play-by-play announcer Joe Buck
Joe Buck
Joseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
emceed the ceremony. As a result, he called the bottom of the fourth inning from the entrance behind home plate. Buck arguably created a little controversy when after Vera Clemente spoke what many said was a beautiful, moving speech Buck asked the fans "You guys having fun out here?!" In , Joe Buck was only scheduled to call eight regular season MLB games out of a 26-game schedule for Fox (along with a handful of regional St. Louis Cardinals
2007 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2007 season was the team's 126th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 116th season in the National League. The season started with the team trying to defend their 2006 World Series championship. During the offseason, the Cardinals were faced with the challenge of handling...
telecasts on FSN Midwest
FSN Midwest
Fox Sports Midwest is a regional sports network that operates in eastern and central Missouri , central & southern Illinois, Southern Indiana, Nebraska, and Iowa.-History:...
). In an interview with Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, Buck defended his reduced baseball commitment:
During their broadcast of Game 3 of the 2006 American League Championship Series
2006 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland was 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, while Detroit turned four double plays...
, Lou Piniella
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...
, who is of Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
descent, made an analogy involving the luck of finding a wallet, and then briefly used a couple of Spanish phrases. Fox color commentator Steve Lyons
Steve Lyons (baseball)
Stephen John Lyons is a former Major League Baseball player and a television sportscaster. He is of French and Irish descent, and currently resides in Hermosa Beach, California....
responded by saying that Piniella was "hablaing Espanol" – Spanglish
Spanglish
.Spanglish refers to the blend of Spanish and English, in the speech of people who speak parts of two languages, or whose normal language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population of the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of...
for "speaking Spanish" – and added, "I still can't find my wallet. I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit close to him now." On October 13, 2006, Fox fired Lyons for making these remarks, which Fox determined to be racially insensitive. Lyons was replaced for the last game of the series in Detroit by Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
announcer José Mota. Piniella later stated that he thought that Lyons was just "kidding" and that Lyons was, per Piniella's experience, not bigoted. Lyons had previously maligned Los Angeles Dodgers
2004 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2004 season brought change to the Dodgers as the sale of the franchise to developer Frank McCourt was finalized during spring training. McCourt promptly dismissed General Manager Dan Evans and hired Paul DePodesta to take over the team...
outfielder Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
, who is Jewish, for sitting out a game on Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
in , saying: Lyons was suspended briefly without pay after his remarks, and Fox apologized for Lyons' comments, though Lyons never made an on-air apology.
Chris Rose
Chris Rose
Christopher Rose is an American sportscaster.-Early life and career:Rose attended University School in Hunting Valley during high school. Rose attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated in 1993...
has been criticized for appearing to be too chummy with players he has interviewed during Fox's baseball coverage. For example during the 2009 World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
, Rose referred to Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
of the New York Yankees
2009 New York Yankees season
The 2009 New York Yankees season was the 107th season for the New York Yankees franchise. The Yankees opened their new Yankee Stadium on April 3, 2009, when they hosted an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs...
as "Jeets". One year later during the World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
, Rose referred to both Brian Wilson and Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
of the San Francisco Giants
2010 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants are an American Major League Baseball team. Their 2010 season marked their 128th year in Major League Baseball, and their fifty-third year in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season...
as "his friends".
As a result of Fox using its NFL theme during the 2010 MLB playoffs
2010 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 2010 — 7:30 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaIn one of the most touted postseason pitching matchups in recent history, two former Cy Young Award winners faced off: Roy Halladay for the Phillies and Tim Lincecum for the Giants...
, there has been some backlash from fans who preferred to hear the theme that Fox has used for MLB in the past. A poll by Sports Media Watch noted that as of October 23, 2010, while nearly 60% of fans thought that Fox made a bad move, only 11% thought it was a good move and 30% had no opinion (all percentages rounded). A Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
campaign has also been started to bring the MLB theme back to Fox baseball broadcasts.
As previously mentioned, in July 2010, the on-screen graphics were repositioned for the 16:9
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
aspect ratio
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
, as all HDTV programming from the Fox network will be presented in letterbox
Letterbox
Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
using an Active Format Description
Active Format Description
In television technology, Active Format Description is a standard set of codes that can be sent in the MPEG video stream or in the baseband SDI video signal that carries information about their aspect ratio and active picture characteristics...
code for standard definition viewers. The supposed high-definition picture however has been derided as really coming across as a muddy mess, lacking the detail and clarity normally expected from a high-def broadcast.