MLB on NBC
Encyclopedia
Major League Baseball on NBC is the de facto
name for a weekly presentation of Major League Baseball
games televised on the NBC
television network
from 1947
to 1989
, and from 1994
to 2000
. There have been several variations of the program dating back to the 1940s, including The NBC Game of the Week
and Baseball Night in America.
–1956
and again in 1965
, NBC only aired the All-Star Game
(beginning in 1950
) and World Series
. From 1957
–1989
, they aired the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week (or a variation of it prior to 1966
, when NBC didn't have exclusive over-the-air rights). From 1994
–1995
, they aired games under the umbrella called The Baseball Network
. And from 1996
–2000
, NBC only aired postseason games (three Division Series
games in prime time, the American League Championship Series
in even numbered years, and the National League Championship Series
and World Series
in odd numbered years) as well as the All-Star Game
in even numbered years (years NBC didn't have the rights to the World Series).
To date, Game 6 of the 2000 American League Championship Series
(October 17, 2000) was the last Major League Baseball game televised by NBC.
technically dates back to August 26, 1939. It was on that particular date that W2XBS (an experimental television station out of New York City which would ultimately become NBC's flagship station, WNBC) the first ever Major League Baseball game was televised. With Red Barber
announcing, the Brooklyn Dodgers
and the Cincinnati Reds
played a doubleheader at Ebbets Field
. The Reds won the first 5–2 while the Dodgers won the second, 6–1. Barber called the game without the benefit of a monitor and with only two cameras capturing the game. One camera was on Barber and the other was behind the plate. Barber had to guess from which light was on and where it pointed.
, television sets (most with five and seven-inch screens) were selling almost as fast as they could be produced. Because of this, Major League teams began televising games and attracted a whole new audience in to ballparks in the process. This was because, people who had only casually followed baseball began going to the games in person and enjoying themselves. As a result, the following year, Major League attendance reached a record high of 21 million.
1947
also saw the first televised World Series
. The games were shown in the New York area by NBC
and sponsored by Gillette and Ford
. The 1947 World Series brought in an estimated 3.9 million people, becoming television's first mass audience.
, the Mutual Broadcasting System
acquired the television broadcast rights to the World Series and All-Star Game for the next six years. Mutual may have been reindulging in TV network dreams or simply taking advantage of a long-standing business relationship; in either case, the broadcast rights were sold to NBC in time for the following season's games at an enormous profit.
On October 3, 1951, NBC aired the first coast
-to-coast
baseball telecast as the Brooklyn Dodgers
were beaten by the New York Giants
in the final game of a playoff
series by the score of 5–4 (off Bobby Thomson
's home run
). Ernie Harwell
called the game for Giants television flagship WPIX
—the independent station's broadcast was carried nationally on the NBC network, the first coast-to-coast live telecast of a Major League Baseball game—and his description of the home run was a simple shout of "It's gone!" almost at the moment Thomson's bat struck Ralph Branca
's pitch. Harwell later admitted he had probably called it "too soon", but fortunately for him, the call proved to be correct. "And then," Harwell recalled, "the pictures took over."
On January 31, 1953, the New York Yankees
, Cleveland Indians
, and Boston Red Sox
joined forces against St. Louis Browns
owner Bill Veeck
. The respective franchises tried to force the Browns to play afternoon games in an attempt to avoid having to share television revenues. A month later, Major League Baseball owners received a warning from Senator Edwin Johnson
about nationally televising their games. Johnson's theory was that nationally televising baseball games would be a threat to the survival of minor league baseball
. The owners pretty much ignored Johnson since the games on NBC in particular, were gaining a large and loyal following.
Another first for NBC during this period was the first color telecast of a World Series
, the 1955
matchup between the Brooklyn Dodgers
and the New York Yankees
.
In 1957
, NBC started airing weekend Game of the Week
telecasts (Sunday telecasts were added in 1959
) with Lindsey Nelson
and Leo Durocher
calling the action. NBC during this period (as rival CBS had the rights to broadcast at least eight teams), typically broadcast from Pittsburgh
's Forbes Field
, Chicago
's Wrigley Field
, or Milwaukee
's County Stadium
. NBC purchased the rights to 11 Milwaukee Braves games, 11 Pittsburgh Pirates games, two Washington Senators
games, and two Chicago Cubs games. Leo Durocher was succeeded as color commentator by Fred Haney
in 1960
, and Joe Garagiola
in 1961
, while Bob Wolff
replaced Nelson on play-by-play in 1962
.
From 1958
to 1960
, NBC aired a special regional feed of its games in the southeast
, where NBC had a different sponsor (e.g. National Bohemian
beer) than for the rest of the country. This feed featured its own announcing team, with Chuck Thompson
calling the games with Bill Veeck
(1958) and Al Rosen
(1959
-60). NBC never had a true backup game until 1966
, when they got network Game of the Week exclusivity. In the process, the brought in Curt Gowdy
and Pee Wee Reese
for primary game, and Jim Simpson
and Tony Kubek
for the alternate (which was always shown in the markets of teams playing in the primary game) game.
began play-by-play. "You work your side of the street [interviewing players]," said Garagiola to Wolff "and I'll work mine." Wolff liked Garagiola's pizazz as he would say stuff like "The guy stapled him to the bag" or a runner's "smilin' like he swallowed a banana peel." Also in , NBC broadcast the National League tie-breaker series
between the San Francisco Giants
and Los Angeles Dodgers
. Bob Wolff and George Kell
were the announcers for the playoff series. Bob Wolff also hosted the pregame shows for NBC's World Series coverage from 1962
-1965
.
By , CBS' Dizzy Dean
and Pee Wee Reese
called games from Yankee Stadium
, Wrigley Field
, St. Louis
, Philadelphia
, and Baltimore
. New York got $
550,000 of CBS' $895,000. Meanwhile, six clubs that exclusively played nationally televised games on NBC got $1.2 million.
, who in the year before, played 21 Games of the Week
for CBS joined NBC's package. The new package under NBC called for 28 games compared to 's three-network 123. On October 19, 1966, NBC
signed a three year contract with Major League Baseball. The year before, NBC lost the rights to the Saturday-Sunday Game of the Week (they only covered the All-Star Game
and World Series
in ) to ABC. In addition, the previous deal limited CBS to covering only 12 weekends when its new subsidiary, the New York Yankees
, played at home. As previously mentioned, before 1965
, NBC aired a slate of Saturday afternoon games beginning in .
Under the new deal, NBC paid roughly $
6 million per year for the 25 Games of the Week, $6.1 million for the 1967 World Series
and All-Star Game
, and $6.5 million for the 1968 World Series
and 1968 All-Star Game
. This brought the total value of the contract (which included three Monday night telecasts such as a Labor Day
1966 contest between the San Francisco Giants
and Los Angeles Dodgers
) up to $30.6 million.
On April 16, 1966 in New York City, about fifty baseball, network, and ad officials discussed NBC's first year with the Game of the Week. New York could not get a primary match-up between the Detroit Tigers
and New York Yankees
with Curt Gowdy
and Pee Wee Reese
calling the action because of local blackout rules. Instead, New York got a backup game (or "'B' game") featuring Tony Kubek
and Jim Simpson
calling a game between the Cincinnati Reds
and Chicago Cubs
. That rule would be eliminated after the season.
NBC, replacing CBS
traded a circus
for a seminar. Pee Wee Reese
said "Curt Gowdy
was its guy (1966–1975), and didn't want Dizzy Dean
- too overpowering. Curt was nice, but worried about mistakes. Diz and I just laughed." Falstaff Brewery hyped Dean as Gowdy in return said "I said, 'I can't do "Wabash Cannonball
." Our styles clash.-" then came Pee Wee Reese. Gowdy added by saying about the pairing between him and Reese "They figured he was fine with me, and they'd still have their boy." To many, baseball meant CBS' 1955–1964 Game of the Week thoroughbred. A year later, NBC bought ABC
's variant of a mule so to speak. "We had the Series and All-Star Game. 1966–1968's Game meant exclusivity," said NBC Sports
head Carl Lindemann. Lindemann added by saying "[Colleague] Chet Simmons
and liked him [Gowdy] with the Sox
and football
-" also, getting two network sports for the price of one. As his analyst, Gowdy wanted his friend Ted Williams
. NBC's lead sponsor, Chrysler said no when Williams, a Sears
spokesman, was pictured putting stuff in a Ford truck.
Before 1966, local announcers exclusively called the World Series. Typically, the Gillette Company, the Commissioner of Baseball
, and NBC television would choose the announcers. The announcers represented each of the teams that were in the World Series for the respective year. For the 1966 World Series
, Curt Gowdy aired half of each set to while in Los Angeles
and Baltimore, Maryland, got Vin Scully and Chuck Thompson
, respectively, did the rest. Scully was not satisfied with the arrangement as he said "What about the road? My fans won't be able to hear me." In Game 1 of the 1966 World Series, Vin Scully called the first 4½ innings. When Curt Gowdy inherited the announcing reigns, Scully was so upset that he refused to say another word.
Tony Kubek
initially had trouble adjusting to the world of broadcasting. Although he had a lot to say, he was gangling, he tended to stutter
, and talked too fast. Curt Gowdy soon suggested to Kubek that he should work offseason to improve his delivery. Buying a recorder, Kubek often read poetry aloud for 20 minutes a day. In , Tony Kubek wowed as a World Series
field reporter. Pee Wee Reese, who was soon fired by NBC (and replaced by Kubek as the top analyst) said of Kubek "He wormed his way around, but I wasn't bitter. I just think if you don't have anything to say, you should shut your mouth."
In , Sandy Koufax
signed a ten-year contract with NBC for $1 million to be a broadcaster on the Saturday Game of the Week. Koufax never felt comfortable being in front of the camera; he quit before the season.
On October 13, 1971, the World Series
held a night game for the very first time. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn
, who felt that baseball could attract a larger audience by featuring a prime time telecast (as opposed to a mid-afternoon broadcast, when most fans either worked or attended school), pitched the idea to NBC. An estimated 61 million people watched Game 4 on NBC; TV ratings
for a World Series game during the daytime hours would not have approached such a record number.
For World Series night games, NBC normally came on the air for baseball at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
for the pregame show (with first pitch around 8:20–8:25). However, in 1986
and 1988
, for Game 5 of the World Series (on Thursday night), NBC did not come on the air for baseball until 8:30. This allowed them to air the highly rated Cosby Show
in its normal Thursday, 8:00 p.m. timeslot. NBC went with a very short pregame show and got to the first pitch at around 8:40 p.m.
So starting in , Joe Garagiola and Curt Gowdy
alternated as the Saturday Game of Week play-by-play announcers with Tony Kubek
doing color analysis. Then on weeks in which NBC had Monday Night Baseball
, Gowdy and Garagiola worked together. One would call play-by-play for four and a half innings, the other would handle color analysis. Then in the bottom of the 5th inning, their roles switched. Ultimately, in November 1975, Chrysler
forced NBC to totally remove Curt Gowdy from NBC's top baseball team. Instead, they wanted their spokesman, Joe Garagiola, to call all "A" regular season games, All-Star Games (when NBC had them), the top League Championship Series (when NBC had it), and the World Series (when NBC had it).
Another factor behind Gowdy's dismissal was because of criticism from the national media alleging that he sided with the Boston Red Sox
(a franchise that he had covered prior to his days at NBC) over a controversial play in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the 1975 World Series
. Cincinnati Reds
pitcher Ed Armbrister
reached base on what was ruled an error by Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk
on Armbrister's bunt attempt. Gowdy said numerous times that, in his opinion, Armbrister had interfered with Fisk. Gowdy had been given the correct interpretation by NBC Radio Producer Jay Scott (who was a Triple-A fill-in umpire at the time as well), but did not use it. Umpire Larry Barnett
claimed he had received death threats on account of Gowdy's criticism. Prior to Game 2 of the 1986 World Series
, NBC did a feature on replays narrated by Bob Costas
. One of the plays cited by Costas was the Armbrister play, and Barnett and Costas both insisted that Barnett had made the correct call, although Barnett declared, "You won't find many people in Boston who believe it was the right call." Costas used the feature to condemn the suggested notion of instant replay
to settle calls, noting that it was the "same kind of mentality that adds color to classic movies and calls it progress."
NBC hoped that, in replacing Curt Gowdy, Joe Garagiola's charm and unorthodox dwelling on the personal would stop the a decade-long ratings
dive for the Game of the Week. Instead, the ratings bobbed from 6.7 (1977) via 7.5 (1978) to 6.3 (1981–1982). "Saturday had a constituency but it didn't swell" said NBC Sports executive producer Scotty Connal. Some believed that millions missed Dizzy Dean
while local-team TV split the audience. Scotty Connal believed that the team of Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek were "A great example of black and white". Connal added by saying "A pitcher throws badly to third, Joe says, 'The third baseman's fault.' Tony: 'The pitcher's'." Media critic Gary Deeb termed theirs "the finest baseball commentary ever carried on network TV."
While Gowdy was on hand in the press box for Carlton Fisk's legendary home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, the actual calls went to two of Gowdy's Red Sox successors, Dick Stockton
on TV and Ned Martin
on radio. Gowdy was Martin's color man on that home run. Meanwhile, according to the NBC cameraman Lou Gerard located above the third base stands, cameramen at the time were instructed to follow the flight of the ball. Instead Gerard was distracted by a rat nearby, thus he lost track of the baseball and instead decided to capture the image of Fisk "magically" waving the ball fair.
From –, NBC televised Monday games under a contract worth $72 million. In , NBC extended the Monday night
telecasts (with a local blackout
) to 15 straight. September 1, 1975 saw NBC's last Monday Night Baseball game, in which the Montréal Expos
beat the Philadelphia Phillies
6-5. Curt Gowdy
called the games for NBC with Tony Kubek
in 1972–1973 (meanwhile, Jim Simpson
and Sandy Koufax
called the backup telecasts), being joined in the latter season's telecasts by various celebrity guests (among them Dizzy Dean
, Joe DiMaggio
, Satchel Paige
, Bobby Riggs
, Dave DeBusschere
, Howard Cosell
, Mel Allen
, Danny Kaye
, and Willie Mays
) from both in and out of the baseball world. Joe Garagiola joined them in 1974–1975.
On June 18, 1977, in the New York Yankees
' 10-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox
in a nationally-televised game at Fenway Park
in Boston, Jim Rice
, a powerful hitter but a slow runner, hit a ball into right field that Reggie Jackson
seemed to get to without much speed, and Rice reached second base. Furious, Yankees manager Billy Martin
removed Jackson from the game without even waiting for the end of the inning, sending Paul Blair
out to replace him. When Jackson arrived at the dugout, Martin yelled that Jackson had shown him up. They argued, and Jackson said that Martin's heavy drinking had impaired his judgment. Despite Jackson being eighteen years younger, about two inches taller and maybe forty pounds heavier, Martin lunged at him, and had to be restrained by coaches Yogi Berra
and Elston Howard
. Red Sox fans could see this in the dugout and began cheering wildly, and the NBC TV cameras showed the confrontation to the entire country.
Under the initial agreement with ABC
, NBC
, and Major League Baseball (-), both networks paid $92.8 million. ABC paid $12.5 million per year to show 16 Monday night games in 1976
, 18 in the next three years, plus half the postseason (the League Championship Series
in even numbered years and World Series
in odd numbered years). NBC paid $10.7 million per year to show 25 Saturday Games of the Week and the other half of the postseason (the League Championship Series in odd numbered years and World Series in even numbered years).
Major League Baseball media director John Lazarus said of the new arrangement between NBC and ABC "Ratings
couldn't get more from one network so we approached another." NBC's Joe Garagiola wasn't very fond of the new broadcasting arrangement at first saying "I wished they hadn't got half the package. Still, 'Game', half of the postseason – we got lots left." By , income from TV accounted for a record 30% of the game's $500 million in revenues.
The 1980 World Series
is tied with the 1978 World Series
for the highest overall television ratings to date, with the six games averaging a Nielsen rating of 32.8 and a share of 56.
In 1981
, as means to recoup revenue lost during a players' strike, Major League Baseball set up a special additional playoff round (as a prelude to the League Championship Series). ABC televised the American League Division Series
while NBC televised the National League Division Series
. The Division Series round wouldn't be officially instituted until 14 years later. Games 1, 3 and 5 of the Phillies
/Expos
series and Games 2, 3 and 5 of the Dodgers
/Astros
series were regionally televised.
Even though Dick Enberg
did play-by-play for the 1981 NLCS
for NBC (working alongside Tom Seaver
), Merle Harmon
was for the most part, NBC's backup baseball play-by-play man (serving behind Joe Garagiola, who called that year's ALCS
for NBC with Tony Kubek
) in 1981
. Harmon's broadcast partner during this period was Ron Luciano
. In late 1979, Harmon left the Milwaukee Brewers
completely in favor of a multi-year pact with NBC. Harmon saw the NBC deal as a perfect opportunity since according to The Milwaukee Journal
he would make more money, get more exposure, and do less traveling. At NBC, Harmon did SportsWorld
, the backup Game of the Week, and served as a field reporter for the 1980 World Series
. Harmon most of all, had hoped to cover the American boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics
from Moscow
. After NBC pulled out of their scheduled coverage of the 1980 Summer Olympics, Harmon considered it to being "A great letdown." To add insult to injury, NBC fired Harmon in 1982 in favor of Bob Costas.
According to his autobiography, Oh My, Dick Enberg
(then the lead play-by-play voice for The NFL on NBC
) was informed by NBC that he would become the lead play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball Game of the Week
beginning with the 1982 World Series
(where he shared the play-by-play duties with Joe Garagiola alongisde analyst Tony Kubek
) and through subsequent regular seasons. He wrote that on his football trips, he would read every Sporting News to make sure he was current with all the baseball news and notes. Then he met with NBC executives in September 1982, and they informed him that Vin Scully
was in negotiations to be their lead baseball play-by-play man (teaming with Joe Garagiola while Tony Kubek would team with Bob Costas
) and would begin with the network in the spring of 1983. Therefore, rather than throw him in randomly for one World Series, Enberg wrote that he hosted the pregame/postgame shows while the team of Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek did the games. According to the book, Enberg was not pleased about the decision (since he loved being the California Angels
' radio voice in the 1970s and was eager to return to baseball) but the fact that NBC was bringing in Scully, arguably baseball's best announcer, was understandable. Enberg added that NBC also gave him a significant pay increase as a pseudo-apology for not coming through on the promise to make him the lead baseball play-by-play man.
On April 7, 1983, Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC agreed to terms of a six year television package worth $1.2 billion. The two networks would continue to alternate coverage of the playoffs
(ABC in even numbered years and NBC in odd numbered years), World Series (ABC would televise the World Series
in odd numbered years and NBC in even numbered years), and All-Star Game
(ABC would televise the All-Star Game in even numbered years and NBC in odd numbered years) through the 1989
season, with each of the 26 clubs receiving $7 million per year in return (even if no fans showed up). The last package gave each club $1.9 million per year. ABC contributed $575 million for regular season prime time and Sunday afternoons and NBC paid $550 million for thirty Saturday afternoon games.
The New York Times observed the performance of the team of Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola by saying "The duo of Scully and Garagiola is very good, and often even great, is no longer in dispute." A friend of Garagiola's said "He understood the cash" concerning NBC's 1984–1989 407%
Major League Baseball hike. At this point the idea was basically summarized as Vin Scully "being the star" whereas, Joe Garagiola was Pegasus
or NBC's junior light. When NBC inked a $550 million contract for six years in the fall of 1982
, a return on the investment so to speak demanded Vin Scully to be their star baseball announcer. Vin Scully reportedly made $2 million a year during his time with NBC in the 1980s. NBC Sports
head Thomas Watson said about Scully "He is baseball's best announcer. Why shouldn't he be ours?" Dick Enberg mused "No room for me. 'Game' had enough for two teams a week." Henry Hecht once wrote "NBC's Curt Gowdy
, Tony Kubek
, and Monte Moore
sounded like college radio rejects vs. Scully." Vin Scully earned approximately $2 million per year for his NBC baseball broadcasting duties. Scully also reworked his Dodgers schedule during this period, as he would only broadcast home games on the radio and road games for television.
When Tony Kubek
first teamed with Bob Costas
in , Kubek said "I'm not crazy about being assigned to the backup game, but it's no big ego deal." Costas said about working with Kubek "I think my humor loosened Tony, and his knowledge improved me." The team of Costas and Kubek proved to be a formidable pair. There were even some who preferred the team of Kubek and Costas over the musings of Vin Scully and the asides of Joe Garagiola. Costas was praised by fans for both his reverence and irreverence while Kubek was praised for his technical approach and historical perspective. One of the pair's most memorable broadcasts was the "Sandberg Game" on June 23, 1984. Bob Costas considered the Game of the Week his dream job saying "You can put a personal stamp on a baseball broadcast, be a reporter, something of a historian, a storyteller, conversationalist, dispenser of opinion."
Note: The networks got $9 million when Major League Baseball expanded the League Championship Series from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven in 1985. – NBC $75 million, ABC $66 million, total $141 million. – NBC $81 million, ABC $90 million, total $171 million. – NBC $90 million, ABC $96 million, total $186 million. – NBC $106 million, ABC $125 million, total $231 million.
After calling the 1988 World Series
with Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola resigned from NBC Sports
. Although it wasn't official at the time, NBC was on the verge of losing the television rights to cover Major League Baseball to CBS. Garagiola claimed that NBC left him "twisting" while he was trying to renegotiate his deal. Joe Garagiola was replaced by Tom Seaver
for the 1989
season.
NBC's final Major League Baseball broadcast was televised on October 9, 1989; Game 5 of the National League Championship Series
between the San Francisco Giants
and Chicago Cubs
from Candlestick Park. Vin Scully said "It's a passing of a great American tradition. It is sad. I really and truly feel that. It will leave a vast window, to use a Washington
word, where people will not get Major League Baseball and I think that's a tragedy. It's a staple that's gone. I feel for people who come to me and say how they miss it, and I hope me."
Bob Costas said that he would rather do a Game of the Week that got a 5 rating
than host a Super Bowl
. "Who thought baseball'd kill its best way to reach the public? It coulda kept us and CBS-we'd have kept the 'Game'-but it only cared about cash. Whatever else I did, I'd never have left 'Game of the Week'" Costas claimed. Tony Kubek
, who (as previously mentioned) teamed with Bob Costas since 1983
, said "I can't believe it!" when the subject came about NBC losing baseball for the first time since 1947
.
Arthur Watson, president of NBC Sports, said in a statement that NBC had aggressively bid to continue its 41-year involvement in baseball and was deeply saddened when learning of CBS' deal.
After NBC lost the Major League Baseball package to CBS, they aggressively counterprogrammed CBS' postseason baseball coverage with made-for-TV movies and miniseries geared towards female viewers.
and NBC
returned to Major League Baseball under the umbrella of a revenue
sharing venture called The Baseball Network
.
The Baseball Network kicked off its coverage on July 12, 1994 with the All-Star Game
out of Pittsburgh
's Three Rivers Stadium
. The game was televised on NBC with Bob Costas
, Joe Morgan
, and Bob Uecker
calling the action and Greg Gumbel
hosting the pre-game show. Helping with the interviews were Hannah Storm
and Johnny Bench
. The 1994 All-Star Game reportedly sold out all its advertising slots. This was considered an impressive financial accomplishment, given that one thirty-second spot cost $300,000.
After the All-Star Game was complete, NBC was scheduled to televise six regular season games on Fridays or Saturdays in prime time. The networks had exclusive rights for the 12 regular season dates, in that no regional or national cable service or over-the-air broadcaster may telecast a Major League Baseball game on those dates.
In even numbered years, NBC would have the rights to the All-Star Game and both League Championship Series
while ABC would have the World Series
and newly created Division Series
. In odd numbered years the postseason and All-Star Game television rights were supposed to alternate.
The long term plans for The Baseball Network crumbled when the players went on strike on August 12, 1994 (thus forcing the cancellation of the World Series
). In July 1995, ABC and NBC, who wound up having to share the duties of televising the 1995 World Series
as a way to recoup (with ABC broadcasting Games 1, 4, and 5 and NBC broadcasting Games 2, 3, and 6), announced that they were opting out of their agreement with Major League Baseball. Both networks figured that as the delayed baseball season opened without a labor agreement, there was no guarantee against another strike. Both networks soon publicly vowed to cut all ties with Major League Baseball for the remainder of the 20th century.
Five years after The Baseball Network dissolved, NBC Sports
play-by-play man Bob Costas
wrote in his book Fair Ball: A Fan's Case for Baseball that The Baseball Network was stupid and an abomination. Costas wrote that the agreement involving the World Series being the only instance of The Baseball Network broadcasting a national telecast, believed that it was an unprecedented surrender of prestige, as well as a slap to all serious fans. Unlike the National Hockey League
and the National Basketball Association
the so-called Big Two of North American professional sports leagues, the National Football League
and Major League Baseball
had nationally televised all playoff games for decades. While he believed that The Baseball Network fundamentally corrupted the game (except in Costas' point-of-view, the sense that the fans steadfast, spaniel-like loyalty), Costas himself acknowledged that the most impassioned fans in baseball were now prevented from watching many of the playoff games they wanted to see. Costas added that both the divisional series and the League Championship Series now merited scarcely higher priority than regional coverage provided for a Big Ten
football
game between Wisconsin
and Michigan
.
Despite of the failure of The Baseball Network, NBC
decided to stay on with Major League Baseball but on a far more restricted basis. Under the five year deal (from -) for a total of approximately $400 million, NBC didn't televise any regular season games. Instead, NBC only handled the All-Star Game
, three Division Series
games (on Tuesday/Friday/Saturday nights), and the American League Championship Series
in even numbered years and the World Series
, three Division Series games (also on Tuesday/Friday/Saturday nights), and National League Championship Series
in odd numbered years. Also around this particular period, NBC adapted composer Randy Edelman
's theme from the short-lived Fox
series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
. as the main theme music for their baseball telecasts. It should be mentioned however, that for their 1996 All-Star Game
coverage only, NBC used Edelman's "Emotions Run High" from the film The Big Green
as the baseball theme.
, West Coast
entertainment division president and former NBC Sports executive producer Don Ohlmeyer
came under fire after publicly announcing that he hoped that the World Series would end in a four game sweep. Ohlmeyer believed that baseball now lacked broad audience appeal (especially in the aftermath of the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike). As opposed to teams from the big three television markets (New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago) in the country, the 1997 World Series featured match-up of the upstart Florida Marlins
and the Cleveland Indians
, who made their second World Series appearance in three years. In addition, Ohlmeyer feared that the World Series would disrupt NBC's efforts to attract enough viewers for its new fall roster in order to stay on top of the ratings
heap. Ohlmeyer said "If the A&E
channel called, I'd take the call." Game 5 fell on a Thursday, which had long been the highest rated night on NBC's schedule
, if not on all of television.
In , Bob Uecker
abruptly left NBC Sports
before a chance to call the All-Star Game
from Coors Field
in Colorado
. Uecker underwent a back operation in which four discs were replaced. For the remainder of the contract (1998–2000), only Bob Costas
and Joe Morgan
called the games. Also in 1998
, NBC's coverage of the ALCS
was the highest rated
for any League Championship Series since before the 1994 strike. NBC averaged a 9.4 rating for the six games, which was a 6% increase than the network's coverage of the 1997 NLCS
in the same time slot. The rating was 13% more than Fox's ALCS coverage in 1997
and 12% more than NBC's coverage in 1996
.
, NBC's field reporter Jim Gray
, who had previously covered Major League Baseball for CBS, came under fire for a confrontational interview with banned all-time hit king Pete Rose
. Just prior to the start of Game 2 of the World Series
, Gray pushed Rose—on hand (by permission of Commissioner
Bud Selig
) at Atlanta
's Turner Field
as a fan-selected member of MasterCard
's All-Century Team
--to admit to having wagered on baseball games as manager of the Cincinnati Reds
ten years earlier. After NBC was flooded with tons of viewer complaints, Gray was forced to clarify (and apologize for) his actions to the viewers at home prior to Game 3. Regardless of Gray's sincerity, Game 3 hero Chad Curtis
of the New York Yankees
boycotted Gray's request for an interview live on camera; Curtis had hit a game winning home run to send the World Series 3–0 in the Yankees' favor. Curtis said to Gray "Because of what happened with Pete, we decided not to say anything."
Despite the heavy criticism he received, Gray offered no apology for his line of questioning toward Rose:
Although Dick Ebersol
(then-president of NBC Sports) and Keith Olbermann
—among others—have maintained that Gray was simply doing his job, Atlanta-based production assistant Shin Muraoka recalls the following:
In 2000
, NBC was caught in the dilemma of having to televise a first round playoff game between the New York Yankees
and Oakland Athletics
over the first presidential debate between George W. Bush
and Al Gore
. NBC decided to give its local stations the option of carrying the debate or the baseball game. If the NBC affiliate decided to carry the debate, then local Pax affiliate could carry the game. NBC also placed a crawl at the bottom of the screen to inform viewers that they could see the debate on its sister channel MSNBC
. On the other end, FOX said that it would carry baseball on the two nights when its schedule conflicts with the presidential or vice presidential debates. NBC spokeswoman Barbara Levin said "We have a contract with Major League Baseball. The commission was informed well in advance of their selecting the debate dates. If we didn't have the baseball conflict we would be televising it."
Although there has not been confirmation, anecdotal reports indicate that many NBC affiliates in swing states (i.e., Michigan
, Ohio
and Pennsylvania
) chose to air the debate over the baseball game. This is an option that CBS affiliates did not have in 1992
, when that network refused to break away from Game 4 of the American League Championship Series
(which had gone into extra innings) to the first Clinton
-Bush-Perot
debate. Like NBC and Fox would do in 2000, CBS cited its contract with Major League Baseball.
During NBC's coverage of the 2000 Division Series
, regular play-by-play man Bob Costas decided to take a breather after anchoring NBC's prime time coverage of the Summer Olympic Games
from Sydney. In Costas' place came Atlanta Braves
announcer Skip Caray
, who teamed with Joe Morgan before Costas' return for the ALCS
.
signed 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 is paying Major League Baseball $417 million per year, comes from the postseason, which not only attracts large audiences, but also provides an irreplaceable opportunity for the network to showcase its fall schedule to people who don’t otherwise watch much TV.
Under the previous five year deal with NBC
(1996
–2000
), 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 values 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. As previously mentioned, before 1990
, NBC had carried Major League Baseball (in some shape or form) since 1947
.
NBC Sports
chairman Dick Ebersol
added that it wasn't cost-effective
for NBC to be putting out the kind of money that Major League Baseball wanted.
As previously mentioned, Game 6 of the 2000 ALCS
is the last baseball game that NBC has televised to date. In Houston, due to the coverage of the 2000 Presidential Debate
, KPRC-TV
elected to carry NBC News
' coverage of the debate while KNWS-TV carried NBC's final baseball game.
In 2001
, Bob Costas
claimed that despite still loving the game, he now felt a certain alienation from the institution. By the time that NBC lost Major League Baseball for the second time in 12 years, the sport endured a strike, realignment, the wild card
, and NBC's complete loss of the regular season Game of the Week. Costas would add that since NBC only did a few games each year and he lacked the forum that he would eventually have (HBO's On the Record with Bob Costas
, Inside the NFL
, and Costas Now
as well as Costas on the Radio
) to express his views, he to some extent, started editorializing in games.
When asked about whether or not the fact that NBC no longer had the baseball rights was disappointing, Bob Costas said "I'm a little disappointed to lose baseball, but that's the way the business is. And it's not nearly as disappointing as it was when we lost it at the end of the '80s. Because then it was like baseball was the birthright for NBC. ... (Baseball is) not going to affect any decision that I have in the future. It's nowhere near as devastating as a decade ago. Different circumstances, different time. I miss it a little bit but not a lot. I am very philosophical about this stuff. I have had wonderful opportunities in my career and no one wants to hear me complain about anything."
In 2009
, Costas would become a contributor and occasional play-by-play announcer for MLB Network
.
A June 4, 2006 article from Broadcasting & Cable
stated that Fox
may have considered a partnership with another network (which ultimately, turned out to be TBS) for the next contract. NBC was the only network named in connection to a possible partnership in the article. The setup being suggested was similar to the last time NBC had the rights to baseball, that being NBC getting some League Championship Series
games and alternating the World Series
and All-Star Game
with Fox, who may or may not have kept the Game of the Week
.
The New York Times however, reported that NBC was unlikely to get baseball, as they would have to preempt up to three weeks of National Football League coverage on Sunday nights
. But the NFL used to not schedule a Sunday night game on the second night of the World Series, (also a Sunday) which meant that NBC was completely not out of the question (however, the following Sunday, which would possibly be Game 7 of the World Series, a Sunday night NFL game is scheduled). In addition to this, other Sunday playoff games, such as the ALCS and NLCS could be pushed to the afternoon. This might not be appetizing to baseball, as major playoff games would go up head-to-head against highly rated afternoon NFL games (as opposed to today's system, where only one game out of two for the day would go up against network NFL fare).
On July 11, 2006, Fox and Major League Baseball signed a seven-year contract which gives the network exclusive coverage of the All-Star Game and World Series through 2013. Also, Fox will retain the Fox Saturday Baseball Game of the Week and will broadcast one League Championship Series every year. This will rule out baseball returning to NBC until at least 2014, as the two annual showpiece events will not be available in any contract the network might obtain before then; currently, the owner of NBC Universal
, Comcast
, owns a 5.44% stake in the MLB Network
and featured a game with Bob Costas and Al Michaels in July 2011.
beginning in 1927
, with All-Star Game broadcasts added in 1933
. The Mutual
network joined NBC and CBS in 1935
; the three networks continued to share coverage of baseball's "jewels" in this manner through 1938
, with Mutual gaining exclusive rights to the World Series in 1939
and the All-Star Game in 1942
.
In 1957
, NBC replaced Mutual as the exclusive national radio broadcaster for the World Series and All-Star Game. The network would continue in this role through 1975
, with CBS taking over the rights the following year. NBC Radio did not air regular season games in this period (save for the three-game National League pennant playoff series in 1959
and 1962
); nor did the network cover the League Championship Series
from 1969
–1975
, those series instead having local team radio broadcasts syndicated nationally over ad hoc networks.
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
name for a weekly 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 televised on the 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...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
from 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
to 1989
1989 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
, and from 1994
1994 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ends prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason is played...
to 2000
2000 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - New York Yankees*Postseason - October 3 to October 26Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
. There have been several variations of the program dating back to the 1940s, including The NBC Game of the Week
Major League Baseball Game of the Week
The Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
and Baseball Night in America.
History
From 19471947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
–1956
1956 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers ; Don Larsen, MVP*All-Star Game, July 10 at Griffith Stadium: National League, 7-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cienfuegos *College World Series: Minnesota...
and again in 1965
1965 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Minnesota Twins ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Metropolitan Stadium: National League, 6-5; Juan Marichal, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Arizona State...
, NBC only aired 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...
(beginning in 1950
1950 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies *All-Star Game, July 11 at Comiskey Park: National League, 4-3 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Carta Vieja *College World Series: Texas...
) 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...
. From 1957
1957 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California...
–1989
1989 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
, they aired the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week (or a variation of it prior to 1966
1966 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Frank Robinson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at Busch Stadium: National League, 2–1 ; Brooks Robinson, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Ohio State...
, when NBC didn't have exclusive over-the-air rights). From 1994
1994 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ends prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason is played...
–1995
1995 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians ; Tom Glavine, MVP*All-Star Game, July 11 at The Ballpark in Arlington: National League, 3-2; Jeff Conine, MVP-Other champions:...
, they aired games under the umbrella called 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...
. And from 1996
1996 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; John Wetteland, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Bernie Williams**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Javy López...
–2000
2000 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - New York Yankees*Postseason - October 3 to October 26Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
, NBC only aired postseason games (three 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 in prime time, 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 even numbered years, and the 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...
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...
in odd numbered years) as well as 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...
in even numbered years (years NBC didn't have the rights to the World Series).
To date, Game 6 of the 2000 American League Championship Series
2000 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 at Yankee Stadium started as a pitchers' duel between Mariners' Freddy García and Yankees' Denny Neagle. Neither team would score until the top of the fifth when Mark McLemore hit a two-out ground rule double off Neagle...
(October 17, 2000) was the last Major League Baseball game televised by NBC.
1930s
NBC television's relationship with 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...
technically dates back to August 26, 1939. It was on that particular date that W2XBS (an experimental television station out of New York City which would ultimately become NBC's flagship station, WNBC) the first ever Major League Baseball game was televised. With Red Barber
Red Barber
Walter Lanier "Red" Barber was an American sportscaster.Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds , Brooklyn Dodgers , and New York Yankees...
announcing, the Brooklyn Dodgers
1939 Brooklyn Dodgers season
The Brooklyn Dodgers started the year with a new manager, Leo Durocher, who became both the team's manager and starting shortstop. They also became the first New York team to have a regular radio broadcast, with Red Barber handed the announcers job...
and the Cincinnati Reds
1939 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished first in the National League, winning the pennant by 4½ games over the St. Louis Cardinals with a record of 97-57...
played a doubleheader at Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
. The Reds won the first 5–2 while the Dodgers won the second, 6–1. Barber called the game without the benefit of a monitor and with only two cameras capturing the game. One camera was on Barber and the other was behind the plate. Barber had to guess from which light was on and where it pointed.
1940s
By 19471947 in television
The year 1947 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1947.-Events:*January 3 – Proceedings of the U.S...
, television sets (most with five and seven-inch screens) were selling almost as fast as they could be produced. Because of this, Major League teams began televising games and attracted a whole new audience in to ballparks in the process. This was because, people who had only casually followed baseball began going to the games in person and enjoying themselves. As a result, the following year, Major League attendance reached a record high of 21 million.
1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
also saw the first televised World Series
1947 World Series
The 1947 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning the Series in seven games for their first title since , and the eleventh championship in team history...
. The games were shown in the New York area by 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...
and sponsored by Gillette and Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. The 1947 World Series brought in an estimated 3.9 million people, becoming television's first mass audience.
1950s
In 19501950 in television
The year 1950 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1950.-Events:*February 12 – European Broadcasting Union inaugurated....
, the Mutual Broadcasting System
Major League Baseball on Mutual
Major League Baseball on Mutual was the de facto title of the Mutual Broadcasting System's national radio coverage of Major League Baseball games. Mutual's coverage came about during the Golden Age of Radio in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. During this period, television sports broadcasting was in its...
acquired the television broadcast rights to the World Series and All-Star Game for the next six years. Mutual may have been reindulging in TV network dreams or simply taking advantage of a long-standing business relationship; in either case, the broadcast rights were sold to NBC in time for the following season's games at an enormous profit.
On October 3, 1951, NBC aired the first coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
-to-coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
baseball telecast as the Brooklyn Dodgers
1951 Brooklyn Dodgers season
The Brooklyn Dodgers led the National League for much of the season, holding a 13 game lead as late as August. However, a late season swoon and a hot streak by the New York Giants led to a classic three-game playoff series...
were beaten by the New York Giants
1951 New York Giants (MLB) season
The New York Giants season saw the Giants finish the regular season in a tie for first place in the National League with a record of 96 wins and 58 losses. This prompted a three-game playoff against the Brooklyn Dodgers, which the Giants won in three games, clinched by Bobby Thomson's walk-off...
in the final game of a playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
series by the score of 5–4 (off Bobby Thomson
Bobby Thomson
Robert Brown "Bobby" Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot", he was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants , Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles .His season-ending three-run...
's home run
Shot Heard 'Round the World (baseball)
In baseball, the "Shot Heard 'round the World" is the term given to the walk-off home run hit by New York Giants outfielder Bobby Thomson off Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds to win the National League pennant at 3:58 p.m...
). 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...
called the game for Giants television flagship WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
—the independent station's broadcast was carried nationally on the NBC network, the first coast-to-coast live telecast of a Major League Baseball game—and his description of the home run was a simple shout of "It's gone!" almost at the moment Thomson's bat struck Ralph Branca
Ralph Branca
Ralph Theodore Joseph Branca is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.From 1944 through 1956, Branca played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Detroit Tigers , and New York Yankees...
's pitch. Harwell later admitted he had probably called it "too soon", but fortunately for him, the call proved to be correct. "And then," Harwell recalled, "the pictures took over."
On January 31, 1953, the New York Yankees
1953 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 51st season for the team in New York, and its 53rd season overall. The team finished with a record of 99-52, winning their 20th pennant, finishing 8.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home...
, Cleveland Indians
1953 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the American League with a record of 92-62, 8½ games behind the New York Yankees.- Offseason :* December 11, 1952: Earl Averill, Jr...
, and Boston Red Sox
1953 Boston Red Sox season
The 1953 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing fourth in the American League with a record of 84 wins and 69 losses.- Offseason :...
joined forces against St. Louis Browns
1953 St. Louis Browns season
The St. Louis Browns season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Browns finishing 8th in the American League with a record of 54 wins and 100 losses, 46½ games behind the AL and World Series champion New York Yankees in their 52nd and final season in the Gateway City...
owner Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
. The respective franchises tried to force the Browns to play afternoon games in an attempt to avoid having to share television revenues. A month later, Major League Baseball owners received a warning from Senator Edwin Johnson
Edwin C. Johnson
Edwin Carl Johnson was a Democratic Party politician who served as Governor of the state of Colorado.-Background:...
about nationally televising their games. Johnson's theory was that nationally televising baseball games would be a threat to the survival of minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. The owners pretty much ignored Johnson since the games on NBC in particular, were gaining a large and loyal following.
Another first for NBC during this period was the first color telecast of a 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...
, the 1955
1955 World Series
The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won in Brooklyn . The last time the Brooklyn franchise won a World...
matchup between the Brooklyn Dodgers
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers season
In , the Brooklyn Dodgers finally fulfilled the promise of many previous Dodger teams. Although the club had won several pennants in the past, and had won as many as 105 games in 1953, it had never won a World Series. This team finished 13.5 games ahead in the National League pennant race, leading...
and the New York Yankees
1955 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 53rd season in New York, and its 55th season overall. The team finished with a record of 96-58, winning their 21st pennant, finishing 3 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home games at...
.
1957 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California...
, NBC started airing weekend Game of the Week
Major League Baseball Game of the Week
The Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
telecasts (Sunday telecasts were added in 1959
1959 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox ; Larry Sherry, MVP*All-Star Game , July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4*All-Star Game , August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3...
) with Lindsey Nelson
Lindsey Nelson
Lindsey Nelson was an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of college football and New York Mets baseball.-Early life and career:...
and Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
calling the action. NBC during this period (as rival CBS had the rights to broadcast at least eight teams), typically broadcast from Pittsburgh
1957 Pittsburgh Pirates season
- Regular season :The Pittsburgh Pirates played the Brooklyn Dodgers in the final game at Ebbets Field. The game was contested on September 24, 1957, and Brooklyn pitcher Danny McDevitt pitched a complete game. He had nine strikeouts while allowing just five hits...
's Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
, Chicago
1957 Chicago Cubs season
- Offseason :* November 13, 1956: Don Hoak, Warren Hacker, and Pete Whisenant were traded by the Cubs to the Cincinnati Redlegs for Ray Jablonski and Elmer Singleton....
's 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...
, or Milwaukee
1957 Milwaukee Braves season
The Milwaukee Braves season was the year that the team won its first and only World Series championship while based in Milwaukee. The Braves won 95 games and lost 59 to win the National League pennant by eight games over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals....
's County Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium was a ballpark in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1953 to 2000. It was primarily used as a baseball stadium for the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers, but was also used for football games, ice skating, religious services, concerts and other large events...
. NBC purchased the rights to 11 Milwaukee Braves games, 11 Pittsburgh Pirates games, two Washington Senators
1957 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 55 games, lost 99, and finished in eighth place in the American League. They were managed by Chuck Dressen and Cookie Lavagetto and played home games at Griffith Stadium.- Notable transactions :...
games, and two Chicago Cubs games. Leo Durocher was succeeded as color commentator by Fred Haney
Fred Haney
Fred Girard Haney was an American third baseman, manager, coach and executive in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he won two pennants and a world championship with the Milwaukee Braves and, as an executive, he was the first general manager of the expansion Los Angeles Angels of the American...
in 1960
1960 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees ; Bobby Richardson, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5-3*All-Star Game , July 13 at Yankee Stadium: National League, 6-0...
, and Joe Garagiola
Joe Garagiola
Joseph Henry "Joe" Garagiola, Sr. is an American former catcher in Major League Baseball who later became an announcer and television host, popular for his colorful personality. He was well known for being one of the regular panelists of The Today Show on NBC for many years.-Early life:Garagiola...
in 1961
1961 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds ; Whitey Ford, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Candlestick Park: National League, 5-4 *All-Star Game , July 31 at Fenway Park: 1–1 tie...
, while Bob Wolff
Bob Wolff
Robert "Bob" Wolff , in New York City, New York is an American sportscaster. He was the radio and TV voice of the Washington Senators from 1947 to 1960, continuing with the team when they relocated and became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. In 1962, he joined NBC-TV...
replaced Nelson on play-by-play in 1962
1962 in baseball
The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40–120 record of the New York Mets, the third-worst winning percentage and the record for most games lost since 1900.-Major League Baseball:...
.
From 1958
1958 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves ; Bob Turley, MVP*All-Star Game, July 8 at Memorial Stadium: American League, 4-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: USC...
to 1960
1960 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees ; Bobby Richardson, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5-3*All-Star Game , July 13 at Yankee Stadium: National League, 6-0...
, NBC aired a special regional feed of its games in the southeast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, where NBC had a different sponsor (e.g. National Bohemian
National Bohemian
National Bohemian Beer, colloquially called Natty Boh, National Boh or just plain Boh, is an American beer originally brewed in Baltimore, Maryland, but now brewed by the Miller Brewing Company in Eden, North Carolina, and distributed by the Pabst Brewing Company...
beer) than for the rest of the country. This feed featured its own announcing team, with Chuck Thompson
Chuck Thompson
Charles L. "Chuck" Thompson was an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles and the National Football League's Baltimore Colts...
calling the games with Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
(1958) and Al Rosen
Al Rosen
Albert Leonard Rosen , nicknamed "Al", "Flip", and the "Hebrew Hammer", is a former American professional baseball player who was a third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in tthe 1940s and 1950s.He played his entire 10-year career with the Cleveland Indians in...
(1959
1959 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox ; Larry Sherry, MVP*All-Star Game , July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4*All-Star Game , August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3...
-60). NBC never had a true backup game until 1966
1966 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Frank Robinson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at Busch Stadium: National League, 2–1 ; Brooks Robinson, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Ohio State...
, when they got network Game of the Week exclusivity. In the process, the brought in Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
and Pee Wee Reese
Pee Wee Reese
Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted...
for primary game, and Jim Simpson
Jim Simpson (sportscaster)
Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters...
and Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
for the alternate (which was always shown in the markets of teams playing in the primary game) game.
1960–1965
As previously mentioned, in , NBC hired Joe Garagiola to be their Major League Baseball colorman. The following year, Bob WolffBob Wolff
Robert "Bob" Wolff , in New York City, New York is an American sportscaster. He was the radio and TV voice of the Washington Senators from 1947 to 1960, continuing with the team when they relocated and became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. In 1962, he joined NBC-TV...
began play-by-play. "You work your side of the street [interviewing players]," said Garagiola to Wolff "and I'll work mine." Wolff liked Garagiola's pizazz as he would say stuff like "The guy stapled him to the bag" or a runner's "smilin' like he swallowed a banana peel." Also in , NBC broadcast the National League tie-breaker series
1962 National League tie-breaker series
The 1962 National League tie-breaker series was a three-game playoff series to determine the winner of Major League Baseball's National League pennant. The games took place from October 1 to 3, 1962, between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. The Giants won the series two games...
between the San Francisco Giants
1962 San Francisco Giants season
The 1962 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in first place in the National League with a record of 103 wins and 62 losses. They finished the season tied with their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, for first place in the league, necessitating a three-game tiebreaker playoff to...
and Los Angeles Dodgers
1962 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers season was the fifth for the team in Southern California, and the 73rd for the franchise in the National League. After spending the previous four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, they began the season by opening Dodger Stadium, the team's new ballpark. The...
. Bob Wolff and George Kell
George Kell
George Clyde Kell was an American baseball third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and Baltimore Orioles in the American League, who went on to become a baseball broadcaster for 40 years.-Playing career:In college, Kell...
were the announcers for the playoff series. Bob Wolff also hosted the pregame shows for NBC's World Series coverage from 1962
1962 World Series
The 1962 World Series matched the defending American League and World Series champions New York Yankees against the National League champion San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since 1954 and first since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a...
-1965
1965 World Series
The 1965 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the American League champion Minnesota Twins, who had won their first pennant since 1933 when the team was known as the Washington Senators...
.
By , CBS' Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
and Pee Wee Reese
Pee Wee Reese
Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted...
called games from Yankee Stadium
1964 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 62nd season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 99-63, winning their 29th pennant, finishing 1 game ahead of the Chicago White Sox. New York was managed by Yogi Berra. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they were defeated...
, Wrigley Field
1964 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs finished in eighth place in the National League, as they went 76-86, 17 games behind the NL and World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.- Offseason :...
, St. Louis
1964 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 83rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 73rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 93-69 during the season and finished first in the National League, edging the co-runner-ups Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies by one game each on...
, Philadelphia
1964 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 82nd season for the franchise in Philadelphia. The Phillies finished in a second-place tie in the National League with the Cincinnati Reds, while posting a record of 92-70. The teams finished one game behind the NL and World Series champion St. Louis...
, and Baltimore
1964 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1964 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 3rd in the American League with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses, two games behind the AL champion New York Yankees.- Offseason :...
. New York got $
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....
550,000 of CBS' $895,000. Meanwhile, six clubs that exclusively played nationally televised games on NBC got $1.2 million.
1960s
In , the New York Yankees1966 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 64th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 70-89, finishing 26.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. New York was managed by Johnny Keane and Ralph Houk. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
, who in the year before, played 21 Games of the Week
Major League Baseball Game of the Week
The Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
for CBS joined NBC's package. The new package under NBC called for 28 games compared to 's three-network 123. On October 19, 1966, NBC
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
signed a three year contract with Major League Baseball. The year before, NBC lost the rights to the Saturday-Sunday Game of the Week (they only covered the All-Star Game
1965 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1965 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 36th 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 13, 1965 at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota...
and World Series
1965 World Series
The 1965 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the American League champion Minnesota Twins, who had won their first pennant since 1933 when the team was known as the Washington Senators...
in ) to ABC. In addition, the previous deal limited CBS to covering only 12 weekends when its new subsidiary, the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, played at home. As previously mentioned, before 1965
1965 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Minnesota Twins ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Metropolitan Stadium: National League, 6-5; Juan Marichal, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Arizona State...
, NBC aired a slate of Saturday afternoon games beginning in .
Under the new deal, NBC paid roughly $
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....
6 million per year for the 25 Games of the Week, $6.1 million for the 1967 World Series
1967 World Series
The 1967 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the 1946 World Series, with the Cardinals winning in seven games for their second championship in four years and their eighth overall...
and 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...
, and $6.5 million for the 1968 World Series
1968 World Series
The 1968 World Series featured the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Tigers winning in seven games for their first championship since 1945, and the third in their history...
and 1968 All-Star Game
1968 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1968 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 39th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
. This brought the total value of the contract (which included three Monday night telecasts such as a Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
1966 contest between the San Francisco Giants
1966 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Giants finished second in the National League with a record of 93 wins and 68 losses, a game-and-a-half behind their arch-rivals, the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :...
and Los Angeles Dodgers
1966 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League championship with a 95–67 record , but lost to the Baltimore Orioles in four games in the World Series.-Regular season:...
) up to $30.6 million.
On April 16, 1966 in New York City, about fifty baseball, network, and ad officials discussed NBC's first year with the Game of the Week. New York could not get a primary match-up between the Detroit Tigers
1966 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was the 66th consecutive season for the Detroit franchise in the American League. The Tigers, who had finished fourth in the ten-team AL in 1965 with an 89-73 record, won one fewer game in 1966, going 88-74, but moved up to third in the league, ten full games behind the...
and New York Yankees
1966 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 64th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 70-89, finishing 26.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. New York was managed by Johnny Keane and Ralph Houk. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
with Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
and Pee Wee Reese
Pee Wee Reese
Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted...
calling the action because of local blackout rules. Instead, New York got a backup game (or "'B' game") featuring Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
and Jim Simpson
Jim Simpson (sportscaster)
Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters...
calling a game between the Cincinnati Reds
1966 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds finishing in seventh place in the National League with a record of 76-84, 18 games behind the NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers...
and Chicago Cubs
1966 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs season was the 94th in franchise history. One of the defining trades in Cubs history occurred on April 21, when the Cubs acquired future Cy Young Award winner Ferguson Jenkins in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies.- Offseason :...
. That rule would be eliminated after the season.
NBC, replacing 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...
traded a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
for a seminar. Pee Wee Reese
Pee Wee Reese
Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted...
said "Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
was its guy (1966–1975), and didn't want Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
- too overpowering. Curt was nice, but worried about mistakes. Diz and I just laughed." Falstaff Brewery hyped Dean as Gowdy in return said "I said, 'I can't do "Wabash Cannonball
Wabash Cannonball
"The Wabash Cannonball" is an American folk song about a fictional train, thought to have originated in the late nineteenth century. Its first documented appearance was on sheet music published in 1882, titled "" and credited to J. A. Roff...
." Our styles clash.-" then came Pee Wee Reese. Gowdy added by saying about the pairing between him and Reese "They figured he was fine with me, and they'd still have their boy." To many, baseball meant CBS' 1955–1964 Game of the Week thoroughbred. A year later, NBC bought ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's variant of a mule so to speak. "We had the Series and All-Star Game. 1966–1968's Game meant exclusivity," said NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
head Carl Lindemann. Lindemann added by saying "[Colleague] Chet Simmons
Chet Simmons
Chester Robert "Chet" Simmons was an American sports executive, working at three different television networks sports divisions before becoming the first Commissioner of the United States Football League in 1982.Born in New York City on July 11, 1928, Simmons...
and liked him [Gowdy] with the Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
-" also, getting two network sports for the price of one. As his analyst, Gowdy wanted his friend Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
. NBC's lead sponsor, Chrysler said no when Williams, a Sears
Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is a retail conglomerate formed in 2005 by the merger of Sears, Roebuck and Co., of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, with Kmart Holdings Corporation, of Troy, Michigan...
spokesman, was pictured putting stuff in a Ford truck.
Before 1966, local announcers exclusively called the World Series. Typically, the Gillette Company, the Commissioner of Baseball
Commissioner of Baseball
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...
, and NBC television would choose the announcers. The announcers represented each of the teams that were in the World Series for the respective year. For the 1966 World Series
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
, Curt Gowdy aired half of each set to while in 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...
and Baltimore, Maryland, got Vin Scully and Chuck Thompson
Chuck Thompson
Charles L. "Chuck" Thompson was an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles and the National Football League's Baltimore Colts...
, respectively, did the rest. Scully was not satisfied with the arrangement as he said "What about the road? My fans won't be able to hear me." In Game 1 of the 1966 World Series, Vin Scully called the first 4½ innings. When Curt Gowdy inherited the announcing reigns, Scully was so upset that he refused to say another word.
Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
initially had trouble adjusting to the world of broadcasting. Although he had a lot to say, he was gangling, he tended to stutter
Stuttering
Stuttering , also known as stammering , is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds...
, and talked too fast. Curt Gowdy soon suggested to Kubek that he should work offseason to improve his delivery. Buying a recorder, Kubek often read poetry aloud for 20 minutes a day. In , Tony Kubek wowed as a World Series
1968 World Series
The 1968 World Series featured the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Tigers winning in seven games for their first championship since 1945, and the third in their history...
field reporter. Pee Wee Reese, who was soon fired by NBC (and replaced by Kubek as the top analyst) said of Kubek "He wormed his way around, but I wasn't bitter. I just think if you don't have anything to say, you should shut your mouth."
Schedules
| Date | Teams | Play-by-play | Color commentator Color commentator A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the... (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/15/67 | Los Angeles @ St. Louis San Francisco @ Atlanta |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 4/22/67 | Kansas City @ Baltimore Pittsburgh @ Chicago Cubs |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 4/29/67 | Detroit @ Baltimore Cleveland @ Chicago White Sox |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/6/67 | San Francisco @ Pittsburgh St. Louis @ Chicago Cubs |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/13/67 | Atlanta @ Pittsburgh Detroit @ Boston |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/20/67 | Los Angeles @ Chicago Cubs Washington @ Detroit |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 5/27/67 | Los Angeles @ San Francisco | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/3/67 | Atlanta @ Cincinnati Detroit @ New York Yankees |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/10/67 | Baltimore @ Minnesota Chicago White Sox @ New York Yankees |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/17/67 | St. Louis @ San Francisco Kansas City @ Detroit |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/24/67 | Chicago White Sox @ Minnesota | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 7/1/67 | Cincinnati @ Chicago Cubs | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 7/8/67 | Boston @ Detroit | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 7/15/67 | Chicago Cubs @ Los Angeles | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 7/22/67 | Atlanta @ St. Louis | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 7/29/67 | Detroit @ Chicago White Sox | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 8/5/67 | Boston @ Minnesota | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 8/12/67 | Chicago White Sox @ Minnesota | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 8/19/67 | California @ Boston | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 8/26/67 | Boston 1967 Boston Red Sox season The Boston Red Sox season, often referred to as The Impossible Dream, consisted of the Red Sox shocking New England and the rest of the baseball world by winning the American League Championship and reaching the World Series for the first time since 1946... @ Chicago White Sox 1967 Chicago White Sox season The 1967 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 67th season in the major leagues, and its 68th season overall. They finished with a record 89-73, good enough for fourth place in the American League, 3 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox.- Offseason :... |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 9/2/67 | Chicago White Sox @ Boston | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 9/9/67 | Detroit @ Chicago White Sox | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 9/16/67 | Baltimore @ Boston | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 9/23/67 | Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 9/30/67 | Minnesota @ Boston California @ Detroit |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 4/13/68 | St. Louis @ Chicago Cubs | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 4/20/68 | Cleveland @ Boston Detroit @ Chicago White Sox |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 4/27/68 | Chicago White Sox @ Minnesota | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/4/68 | St. Louis @ San Francisco | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/11/68 | Chicago White Sox @ Oakland | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/18/68 | Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/25/68 | Boston @ Minnesota | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/1/68 | St. Louis @ New York Mets Baltimore @ Boston |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/15/68 | Detroit @ Chicago White Sox | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/22/68 | Atlanta @ St. Louis Detroit @ Cleveland |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 6/29/68 | Cleveland @ Boston St. Louis @ Chicago Cubs |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 7/6/68 | St. Louis @ San Francisco Minnesota @ Boston |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 7/13/68 | Los Angeles @ Atlanta Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 7/20/68 | Baltimore @ Detroit Oakland @ Minnesota |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 7/27/68 | St. Louis @ Pittsburgh | Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 8/3/68 | Detroit @ Minnesota Oakland @ Cleveland |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 8/10/68 | Boston @ Detroit Pittsburgh @ Houston |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 8/17/68 | Detroit @ Boston Baltimore @ Minnesota |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 8/24/68 | Detroit @ New York Yankees Cleveland @ Washington |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 8/31/68 | Baltimore @ Detroit | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 9/7/68 | San Francisco @ St. Louis Chicago White Sox @ Baltimore |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 9/14/68 | Oakland @ Detroit St. Louis @ Houston |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 9/21/68 | St. Louis @ Los Angeles Atlanta @ San Francisco |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... and Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 9/28/68 | Houston 1968 Houston Astros season The Houston Astros season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Astros finishing in tenth place in the National League, with a record of 72-90, 25 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals... @ St. Louis 1968 St. Louis Cardinals season The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 87th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 77th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 97-65 during the season, winning their second consecutive NL pennant, this time by nine games over the San Francisco Giants. They lost in 7 games to the... Washington 1968 Washington Senators season The Washington Senators season involved the Senators finishing 10th in the American League with a record of 65 wins and 96 losses.- Offseason :... @ Detroit 1968 Detroit Tigers season The Detroit Tigers won the 1968 World Series, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 3. The 1968 baseball season, known as the "Year of the Pitcher," was the Tigers' 68th since they entered the American League in 1901, their eighth pennant, and third World Series championship... |
||
| 4/12/69 | San Francisco @ San Diego | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 4/19/69 | Oakland @ Kansas City Seattle @ Chicago White Sox |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 4/26/69 | Boston @ Detroit Minnesota @ Chicago White Sox |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/3/69 | Philadelphia @ St. Louis San Diego @ Cincinnati |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/10/69 | Cincinnati @ Montreal San Francisco @ Chicago Cubs |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/17/69 | Detroit @ Minnesota Washington @ Chicago White Sox |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/24/69 | St. Louis @ Los Angeles Pittsburgh @ San Francisco |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 5/31/69 | Detroit @ Seattle Minnesota @ Boston |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/7/69 | Cincinnati @ Chicago Cubs Washington @ Minnesota |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/14/69 | Baltimore @ Chicago White Sox Cleveland @ Minnesota |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/21/69 | San Francisco @ Atlanta Montreal @ Chicago Cubs |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 6/28/69 | Detroit @ Baltimore St. Louis @ Chicago Cubs |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 7/5/69 | Oakland @ Minnesota Baltimore @ Detroit |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 7/12/69 | Philadelphia @ Chicago Cubs Pittsburgh @ St. Louis |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 7/19/69 | Los Angeles @ San Francisco New York @ Montreal |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 7/26/69 | Los Angeles @ Chicago San Francisco @ St. Louis |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 8/2/69 | Baltimore @ Minnesota Chicago White Sox @ Detroit |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 8/9/69 | California @ Boston New York Mets @ Atlanta |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 8/16/69 | Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati St. Louis @ Atlanta |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 8/23/69 | Houston @ Chicago Cubs New York Yankees @ Minnesota |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 8/30/69 | Boston @ Minnesota Chicago Cubs @ Atlanta |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 9/6/69 | Pittsburgh @ Chicago Cubs Philadelphia @ New York Mets |
Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... Jim Simpson Jim Simpson (sportscaster) Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers... |
| 9/13/69 | Cincinnati @ San Francisco | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 9/20/69 | Los Angeles @ San Francisco | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
| 9/27/69 | San Francisco @ Los Angeles | Curt Gowdy Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,... |
Tony Kubek Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster.... |
1970–1975
In , Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
signed a ten-year contract with NBC for $1 million to be a broadcaster on the Saturday Game of the Week. Koufax never felt comfortable being in front of the camera; he quit before the season.
On October 13, 1971, the World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
held a night game for the very first time. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kent Kuhn was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, , to September 30,...
, who felt that baseball could attract a larger audience by featuring a prime time telecast (as opposed to a mid-afternoon broadcast, when most fans either worked or attended school), pitched the idea to NBC. An estimated 61 million people watched Game 4 on NBC; TV ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for a World Series game during the daytime hours would not have approached such a record number.
For World Series night games, NBC normally came on the air for baseball at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
North 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...
for the pregame show (with first pitch around 8:20–8:25). However, in 1986
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
and 1988
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
, for Game 5 of the World Series (on Thursday night), NBC did not come on the air for baseball until 8:30. This allowed them to air the highly rated Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
in its normal Thursday, 8:00 p.m. timeslot. NBC went with a very short pregame show and got to the first pitch at around 8:40 p.m.
So starting in , Joe Garagiola and Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
alternated as the Saturday Game of Week play-by-play announcers with Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
doing color analysis. Then on weeks in which NBC had Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs most Monday nights during the regular season on ESPN and is also available in high definition on ESPNHD. The official name of the game is Monday Night Baseball presented by Vonage. The game starts at 7 p.m...
, Gowdy and Garagiola worked together. One would call play-by-play for four and a half innings, the other would handle color analysis. Then in the bottom of the 5th inning, their roles switched. Ultimately, in November 1975, Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
forced NBC to totally remove Curt Gowdy from NBC's top baseball team. Instead, they wanted their spokesman, Joe Garagiola, to call all "A" regular season games, All-Star Games (when NBC had them), the top League Championship Series (when NBC had it), and the World Series (when NBC had it).
Another factor behind Gowdy's dismissal was because of criticism from the national media alleging that he sided with the Boston Red Sox
1975 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing first in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 65 losses...
(a franchise that he had covered prior to his days at NBC) over a controversial play in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the 1975 World Series
1975 World Series
The 1975 World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds . It has been ranked by ESPN as the second-greatest World Series ever played...
. Cincinnati Reds
1975 Cincinnati Reds season
The 1975 Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Reds winning the National League West with a record of 108-54, 20 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds went on to win the National League Championship Series by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in...
pitcher Ed Armbrister
Ed Armbrister
Edison Rosanda "Ed" Armbrister is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who had a five-year career from 1973 through 1977 with the Cincinnati Reds...
reached base on what was ruled an error by Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk
Carlton Fisk
Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...
on Armbrister's bunt attempt. Gowdy said numerous times that, in his opinion, Armbrister had interfered with Fisk. Gowdy had been given the correct interpretation by NBC Radio Producer Jay Scott (who was a Triple-A fill-in umpire at the time as well), but did not use it. Umpire Larry Barnett
Larry Barnett
Lawrence Robert Barnett is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1969 to 1999 before becoming the major leagues' supervisor of umpires in 2000-2001.-Career:...
claimed he had received death threats on account of Gowdy's criticism. Prior to Game 2 of the 1986 World Series
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
, NBC did a feature on replays narrated by Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
. One of the plays cited by Costas was the Armbrister play, and Barnett and Costas both insisted that Barnett had made the correct call, although Barnett declared, "You won't find many people in Boston who believe it was the right call." Costas used the feature to condemn the suggested notion of instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
to settle calls, noting that it was the "same kind of mentality that adds color to classic movies and calls it progress."
NBC hoped that, in replacing Curt Gowdy, Joe Garagiola's charm and unorthodox dwelling on the personal would stop the a decade-long ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
dive for the Game of the Week. Instead, the ratings bobbed from 6.7 (1977) via 7.5 (1978) to 6.3 (1981–1982). "Saturday had a constituency but it didn't swell" said NBC Sports executive producer Scotty Connal. Some believed that millions missed Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
while local-team TV split the audience. Scotty Connal believed that the team of Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek were "A great example of black and white". Connal added by saying "A pitcher throws badly to third, Joe says, 'The third baseman's fault.' Tony: 'The pitcher's'." Media critic Gary Deeb termed theirs "the finest baseball commentary ever carried on network TV."
While Gowdy was on hand in the press box for Carlton Fisk's legendary home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, the actual calls went to two of Gowdy's Red Sox successors, 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:...
on TV and Ned Martin
Ned Martin
Edwin Martin was an American sportscaster, known primarily as a play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox from to...
on radio. Gowdy was Martin's color man on that home run. Meanwhile, according to the NBC cameraman Lou Gerard located above the third base stands, cameramen at the time were instructed to follow the flight of the ball. Instead Gerard was distracted by a rat nearby, thus he lost track of the baseball and instead decided to capture the image of Fisk "magically" waving the ball fair.
Monday Night Baseball
From –, NBC televised Monday games under a contract worth $72 million. In , NBC extended the Monday night
Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs most Monday nights during the regular season on ESPN and is also available in high definition on ESPNHD. The official name of the game is Monday Night Baseball presented by Vonage. The game starts at 7 p.m...
telecasts (with a local blackout
Blackout (broadcasting)
Blackout usually relates to the broadcasting of sports events, television programming, that is prohibited in a certain media market.The purpose is theoretically to generate more revenue by obliging certain actions from fans, either by making them buy tickets or watch other games on TV...
) to 15 straight. September 1, 1975 saw NBC's last Monday Night Baseball game, in which the Montréal Expos
1975 Montreal Expos season
-Offseason:* December 4, 1974: Tom Walker and Terry Humphrey were traded by the Expos to the Detroit Tigers for Woodie Fryman.* December 4, 1974: Mike Torrez and Ken Singleton were traded by the Expos to the Baltimore Orioles for Dave McNally, Rich Coggins, and Bill Kirkpatrick .* December 5, 1974:...
beat the Philadelphia Phillies
1975 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 93rd in the history of the franchise. The Phillies finished in second place in the National League East with a record of 86-76, 6½ games behind the NL East champion Pittsburgh Pirates.- Offseason :...
6-5. Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
called the games for NBC with Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
in 1972–1973 (meanwhile, Jim Simpson
Jim Simpson (sportscaster)
Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters...
and Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
called the backup telecasts), being joined in the latter season's telecasts by various celebrity guests (among them Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
, Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
, Bobby Riggs
Bobby Riggs
Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947...
, Dave DeBusschere
Dave DeBusschere
David Albert DeBusschere was an American NBA and major league baseball player and coach in the NBA. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history....
, Howard Cosell
Howard Cosell
Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
, Mel Allen
Mel Allen
Mel Allen was an American sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees. During the peak of his career in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Allen was arguably the most prominent member of his profession, his voice familiar to millions...
, Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
, and Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
) from both in and out of the baseball world. Joe Garagiola joined them in 1974–1975.
Schedules
| Date | Teams | Celebrity guest |
|---|---|---|
| 6/12/72 | Detroit 1972 Detroit Tigers season The Detroit Tigers won the American League East division championship with a record of 86-70 , finishing one-half game ahead of the Boston Red Sox. They played one more game than the Red Sox due to a scheduling quirk caused by the 1972 Major League Baseball strike -- a game which turned out to... @ Minnesota 1972 Minnesota Twins season The Minnesota Twins finished 77-77, third in the American League West.- Offseason :* October 22, 1971: Paul Powell was traded by the Twins to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Bobby Darwin.... Montreal 1972 Montreal Expos season - Offseason :* November 29, 1971: Tom Walker was drafted by the Expos from the Baltimore Orioles in the 1971 rule 5 draft.* December 6, 1971: Adolfo Phillips was purchased by the Expos from the Cleveland Indians.... @ Houston 1972 Houston Astros season The Houston Astros season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the National League West with a record of 84-69, 10½ games behind the Cincinnati Reds and just a percentage point ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :... |
|
| 6/19/72 | New York Mets 1972 New York Mets season The New York Mets season was the 11th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Led by manager Yogi Berra, the team had a 83-73 record yielding a third place finish in the National League's Eastern Division.- Death of Gil Hodges :... @ Houston 1972 Houston Astros season The Houston Astros season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the National League West with a record of 84-69, 10½ games behind the Cincinnati Reds and just a percentage point ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :... |
|
| 6/26/72 | ||
| 7/3/72 | Baltimore 1972 Baltimore Orioles season The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing third in the American League East with a record of 80 wins and 74 losses.- Offseason :... @ Detroit 1972 Detroit Tigers season The Detroit Tigers won the American League East division championship with a record of 86-70 , finishing one-half game ahead of the Boston Red Sox. They played one more game than the Red Sox due to a scheduling quirk caused by the 1972 Major League Baseball strike -- a game which turned out to... Atlanta 1972 Atlanta Braves season - Offseason :* December 2, 1971: Hal King was traded by the Braves to the Texas Rangers for Paul Casanova.- Notable transactions :* May 11, 1972: Steve Barber was released by the Braves.... @ Houston 1972 Houston Astros season The Houston Astros season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the National League West with a record of 84-69, 10½ games behind the Cincinnati Reds and just a percentage point ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :... |
|
| 7/17/72 | St. Louis 1972 St. Louis Cardinals season The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 91st season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 81st season in the National League. The Cardinals went 75-81 during the season and finished fourth in the National League East, 21½ games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.... @ Houston 1972 Houston Astros season The Houston Astros season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the National League West with a record of 84-69, 10½ games behind the Cincinnati Reds and just a percentage point ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :... |
|
| 7/31/72 | ||
| 8/7/72 | Atlanta 1972 Atlanta Braves season - Offseason :* December 2, 1971: Hal King was traded by the Braves to the Texas Rangers for Paul Casanova.- Notable transactions :* May 11, 1972: Steve Barber was released by the Braves.... @ Cincinnati 1972 Cincinnati Reds season The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West title with a record of 95-59, 10½ games over the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1972 National League Championship Series, but lost to the Oakland Athletics in... |
|
| 8/14/72 | ||
| 8/28/72 | ||
| 9/4/72 | Baltimore 1972 Baltimore Orioles season The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing third in the American League East with a record of 80 wins and 74 losses.- Offseason :... @ New York Yankees 1972 New York Yankees season The New York Yankees season was the 70th season for the Yankees in New York, and the 72nd season overall. The team finished with a record of 79-76, finishing 6½ games behind the Detroit Tigers. New York was managed by Ralph Houk... |
|
| 5/21/73 | San Francisco 1973 San Francisco Giants season The 1973 San Francisco Giants season was the franchise's 91st season and 16th season in San Francisco. The team finished third in the National League West with a record of 88-74, 11 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.- Offseason :... @ Houston 1973 Houston Astros season The Houston Astros season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fourth in the National League West with a record of 82-80, 17 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.- Offseason :... |
Dizzy Dean Dizzy Dean Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.... |
| 5/28/73 | Joe DiMaggio Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands... |
|
| 6/4/73 | Kansas City 1973 Kansas City Royals season The 1973 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing second in the American League West with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.- Offseason :... @ Boston 1973 Boston Red Sox season The Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing second in the American League East with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses.- Offseason :... |
Satchel Paige Satchel Paige Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime... |
| 6/11/73 | Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... |
|
| 6/18/73 | California 1973 California Angels season The California Angels season involved the Angels finishing fourth in the American League West with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses.- Offseason :... @ Chicago White Sox 1973 Chicago White Sox season The 1973 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 73rd season in the major leagues, and its 74th season overall. They finished with a record 77-85, good enough for fifth place in the American League West, 17 games behind the first-place Oakland Athletics.... |
Dave DeBusschere Dave DeBusschere David Albert DeBusschere was an American NBA and major league baseball player and coach in the NBA. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.... |
| 6/25/73 | Howard Cosell Howard Cosell Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these... |
|
| 7/2/73 | Mel Allen Mel Allen Mel Allen was an American sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees. During the peak of his career in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Allen was arguably the most prominent member of his profession, his voice familiar to millions... |
|
| 7/9/73 | Cincinnati 1973 Cincinnati Reds season The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West with a record of 99-63, 3½ games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, before losing the NLCS to the New York Mets in five games... @ Montreal 1973 Montreal Expos season -Offseason:* January 10, 1973: Dan Boitano was drafted by the Expos in the 2nd round of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft , but did not sign.* February 28, 1973: Carl Morton was traded by the Expos to the Atlanta Braves for Pat Jarvis.... |
Danny Kaye Danny Kaye Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian... |
| 7/1/74 | Kansas City 1974 Kansas City Royals season The 1974 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing fifth in the American League West with a record of 77 wins and 85 losses.- Offseason :... @ Chicago White Sox 1974 Chicago White Sox season The 1974 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 74th season in the major leagues, and its 75th season overall. They finished with a record 80-80, good enough for fourth place in the American League West, 9 games behind the first-place Oakland Athletics.... |
Willie Mays Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his... |
1976–1979
On June 18, 1977, in the New York Yankees
1977 New York Yankees season
The 1977 New York Yankees season was the 75th season for the Yankees in New York and the 77th season overall for the franchise. It culminated in the 21st World Series championship in franchise history, and its first under the ownership of George Steinbrenner...
' 10-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox
1977 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing second in the American League East with a record of 97 wins and 64 losses.- Regular season :...
in a nationally-televised game at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston, Jim Rice
Jim Rice
James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...
, a powerful hitter but a slow runner, hit a ball into right field that Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
seemed to get to without much speed, and Rice reached second base. Furious, Yankees manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
removed Jackson from the game without even waiting for the end of the inning, sending Paul Blair
Paul Blair (baseball)
Paul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds...
out to replace him. When Jackson arrived at the dugout, Martin yelled that Jackson had shown him up. They argued, and Jackson said that Martin's heavy drinking had impaired his judgment. Despite Jackson being eighteen years younger, about two inches taller and maybe forty pounds heavier, Martin lunged at him, and had to be restrained by coaches Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
and Elston Howard
Elston Howard
Elston Gene Howard was an American Negro League and Major League Baseball catcher, left fielder and coach. During a 14-year baseball career, he played from 1955–1968, primarily for the New York Yankees...
. Red Sox fans could see this in the dugout and began cheering wildly, and the NBC TV cameras showed the confrontation to the entire country.
Alternating coverage with ABC: 1976–1979
Under the initial agreement with ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, 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...
, and Major League Baseball (-), both networks paid $92.8 million. ABC paid $12.5 million per year to show 16 Monday night games in 1976
1976 in television
The year 1976 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1976.-Global television events:*The Olympics, broadcast from Montreal, Canada, draw an estimated one billion viewers worldwide....
, 18 in the next three years, plus half the postseason (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...
in even numbered years 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...
in odd numbered years). NBC paid $10.7 million per year to show 25 Saturday Games of the Week and the other half of the postseason (the League Championship Series in odd numbered years and World Series in even numbered years).
Major League Baseball media director John Lazarus said of the new arrangement between NBC and ABC "Ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
couldn't get more from one network so we approached another." NBC's Joe Garagiola wasn't very fond of the new broadcasting arrangement at first saying "I wished they hadn't got half the package. Still, 'Game', half of the postseason – we got lots left." By , income from TV accounted for a record 30% of the game's $500 million in revenues.
1980–1982
The 1980 World Series
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
is tied with the 1978 World Series
1978 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 1978 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWith Yankee ace Ron Guidry unavailable at least until Game 3, the Dodgers pounded twenty-game winner Ed Figueroa. Figueroa left after two innings, allowing home runs to Dusty Baker and Davey Lopes. Lopes would add a...
for the highest overall television ratings to date, with the six games averaging a Nielsen rating of 32.8 and a share of 56.
In 1981
1981 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and Steve Yeager, co-MVPsNOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half...
, as means to recoup revenue lost during a players' strike, Major League Baseball set up a special additional playoff round (as a prelude to the League Championship Series). ABC televised the American League Division Series
1981 American League Division Series
-New York Yankees vs. Milwaukee Brewers:-Game 1, October 6:Royals Stadium in Kansas City, MissouriMike Norris faced Dennis Leonard and the defending AL Champions in Game 1. Both pitchers were on their game and the game was scoreless through three innings. But in the top of the fourth, the A's got a...
while NBC televised the National League Division Series
1981 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Montreal Expos:-Game 1, October 6:Astrodome in Houston, TexasFernando Valenzuela faced Nolan Ryan, a matchup worthy of a pitcher's duel. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. Tony Scott singled home Terry Puhl to score the game's first run, but Steve...
. The Division Series round wouldn't be officially instituted until 14 years later. Games 1, 3 and 5 of the Phillies
1981 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 1981 season was a season in American baseball.- Offseason :* November 25, 1980: Rick Schu was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies....
/Expos
1981 Montreal Expos season
The Montreal Expos made it to the postseason for the only time in franchise history. The season was separated into two halves due to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike.- Offseason :...
series and Games 2, 3 and 5 of the Dodgers
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers season got off to a strong start when rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela pitched a shutout on opening day, starting the craze that came to be known as "Fernandomania." Fernando went on to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards.The season was divided into two...
/Astros
1981 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 1981 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the National League West.- Offseason :* December 4, 1980: Don Sutton was signed as a free agent by the Astros....
series were regionally televised.
Even though Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
did play-by-play for the 1981 NLCS
1981 National League Championship Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 13, 1981 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe Dodgers took the first game of the series behind the strong pitching of starter Burt Hooton. For the first seven innings the game stayed close, with the only scoring coming in the second inning when the Dodgers got...
for NBC (working alongside Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
), Merle Harmon
Merle Harmon
Merle Reid Harmon was an American sportscaster who was the play-by-play voice for five Major League Baseball teams, two in the American Football League and the World Football League's only full season of nationally syndicated telecasts.-Early life and career:Born and raised in Salem, Illinois,...
was for the most part, NBC's backup baseball play-by-play man (serving behind Joe Garagiola, who called that year's ALCS
1981 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 13, 1981 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkIn Billy Martin's return to Yankee Stadium , the Yankees drew first blood in front of their old skipper...
for NBC with Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
) in 1981
1981 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and Steve Yeager, co-MVPsNOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half...
. Harmon's broadcast partner during this period was Ron Luciano
Ron Luciano
Ronald Michael Luciano was an American Major League Baseball umpire from 1969 to 1979 in the American League...
. In late 1979, Harmon left the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
completely in favor of a multi-year pact with NBC. Harmon saw the NBC deal as a perfect opportunity since according to The Milwaukee Journal
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
he would make more money, get more exposure, and do less traveling. At NBC, Harmon did SportsWorld
Sportsworld
Sportsworld was an Australian Sunday morning sports information program shown on Seven Network. The program was broadcast from 9.00am - 11.00am following Weekend Sunrise on a Sunday morning, from Seven's Martin Place streetfront studios in Sydney....
, the backup Game of the Week, and served as a field reporter for the 1980 World Series
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
. Harmon most of all, had hoped to cover the American boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
from Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. After NBC pulled out of their scheduled coverage of the 1980 Summer Olympics, Harmon considered it to being "A great letdown." To add insult to injury, NBC fired Harmon in 1982 in favor of Bob Costas.
According to his autobiography, Oh My, Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
(then the lead play-by-play voice for The NFL on NBC
NFL on NBC
NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
) was informed by NBC that he would become the lead play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball Game of the Week
Major League Baseball Game of the Week
The Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
beginning with the 1982 World Series
1982 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1982 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Brewers' left-hander Mike Caldwell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. The Brewers' offense was led by Paul Molitor, who had a World Series-record five hits and two RBIs...
(where he shared the play-by-play duties with Joe Garagiola alongisde analyst Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
) and through subsequent regular seasons. He wrote that on his football trips, he would read every Sporting News to make sure he was current with all the baseball news and notes. Then he met with NBC executives in September 1982, and they informed him that Vin Scully
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio...
was in negotiations to be their lead baseball play-by-play man (teaming with Joe Garagiola while Tony Kubek would team with Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
) and would begin with the network in the spring of 1983. Therefore, rather than throw him in randomly for one World Series, Enberg wrote that he hosted the pregame/postgame shows while the team of Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek did the games. According to the book, Enberg was not pleased about the decision (since he loved being the California 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...
' radio voice in the 1970s and was eager to return to baseball) but the fact that NBC was bringing in Scully, arguably baseball's best announcer, was understandable. Enberg added that NBC also gave him a significant pay increase as a pseudo-apology for not coming through on the promise to make him the lead baseball play-by-play man.
Alternating coverage with ABC: 1983–1989
On April 7, 1983, Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC agreed to terms of a six year television package worth $1.2 billion. The two networks would continue to alternate coverage of the playoffs
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...
(ABC in even numbered years and NBC in odd numbered years), World Series (ABC would televise 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...
in odd numbered years and NBC in even numbered years), and 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...
(ABC would televise the All-Star Game in even numbered years and NBC in odd numbered years) through the 1989
1989 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
season, with each of the 26 clubs receiving $7 million per year in return (even if no fans showed up). The last package gave each club $1.9 million per year. ABC contributed $575 million for regular season prime time and Sunday afternoons and NBC paid $550 million for thirty Saturday afternoon games.
The New York Times observed the performance of the team of Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola by saying "The duo of Scully and Garagiola is very good, and often even great, is no longer in dispute." A friend of Garagiola's said "He understood the cash" concerning NBC's 1984–1989 407%
Percentage
In mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100 . It is often denoted using the percent sign, “%”, or the abbreviation “pct”. For example, 45% is equal to 45/100, or 0.45.Percentages are used to express how large/small one quantity is, relative to another quantity...
Major League Baseball hike. At this point the idea was basically summarized as Vin Scully "being the star" whereas, Joe Garagiola was Pegasus
Pegasus
Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...
or NBC's junior light. When NBC inked a $550 million contract for six years in the fall of 1982
1982 in television
The year 1982 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1982.For the American TV schedule, see: 1982-83 American network television schedule.-Events:...
, a return on the investment so to speak demanded Vin Scully to be their star baseball announcer. Vin Scully reportedly made $2 million a year during his time with NBC in the 1980s. NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
head Thomas Watson said about Scully "He is baseball's best announcer. Why shouldn't he be ours?" Dick Enberg mused "No room for me. 'Game' had enough for two teams a week." Henry Hecht once wrote "NBC's Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
, Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
, and Monte Moore
Monte Moore
Monte Moore is a former radio and television broadcaster for the Kansas City Athletics and Oakland Athletics baseball teams.-Voice of the Athletics:...
sounded like college radio rejects vs. Scully." Vin Scully earned approximately $2 million per year for his NBC baseball broadcasting duties. Scully also reworked his Dodgers schedule during this period, as he would only broadcast home games on the radio and road games for television.
When Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
first teamed with Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
in , Kubek said "I'm not crazy about being assigned to the backup game, but it's no big ego deal." Costas said about working with Kubek "I think my humor loosened Tony, and his knowledge improved me." The team of Costas and Kubek proved to be a formidable pair. There were even some who preferred the team of Kubek and Costas over the musings of Vin Scully and the asides of Joe Garagiola. Costas was praised by fans for both his reverence and irreverence while Kubek was praised for his technical approach and historical perspective. One of the pair's most memorable broadcasts was the "Sandberg Game" on June 23, 1984. Bob Costas considered the Game of the Week his dream job saying "You can put a personal stamp on a baseball broadcast, be a reporter, something of a historian, a storyteller, conversationalist, dispenser of opinion."
Breakdown
– $20 million in advance from the two networks. – NBC $70 million, ABC $56 million, total $126 million. – NBC $61 million, ABC $75 million, total $136 million.Note: The networks got $9 million when Major League Baseball expanded the League Championship Series from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven in 1985. – NBC $75 million, ABC $66 million, total $141 million. – NBC $81 million, ABC $90 million, total $171 million. – NBC $90 million, ABC $96 million, total $186 million. – NBC $106 million, ABC $125 million, total $231 million.
Additional notes
- For NBC's 1983 All-Star Game1983 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 54th 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 6, 1983, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the...
coverage, Don Sutton was in New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, periodically tracking pitches with the aid of NBC's "Inside Pitch" technology.
- During the 1984 regular season1984 Major League Baseball season-Statistical leaders:-Major league baseball final standings:-Deaths:...
, the reason for most of the changes from the traditional 2:00 p.m. ETEastern Time ZoneThe 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...
start was because of NBC's golf or tennisTennis on NBCTennis on NBC is a television program produced by NBC Sports that broadcasts the main professional tennis tournaments in the United States.-Overview:...
commitments as well as September 1 title fightBoxing on NBC-Gillette Cavalcade of Sports:The earliest incarnation of NBC's boxing telecasts could be traced back to 1944. Although technically, an anthology program, the Cavalcade of Sports was best known for Friday night boxing on NBC from 1944 through 1960, and...
featuring Eusebio PedrozaEusebio PedrozaEusebio Pedroza is a native of Panama who holds two records in boxing: His 19 defenses as world featherweight champion are a record for that division, and his seven years as world champion non-stop are a division record too...
.- 1984 World Series1984 World SeriesThe 1984 World Series began on October 9 and ended on October 14, 1984. The American League champion Detroit Tigers played against the National League champion San Diego Padres, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one....
– As champions of the National LeagueNational LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, the San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
had home-field advantage (at the time, the NL automatically gained home-field advantage in even years of the World Series). But had the Chicago Cubs1984 Chicago Cubs seasonThe Chicago Cubs' 1984 season was the 109th season for the Cubs. The team finished with a record of 96-65 in first place of the National League Eastern Division. Chicago was managed by Jim Frey and the general manager was Dallas Green...
won the National League Championship Series1984 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
(which appeared likely after the Cubs took a 2–0 lead in the best-of-5 series), the Detroit Tigers1984 Detroit Tigers seasonThe Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901 and their fourth World Series championship. Detroit relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young Award and was chosen as the...
would have gained home-field advantage despite the fact the American LeagueAmerican LeagueThe 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...
's Baltimore Orioles1983 Baltimore Orioles seasonThe Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses...
had it the season before1983 World Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
. NBC was contractually obligated to show all midweek series games in prime time, something that would have been impossible at Wrigley FieldWrigley FieldWrigley 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...
, since the Cubs' venerable facility lacked lights at the time (they wouldn't install lights until four years later1988 Chicago Cubs seasonThe Chicago Cubs' 1988 season involved the Cubs finishing in fourth place in the National League East with a record of 77-85, 24 games behind the New York Mets...
). Had the Cubs advanced to the Series, Detroit would have hosted Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 (on Tuesday and Wednesday nights), while the Cubs would have hosted Games 3, 4 and 5 (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday), with all three games in Chicago starting no later than 1:30 p.m. Central time.
- 1984 World Series
- In , NBC's telecast of the All-Star Game1985 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 56th playing of the game, annually played between the All-Stars of the National League and the All-Stars of the American League. The game was played on July 16, 1985, in the Hubert H...
out of the MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
was the first program to be broadcast in stereoStereophonic soundThe term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
by a TV network.
- Dick EnbergDick EnbergRichard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
was in TorontoExhibition StadiumCanadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
for Games 1 and 7 of the 1985 ALCS1985 American League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 8, 1985 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, OntarioThe Toronto Blue Jays entered the series as the favorite to win the series. The first game featured Toronto pitcher Dave Stieb and Kansas City pitcher Charlie Leibrandt at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto...
on NBC. Enberg hosted the pregame showMajor League Baseball: An Inside LookMajor League Baseball: An Inside Look was a pregame show for NBC's Game of the Week telecasts. It featured one-on-one interviews with the players, and other on-going news and notes relating to Major League Baseball...
alongside Rick DempseyRick DempseyJohn Rikard Dempsey is an American former professional baseball player. He played for 24 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably for the Baltimore Orioles...
(who was still active with Baltimore1985 Baltimore Orioles seasonThe Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing 4th in the American League East with a record of 83 wins and 78 losses.-Offseason:* October 2, 1984: Tom Underwood was released by the Baltimore Orioles....
at the time). Meanwhile, Bill MacateeBill MacateeBill Macatee is an American sports broadcaster.-Early life and career:Macatee was born in Rome, New York, and grew up in El Paso, Texas. In 1978, he earned a bachelor of science degree in speech from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas...
provided a report on Game 2 of the ALCS during the pregame of the NLCS1985 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1985 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe opening contest in Los Angeles pitted Dodgers screwballer Fernando Valenzuela against the Cardinals' twenty-game winner, John Tudor. The pitchers matched zeroes through the first three innings, but in the bottom of...
opener.
- NBC's broadcast of Game 7 of the 1986 World Series1986 World SeriesThe 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
(which went up against a Monday Night FootballMonday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game between the Washington Redskins1986 Washington Redskins seasonThe 1986 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 1985.-Schedule:-Standings:-NFC Wild Card Game:-NFC Divisional Playoff:-NFC Championship Game:-References:...
and New York Giants1986 New York Giants seasonThe 1986 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their fifth championship—and first Super Bowl—in franchise history during...
on ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) garnered a Nielsen rating of 38.9 and a 55 share, making it the highest-rated single World Series game to date. Game 7 landed on a Monday because of a rainout that pushed things up a day.
- NBC used Don Sutton as a pre and postgame analyst for their 1987 LCS coverage. Marv AlbertMarv AlbertMarv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
went back-and-forth during both 1987 LCS. He hosted the pregame for Game 1 of the NLCS1987 National League Championship Series- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 6, 1987 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Giants struck first on an RBI groundout by Candy Maldonado, but the Cardinals tied it in the third on Vince Coleman's RBI single...
with Joe MorganJoe MorganJoe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
, and in fact had to read the lineups to the viewing audience. There was a problem with the St. LouisBusch Memorial StadiumBusch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....
P.A. feed, so he ended up reading the script from the Cardinal1987 St. Louis Cardinals seasonThe 1987 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 106th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 96th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-67 during the season and finished first in the National League East Division for the third and last time before moving to the NL Central in 1994....
dugout while the players were introduced to the crowd. He then went to MinnesotaHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
the next night to host the ALCS1987 American League Championship Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 7, 1987 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MinnesotaThe 1987 AL playoffs opened at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, with the Tigers throwing Doyle Alexander against the Twins' Frank Viola. In the bottom of the second, the Twins opened the scoring when third...
pregame with Don Sutton. Jimmy CefaloJimmy CefaloJames Carmen Cefalo, , is an American sportscaster, game show host and former professional American football wide receiver.-High school:Cefalo attended Pittston Area High School in Pittston, Pennsylvania...
hosted the pregame coverage for Game 5 of the NLCS, as Marv Albert was away on a boxingBoxing on NBC-Gillette Cavalcade of Sports:The earliest incarnation of NBC's boxing telecasts could be traced back to 1944. Although technically, an anthology program, the Cavalcade of Sports was best known for Friday night boxing on NBC from 1944 through 1960, and...
assignment for NBC.
- Former President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
(who had just left office) served as the color commentator instead of Tom SeaverTom SeaverGeorge Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
(Vin ScullyVin ScullyVincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio...
's normal NBC broadcasting partner at the time) for the first inning of the 1989 game1989 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 60th 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 11, 1989 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California, the home of...
.
- Then Texas Rangers1989 Texas Rangers seasonThe Texas Rangers 1989 season involved the Rangers finishing fourth in the American League West with a record of 83 wins and 79 losses.-Offseason:* October 11, 1988: Guy Hoffman was released by the Rangers....
manager Bobby ValentineBobby ValentineRobert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
worked as an on-the-field analysis for NBC's 1989 ALCS1989 American League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 3, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaThe A's went off as heavy favorites largely due to their status as defending American League champions. The Blue Jays had been in second place much of the year before catching and passing the Baltimore Orioles...
coverage. Likewise, recently retired Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
legend Mike SchmidtMike SchmidtMichael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
did the same for the NLCS1989 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1989 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Giants entered the series as slight favorites due to the MVP season of Kevin Mitchell, the solid play of Will Clark, and the best ERA in baseball by pitcher Scott Garrelts...
.
- Vin ScullyVin ScullyVincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio...
was unable to call Game 2 of the 1989 National League Championship Series1989 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1989 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Giants entered the series as slight favorites due to the MVP season of Kevin Mitchell, the solid play of Will Clark, and the best ERA in baseball by pitcher Scott Garrelts...
(on Wednesday, October 4) because he had laryngitisLaryngitisLaryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds . Dysphonia is the medical term for a vocal disorder, of which laryngitis is one cause....
. Thus, number two play-by-play man Bob CostasBob CostasRobert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
filled-in for him. Around the same time, Costas was assigned to call the American League Championship Series1989 American League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 3, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaThe A's went off as heavy favorites largely due to their status as defending American League champions. The Blue Jays had been in second place much of the year before catching and passing the Baltimore Orioles...
between OaklandOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and TorontoToronto Blue JaysThe 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 ....
. Game 2 of the NLCS occurred on Thursday, October 5, which was an off day for the ALCS. NBC then decided to fly Costas from Toronto to Chicago to substitute for Scully on Thursday night. Afterwards, Costas flew back to Toronto, where he resumed work on the ALCS the next night.
- Jimmy CefaloJimmy CefaloJames Carmen Cefalo, , is an American sportscaster, game show host and former professional American football wide receiver.-High school:Cefalo attended Pittston Area High School in Pittston, Pennsylvania...
hosted the pregame show for Game 4 of the 1989 ALCS1989 American League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 3, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaThe A's went off as heavy favorites largely due to their status as defending American League champions. The Blue Jays had been in second place much of the year before catching and passing the Baltimore Orioles...
as Marv AlbertMarv AlbertMarv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
was away on an NFLNFL on NBCNFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
assignment for NBC.
The end of an era
After calling the 1988 World Series
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
with Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola resigned from NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
. Although it wasn't official at the time, NBC was on the verge of losing the television rights to cover Major League Baseball to CBS. Garagiola claimed that NBC left him "twisting" while he was trying to renegotiate his deal. Joe Garagiola was replaced by Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
for the 1989
1989 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
season.
NBC's final Major League Baseball broadcast was televised on October 9, 1989; Game 5 of the National League Championship Series
1989 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1989 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Giants entered the series as slight favorites due to the MVP season of Kevin Mitchell, the solid play of Will Clark, and the best ERA in baseball by pitcher Scott Garrelts...
between the San Francisco Giants
1989 San Francisco Giants season
The 1989 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses. It was their second division title in three years. The Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs in five games in the National League Championship Series...
and Chicago Cubs
1989 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs season marked the last time the Cubs would win their division prior to the realignment to six divisions in which moved the Cubs to the National League Central, in which they would not win until 2003. Winning the division put the Cubs in the playoffs, which they would not return...
from Candlestick Park. Vin Scully said "It's a passing of a great American tradition. It is sad. I really and truly feel that. It will leave a vast window, to use a Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
word, where people will not get Major League Baseball and I think that's a tragedy. It's a staple that's gone. I feel for people who come to me and say how they miss it, and I hope me."
Bob Costas said that he would rather do a Game of the Week that got a 5 rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
than host a Super Bowl
Super 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...
. "Who thought baseball'd kill its best way to reach the public? It coulda kept us and CBS-we'd have kept the 'Game'-but it only cared about cash. Whatever else I did, I'd never have left 'Game of the Week'" Costas claimed. Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
, who (as previously mentioned) teamed with Bob Costas since 1983
1983 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies ; Rick Dempsey, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker*National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews...
, said "I can't believe it!" when the subject came about NBC losing baseball for the first time since 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
.
Arthur Watson, president of NBC Sports, said in a statement that NBC had aggressively bid to continue its 41-year involvement in baseball and was deeply saddened when learning of CBS' deal.
After NBC lost the Major League Baseball package to CBS, they aggressively counterprogrammed CBS' postseason baseball coverage with made-for-TV movies and miniseries geared towards female viewers.
The Baseball Network: 1994–1995
After a four year hiatus, ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
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...
returned to Major League Baseball under the umbrella of a revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
sharing venture called 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...
.
The Baseball Network kicked off its coverage on July 12, 1994 with the All-Star Game
1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 65th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
out of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
's Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
. The game was televised on NBC with Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
, Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
, and Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
calling the action and Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments on the CBS network...
hosting the pre-game show. Helping with the interviews were Hannah Storm
Hannah Storm
Hannah Storm is an American television sports journalist, serving as co-anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter Monday–Thursday mornings, and is also host of the NBA Countdown pregame show on ABC as part of the network's NBA Sunday game coverage.-Early life and career:Storm was born in Oak Park, Illinois,...
and Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
. The 1994 All-Star Game reportedly sold out all its advertising slots. This was considered an impressive financial accomplishment, given that one thirty-second spot cost $300,000.
After the All-Star Game was complete, NBC was scheduled to televise six regular season games on Fridays or Saturdays in prime time. The networks had exclusive rights for the 12 regular season dates, in that no regional or national cable service or over-the-air broadcaster may telecast a Major League Baseball game on those dates.
In even numbered years, NBC would have the rights to the All-Star Game and both 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...
while ABC would have 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...
and newly created 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:...
. In odd numbered years the postseason and All-Star Game television rights were supposed to alternate.
The long term plans for The Baseball Network crumbled when the players went on strike on August 12, 1994 (thus forcing the cancellation of the World Series
1994 World Series
The 1994 World Series was canceled on September 14 of that year due to an ongoing strike by the Major League Baseball Players Association, which had begun on August 12...
). In July 1995, ABC and NBC, who wound up having to share the duties of televising the 1995 World Series
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
as a way to recoup (with ABC broadcasting Games 1, 4, and 5 and NBC broadcasting Games 2, 3, and 6), announced that they were opting out of their agreement with Major League Baseball. Both networks figured that as the delayed baseball season opened without a labor agreement, there was no guarantee against another strike. Both networks soon publicly vowed to cut all ties with Major League Baseball for the remainder of the 20th century.
Five years after The Baseball Network dissolved, NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
play-by-play man Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
wrote in his book Fair Ball: A Fan's Case for Baseball that The Baseball Network was stupid and an abomination. Costas wrote that the agreement involving the World Series being the only instance of The Baseball Network broadcasting a national telecast, believed that it was an unprecedented surrender of prestige, as well as a slap to all serious fans. Unlike the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
the so-called Big Two of North American professional sports leagues, the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and 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...
had nationally televised all playoff games for decades. While he believed that The Baseball Network fundamentally corrupted the game (except in Costas' point-of-view, the sense that the fans steadfast, spaniel-like loyalty), Costas himself acknowledged that the most impassioned fans in baseball were now prevented from watching many of the playoff games they wanted to see. Costas added that both the divisional series and the League Championship Series now merited scarcely higher priority than regional coverage provided for a Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game between Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
and Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Additional notes
- Prior to Game 3 of the 1995 World Series1995 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
, Cleveland Indians1995 Cleveland Indians seasonThe Cleveland Indians season was the Major League Baseball season that led to the Indians returning to the World Series for the first time since . In a season that started late by 18 games - giving it just a 144 games - the Indians finished in first place in the American League Central Division...
slugger Albert BelleAlbert BelleAlbert Jojuan Belle is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles...
unleashed a profanityProfanityProfanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
-laced tirade at reporter Hannah StormHannah StormHannah Storm is an American television sports journalist, serving as co-anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter Monday–Thursday mornings, and is also host of the NBA Countdown pregame show on ABC as part of the network's NBA Sunday game coverage.-Early life and career:Storm was born in Oak Park, Illinois,...
of NBC. Storm was waiting in the Indians' dugout for a prearranged interview with Indians leadoff man, Kenny LoftonKenny LoftonKenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
. Then out of nowhere, Belle came screaming profanities towards Storm. On the same day, Belle snapped at a photographer near the first base line during batting practice. Belle was ultimately fined $United States dollarThe 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....
50,000 for his behavior towards Storm. This particular World Series was remembered for baseball television history being made two times by Hannah StormHannah StormHannah Storm is an American television sports journalist, serving as co-anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter Monday–Thursday mornings, and is also host of the NBA Countdown pregame show on ABC as part of the network's NBA Sunday game coverage.-Early life and career:Storm was born in Oak Park, Illinois,...
. Prior to Game 2, she became the first female sportscaster to serve as solo host of a World Series game, and after Game 6 she would be the first female sportscaster to preside over the presentation of the Commissioner's TrophyWorld Series TrophyThe Commissioner's Trophy is presented each year by the Commissioner of Baseball to the Major League Baseball team that wins the World Series. Recent trophy designs contain flags representing each team in North America's top two leagues, the National League and the American League...
to the World Series champions. But she was not the first female sportscaster to cover the World Series. That honor fell to CBS SportsCBS SportsCBS 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...
reporter Lesley VisserLesley VisserLesley Candace Visser is an American sportscaster, radio personality, and sportswriter. Visser is the first female NFL analyst on TV, and the only sportscaster in history, male or female, who has worked on Final Four, NBA Finals, World Series, Triple Crown, Monday Night Football, the Olympics, the...
, who served as a field reporter for the 1990 World Series1990 World Series- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 16, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioUntil , this was the last World Series to be scheduled to begin play on a Tuesday, and the first since . The schedule called for the seven-game series to be held Tue–Wed, Fri–Sat–Sun, Tue–Wed. Games 5, 6, and 7, however...
-1993 World Series1993 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
. She would also cover that same World Series but for a different network ABC Sports
Trouble at NBC: 1996–2000
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...
decided to stay on with Major League Baseball but on a far more restricted basis. Under the five year deal (from -) for a total of approximately $400 million, NBC didn't televise any regular season games. Instead, NBC only handled 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...
, three 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 (on Tuesday/Friday/Saturday nights), and 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 even numbered years 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...
, three Division Series games (also on Tuesday/Friday/Saturday nights), 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 odd numbered years. Also around this particular period, NBC adapted composer Randy Edelman
Randy Edelman
Randy Edelman is an American film and TV score composer.-Life and career:Edelman was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the son of a first-grade teacher and an accountant. He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before heading to New York where he played...
's theme from the short-lived 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...
series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., often referred to as just Brisco or Brisco County,The series is referred to as just Brisco or by Brisco County by the creator and executive producer Carlton Cuse, actors involved with the show, and by many critics. Some examples include:* Cuse, Carlton, DVD extra...
. as the main theme music for their baseball telecasts. It should be mentioned however, that for their 1996 All-Star Game
1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 67th 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 9, 1996 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the...
coverage only, NBC used Edelman's "Emotions Run High" from the film The Big Green
The Big Green
The Big Green is a 1995 Walt Disney Pictures film starring Steve Guttenberg and Olivia D'Abo, written and directed by Holly Goldberg Sloan...
as the baseball theme.
1997–1998
In , just before the start of NBC's coverage of the World Series1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
, West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
entertainment division president and former NBC Sports executive producer Don Ohlmeyer
Don Ohlmeyer
Don Ohlmeyer is an American television producer and former president of the NBC network's West Coast division. Currently, Don Ohlmeyer is a Professor of Television Communications at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California...
came under fire after publicly announcing that he hoped that the World Series would end in a four game sweep. Ohlmeyer believed that baseball now lacked broad audience appeal (especially in the aftermath of the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike). As opposed to teams from the big three television markets (New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago) in the country, the 1997 World Series featured match-up of the upstart Florida Marlins
1997 Florida Marlins season
The 1997 Florida Marlins season started off with the team trying to improve on their record from 1996. Their manager was Jim Leyland. They played home games at Pro Player Stadium...
and the Cleveland Indians
1997 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Indians making their second World Series appearance in three years...
, who made their second World Series appearance in three years. In addition, Ohlmeyer feared that the World Series would disrupt NBC's efforts to attract enough viewers for its new fall roster in order to stay on top of the ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
heap. Ohlmeyer said "If the A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
channel called, I'd take the call." Game 5 fell on a Thursday, which had long been the highest rated night on NBC's schedule
Must See TV
"Must See TV" is an advertising slogan used by the NBC television network to brand its prime time blocks of sitcoms during the 1990s, and most often applied to the network's Thursday night lineup, which featured such popular sitcoms as The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court, A Different...
, if not on all of television.
In , Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
abruptly left NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
before a chance to call the All-Star Game
1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 69th 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 7, 1998 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, the home of the...
from Coors Field
Coors Field
Coors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
in Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Uecker underwent a back operation in which four discs were replaced. For the remainder of the contract (1998–2000), only Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
and Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
called the games. Also in 1998
1998 in television
The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
, NBC's coverage of the ALCS
1998 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 6, 1998 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkCleveland came in as heavy underdogs, but also were the defending American League Champions. In Game 1, the Yankees got off to a good start, by hitting four straight singles in the bottom of the first to score two runs...
was the highest rated
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for any League Championship Series since before the 1994 strike. NBC averaged a 9.4 rating for the six games, which was a 6% increase than the network's coverage of the 1997 NLCS
1997 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 7, 1997 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Marlins scored three unearned runs in the first inning off Greg Maddux, thanks to a Fred McGriff error, when Moisés Alou hit a bases-clearing double to left...
in the same time slot. The rating was 13% more than Fox's ALCS coverage in 1997
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...
and 12% more than NBC's coverage in 1996
1996 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe first game of the series is most notable for the infamous "Jeffrey Maier Incident." With the Yankees trailing 4–3 in the bottom of the eighth, rookie Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to deep right field off Orioles reliever...
.
The Jim Gray/Pete Rose interview
In 19991999 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; Mariano Rivera, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Orlando Hernández**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Eddie Pérez...
, NBC's field reporter Jim Gray
Jim Gray (sportscaster)
Jim Gray is an American sportscaster. He has previously worked as a reporter with NBC Sports and CBS Sports. He is currently with Westwood One radio network, Showtime, Golf Channel, the Sacramento Kings, and ESPN/ESPN on ABC...
, who had previously covered Major League Baseball for CBS, came under fire for a confrontational interview with banned all-time hit king Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
. Just prior to the start of Game 2 of the World Series
1999 World Series
The 1999 World Series, the 95th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, featured a rematch between the defending champions New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves during the month of October, with the Yankees sweeping the Series in four games for their second title in a row,...
, Gray pushed Rose—on hand (by permission of Commissioner
Commissioner of Baseball
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...
) at Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
's Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
as a fan-selected member of MasterCard
MasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
's All-Century Team
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
In 1999, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball players from the past century...
--to admit to having wagered on baseball games as manager of the Cincinnati Reds
1989 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1989 season consisted of the Cincinnati Reds attempting to win the National League West for the first time since 1979. The season was defined by allegations of gambling by Pete Rose. Before the end of the season, Rose was banned from baseball by commissioner A...
ten years earlier. After NBC was flooded with tons of viewer complaints, Gray was forced to clarify (and apologize for) his actions to the viewers at home prior to Game 3. Regardless of Gray's sincerity, Game 3 hero Chad Curtis
Chad Curtis
Chad Curtis is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from -, notably for the New York Yankees...
of the New York Yankees
1999 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1999 season was the 97th season for the Bronx based professional baseball team. The team finished with a record of 98-64 finishing 4 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
boycotted Gray's request for an interview live on camera; Curtis had hit a game winning home run to send the World Series 3–0 in the Yankees' favor. Curtis said to Gray "Because of what happened with Pete, we decided not to say anything."
Despite the heavy criticism he received, Gray offered no apology for his line of questioning toward Rose:
Although Dick Ebersol
Dick Ebersol
Duncan "Dick" Ebersol is an American television executive and a senior adviser for . He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large scale television events such as the Olympic Games and National Football League broadcasts....
(then-president of NBC Sports) and 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...
—among others—have maintained that Gray was simply doing his job, Atlanta-based production assistant Shin Muraoka recalls the following:
I am lucky enough to have worked Games One and Two of the World Series that year (1999) for NBC. While I was never privy to any of the reasons, it was clear to me prior to the Pete Rose inquisition that Jim Gray was unpopular with many of the full-timers surrounding me. As the time neared to wrap the All-Century side-production, the atmosphere was growing more focused for the resumption of serious business when...I don't know if someone turned up the volume or if it just seemed that way because of the stunned silence among the production staff, but I had only just realized what had caught everyone else's attention when the trailer erupted in celebration--not for any pluckiness that some have ascribed to Gray's performance that night, but for the career-ending move that those around me perceived him to have made; they gleefully explained to me that Gray had ignored repeated instructions to redirect the interview.It should be noted that in 2004, Pete Rose would admit to betting on baseball (along with other sports) while the manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
2000
2000 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - New York Yankees*Postseason - October 3 to October 26Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
, NBC was caught in the dilemma of having to televise a first round playoff game between the New York Yankees
2000 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2000 season was the 98th season for the Yankees in New York, and their 100th overall going back to their origins in Baltimore. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The team finished 1st in the AL East with a record of 87–74, 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox, after...
and Oakland Athletics
2000 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 2000 season involved the A's finishing 1st in the American League West with a record of 91 wins and 70 losses.-Offseason:* December 30, 1999: Scott Service was signed as a free agent by the Athletics....
over the first presidential debate between George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
. NBC decided to give its local stations the option of carrying the debate or the baseball game. If the NBC affiliate decided to carry the debate, then local Pax affiliate could carry the game. NBC also placed a crawl at the bottom of the screen to inform viewers that they could see the debate on its sister channel MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
. On the other end, FOX said that it would carry baseball on the two nights when its schedule conflicts with the presidential or vice presidential debates. NBC spokeswoman Barbara Levin said "We have a contract with Major League Baseball. The commission was informed well in advance of their selecting the debate dates. If we didn't have the baseball conflict we would be televising it."
Although there has not been confirmation, anecdotal reports indicate that many NBC affiliates in swing states (i.e., Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
) chose to air the debate over the baseball game. This is an option that CBS affiliates did not have in 1992
1992 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Toronto Blue Jays over Atlanta Braves ; Pat Borders, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Roberto Alomar*National League Championship Series MVP: John Smoltz...
, when that network refused to break away from Game 4 of the American League Championship Series
1992 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 7, 1992 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe first game of the series had Oakland's Dave Stewart face off against Toronto's Jack Morris. The A's put up a three-spot against Morris in the second inning, as Mark McGwire and Terry Steinbach hit back-to-back home runs...
(which had gone into extra innings) to the first Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
-Bush-Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
debate. Like NBC and Fox would do in 2000, CBS cited its contract with Major League Baseball.
During NBC's coverage of the 2000 Division Series
2000 American League Division Series
-Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees:-Chicago vs. Seattle:The Seattle Mariners returned to the postseason to avenge two postseason failures in the 1990s. The Chicago White Sox returned to the postseason for the first time since 1993...
, regular play-by-play man Bob Costas decided to take a breather after anchoring NBC's prime time coverage of the Summer Olympic Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
from Sydney. In Costas' place came Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
announcer Skip Caray
Skip Caray
Harry Christopher "Skip" Caray, Jr. was an American sportscaster, best known for his long career as a radio and television play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball...
, who teamed with Joe Morgan before Costas' return for the ALCS
2000 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 at Yankee Stadium started as a pitchers' duel between Mariners' Freddy García and Yankees' Denny Neagle. Neither team would score until the top of the fifth when Mark McLemore hit a two-out ground rule double off Neagle...
.
Baseball leaves NBC again
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...
signed a six year, $2.5 billion contract 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...
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 is paying Major League Baseball $417 million per year, comes from the postseason, which not only attracts large audiences, but also provides an irreplaceable opportunity for the network to showcase its fall schedule to people who don’t otherwise watch much TV.
Under the previous five year deal with 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...
(1996
1996 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; John Wetteland, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Bernie Williams**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Javy López...
–2000
2000 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - New York Yankees*Postseason - October 3 to October 26Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
), 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 values 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. As previously mentioned, before 1990
1990 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics ; José Rijo, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series co-MVPs: Rob Dibble and Randy Myers...
, NBC had carried Major League Baseball (in some shape or form) since 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
.
NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
chairman Dick Ebersol
Dick Ebersol
Duncan "Dick" Ebersol is an American television executive and a senior adviser for . He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large scale television events such as the Olympic Games and National Football League broadcasts....
added that it wasn't cost-effective
Cost-effectiveness
Cost-effectiveness analysis is a form of economic analysis that compares the relative costs and outcomes of two or more courses of action. Cost-effectiveness analysis is distinct from cost-benefit analysis, which assigns a monetary value to the measure of effect...
for NBC to be putting out the kind of money that Major League Baseball wanted.
As previously mentioned, Game 6 of the 2000 ALCS
2000 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 at Yankee Stadium started as a pitchers' duel between Mariners' Freddy García and Yankees' Denny Neagle. Neither team would score until the top of the fifth when Mark McLemore hit a two-out ground rule double off Neagle...
is the last baseball game that NBC has televised to date. In Houston, due to the coverage of the 2000 Presidential Debate
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV is the NBC affiliated television station based in Houston, Texas, and serving the Greater Houston television market. It has studios located in the Sharpstown district on the Southwest portion of the city, and has a transmitter site in unincorporated Fort Bend County near Missouri City...
elected to carry NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
' coverage of the debate while KNWS-TV carried NBC's final baseball game.
In 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....
, Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
claimed that despite still loving the game, he now felt a certain alienation from the institution. By the time that NBC lost Major League Baseball for the second time in 12 years, the sport endured a strike, realignment, the wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
, and NBC's complete loss of the regular season Game of the Week. Costas would add that since NBC only did a few games each year and he lacked the forum that he would eventually have (HBO's On the Record with Bob Costas
On the Record with Bob Costas
On the Record with Bob Costas is a 12-week long talk show hosted by sportscaster Bob Costas. The show ran for four seasons on HBO from 2001 to 2004 before being revamped into Costas Now....
, Inside the NFL
Inside the NFL
Inside the NFL is a weekly cable television sports show that focuses on the National Football League. It originally aired on HBO from 1977 through 2008...
, and Costas Now
Costas Now
Costas Now was an American monthly sports television show hosted by Bob Costas on HBO.-History:In 2001, Costas was hired by HBO to host a 12-week talk and interview series called On the Record with Bob Costas. In 2005, the program was revamped to become Costas Now, with more of a focus on sports...
as well as Costas on the Radio
Costas on the Radio
Costas on the Radio was an American radio show hosted by Bob Costas. It aired weekly on Premiere Radio Networks...
) to express his views, he to some extent, started editorializing in games.
When asked about whether or not the fact that NBC no longer had the baseball rights was disappointing, Bob Costas said "I'm a little disappointed to lose baseball, but that's the way the business is. And it's not nearly as disappointing as it was when we lost it at the end of the '80s. Because then it was like baseball was the birthright for NBC. ... (Baseball is) not going to affect any decision that I have in the future. It's nowhere near as devastating as a decade ago. Different circumstances, different time. I miss it a little bit but not a lot. I am very philosophical about this stuff. I have had wonderful opportunities in my career and no one wants to hear me complain about anything."
In 2009
2009 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions – New York Yankees**American League Champions – New York Yankees**National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies*Postseason – October 7 to November 4...
, Costas would become a contributor and occasional play-by-play announcer for MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
.
Future of Major League Baseball on NBC
A June 4, 2006 article from Broadcasting & Cable
Broadcasting & Cable
Broadcasting & Cable magazine is a television industry trade magazine published by NewBay Media. Previous names included Broadcasting/Telecasting, Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising, and Broadcasting...
stated that 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...
may have considered a partnership with another network (which ultimately, turned out to be TBS) for the next contract. NBC was the only network named in connection to a possible partnership in the article. The setup being suggested was similar to the last time NBC had the rights to baseball, that being NBC getting some 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...
games and alternating 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...
and 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...
with Fox, who may or may not have kept the Game of the Week
Major League Baseball Game of the Week
The Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
.
The New York Times however, reported that NBC was unlikely to get baseball, as they would have to preempt up to three weeks of National Football League coverage on Sunday nights
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
. But the NFL used to not schedule a Sunday night game on the second night of the World Series, (also a Sunday) which meant that NBC was completely not out of the question (however, the following Sunday, which would possibly be Game 7 of the World Series, a Sunday night NFL game is scheduled). In addition to this, other Sunday playoff games, such as the ALCS and NLCS could be pushed to the afternoon. This might not be appetizing to baseball, as major playoff games would go up head-to-head against highly rated afternoon NFL games (as opposed to today's system, where only one game out of two for the day would go up against network NFL fare).
On July 11, 2006, Fox and Major League Baseball signed a seven-year contract which gives the network exclusive coverage of the All-Star Game and World Series through 2013. Also, Fox will retain the Fox Saturday Baseball Game of the Week and will broadcast one League Championship Series every year. This will rule out baseball returning to NBC until at least 2014, as the two annual showpiece events will not be available in any contract the network might obtain before then; currently, the owner of NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
, Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, owns a 5.44% stake in the MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
and featured a game with Bob Costas and Al Michaels in July 2011.
Major League Baseball on NBC Radio
For many years, the NBC Radio Network also had a role in Major League Baseball coverage. The network shared World Series broadcast rights with CBSMajor League Baseball on CBS Radio
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports , the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the All-Star Game and the postseason from 1976 to 1997.-Contracts:CBS first covered...
beginning in 1927
1927 World Series
In the 1927 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in four games. This was the first sweep of a National League team by an American League team....
, with All-Star Game broadcasts added in 1933
1933 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1933 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the first 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 6, 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the home...
. The Mutual
Major League Baseball on Mutual
Major League Baseball on Mutual was the de facto title of the Mutual Broadcasting System's national radio coverage of Major League Baseball games. Mutual's coverage came about during the Golden Age of Radio in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. During this period, television sports broadcasting was in its...
network joined NBC and CBS in 1935
1935 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs *All-Star Game, July 8 at Municipal Stadium: American League, 4-1-Other champions:*Negro League Baseball All-Star Game, August 11 at Comiskey Park: West, 11-8...
; the three networks continued to share coverage of baseball's "jewels" in this manner through 1938
1938 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs *All-Star Game, July 6 at Crosley Field: National League, 4-1-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player**Jimmie Foxx, Boston Red Sox, 1B...
, with Mutual gaining exclusive rights to the World Series in 1939
1939 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*On May 17, 1939, Princeton University and Columbia University played the first televised baseball game. On August 26, the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers played the first televised Major League Baseball game...
and the All-Star Game in 1942
1942 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees *All-Star Game, July 6 at Polo Grounds: American League, 3-1-Other champions:*Negro Leagues World Series: Kansas City Monarchs over Homestead Grays...
.
In 1957
1957 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California...
, NBC replaced Mutual as the exclusive national radio broadcaster for the World Series and All-Star Game. The network would continue in this role through 1975
1975 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox ; Pete Rose, MVP*All-Star Game, July 15 at County Stadium: National League, 6-3; Bill Madlock and Jon Matlack, MVPs-Other champions:...
, with CBS taking over the rights the following year. NBC Radio did not air regular season games in this period (save for the three-game National League pennant playoff series in 1959
1959 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox ; Larry Sherry, MVP*All-Star Game , July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4*All-Star Game , August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3...
and 1962
1962 in baseball
The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40–120 record of the New York Mets, the third-worst winning percentage and the record for most games lost since 1900.-Major League Baseball:...
); nor did the network cover 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...
from 1969
1969 in baseball
-Expansion:Four expansion teams joined Major League Baseball for this season: the San Diego Padres, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Pilots, and the first MLB team in Canada, the Montreal Expos. To accommodate the additional teams, the two leagues were split into two divisions of East and West...
–1975
1975 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox ; Pete Rose, MVP*All-Star Game, July 15 at County Stadium: National League, 6-3; Bill Madlock and Jon Matlack, MVPs-Other champions:...
, those series instead having local team radio broadcasts syndicated nationally over ad hoc networks.