Major League Baseball on FOX is the de facto brand name for a weekly presentation of Major League Baseball games on the Fox television network. Major League Baseball on FOX began on June 1, 1996 and will continue at least through the 2013 Major League Baseball season. De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the animal, see Fox. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1996 throughout the world. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The phrase "Major League Baseball on FOX" is never heard or seen on broadcasts but is implied by the use of the Major League Baseball silhouette logo alongside the words "on FOX." Often FOX Saturday Baseball or World Series on FOX (and similar) are used to brand telecasts instead, depending on the game being broadcast. Other Fox Sports properties (NASCAR on FOX and NFL on FOX), are titled in the same fashion. For Fox Sports in Australia see Fox Sports (Australia). ... NASCAR ON FOX is a series of NASCAR races airing on Fox Sports and the SPEED Channel since 2001. ... NFL on FOX is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Companys coverage of the National Football Leagues National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports. ...

Fox televised their first World Series in 1996, and has had exclusive rights to the World Series since 2001. Those exclusive rights currently extend through 2013. For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ... The 1996 World Series matched the defending champion Atlanta Braves against the New York Yankees, with the Yankees winning in six games to capture their first championship since 1978, and their 23rd overall. ... The 2001 World Series (the November Series) took place between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees and is considered one of the most exciting World Series in recent memory. ...

History

Early years: 1996-2000

See also: The Baseball Network

Major League Baseball made a deal with FOX and NBC on November 7, 1995. FOX paid a fraction less of the amount of money that CBS paid for the Major League Baseball television rights for the 1990-1993 seasons. Unlike the previous television deal, The Baseball Network, FOX reverted to the format of televising regular season games (approximately 16 weekly telecasts that normally began on Memorial Day weekend) on Saturday afternoons. FOX did however, continue a format that The Baseball Network started by offering games based purely on a viewer's region. FOX's approach has usually been to offer four regionalized telecasts, with exclusivity from 1-4 p.m. in each time zone. The Baseball Network was a short-lived television joint venture involving the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and Major League Baseball. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the animal, see Fox. ... NBC (an acronym for National Broadcasting Company, its former corporate name) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1995. ... CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... // This year in baseball Events January 9 - Jim Palmer, a three-time American League Cy Young Award winner, and Joe Morgan, a two-time National League MVP, are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first years of eligibility. ... // This year in baseball Events January - Reggie Jackson is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving 94% of the vote. ... The Baseball Network was a short-lived television joint venture involving the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and Major League Baseball. ... Relatives and others traditionally place flags near veterans headstones on Memorial Day Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (most recently observed May 29, 2006). ...

When FOX first got into baseball, it used the motto "Same game, new attitude." FOX's primary goal when they first launched baseball was to promote their weak prime time schedule. A motto (from Italian) is a phrase or a short list of words meant formally to describe the general motivation or intention of an entity, social group, or organization. ... Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ...

said network sports president Ed Goren.

Like its predecessor NBC, FOX determined its Saturday schedule by who was playing a team from one of the three largest television markets: New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. If there was a game which combined two of these three markets, it would be aired. A NBC Sports camera capturing the action at Dodger Stadium. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type mayor-council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D)  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ...

The Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the defacto title for over-the-air, nationally televised, coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games. ...

Exclusivity

2001-2006

In September 2000, Major League Baseball concluded a six year, $2.5 billion contract with FOX to show Saturday baseball, the All-Star Game, selected Division Series games and exclusive coverage of the League Championship Series and World Series. 90% of the contract's value to FOX, who paid Major League Baseball $417 million per year, came from the postseason, which not only attracted large audiences, but also provided an opportunity for the network to showcase its fall schedule. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory[1], the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the manager (the managers from the previous years... In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. ... The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of playoffs in Major League Baseball. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...

The contract protected Major League Baseball in the event of a labor dispute (something that didn't occur with The Baseball Network in 1994). If some of the games were cancelled by a strike or lockout, Major League Basball still got all its money, but had to compensate FOX with additional telecasts. On the other hand, a repeat of the 1994 Major League Baseball strike would've cost FOX well over $1 billion. The Baseball Network was a short-lived television joint venture involving the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and Major League Baseball. ... The following are the events of the year 1994 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

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 valued FOX's Saturday Game of the Week at less than $90 million for five years. Before NBC officially decided to part ways with Major League Baseball (for the second time in about 12 years) on September 26, 2000, FOX's payment would've been $345 million while NBC would've paid $240 million. Before 1990, NBC had carried Major League Baseball since 1947. A NBC Sports camera capturing the action at Dodger Stadium. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1996 throughout the world. ... This year in baseball: 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 6 - Major League Baseball officials order Atlanta Braves reliever John Rocker is to undergo psychological testing following derogatory remarks he made in an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of television-related events in 2000. ... // This year in baseball Events January 9 - Jim Palmer, a three-time American League Cy Young Award winner, and Joe Morgan, a two-time National League MVP, are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first years of eligibility. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1947 throughout the world. ...

Under the new deal, FOX would now pay out an average of $417 million a year, which was about a 45 percent increase from the previous deal (worth $290 million a year) that FOX, NBC, and ESPN contributed together. CBS and ABC reportedly were not interested in buying the rights at the prices Major League Baseball was offering. NBC Sports logo NBC Sports is a division of NBC, responsible for the televising of many sports events on the network. ... ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. Major League Baseball on ESPN debuted on April 15, 1990 with Sunday Night Baseball, ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013. ... CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ...

See also: Major League Baseball on CBS and Major League Baseball on ABC

When asked about the new deal with FOX, Commissioner Bud Selig said, Major League Baseball on CBS is the name of the former TV show that televised Major League Baseball games on the American television network CBS (legally known as the Columbia Broadcasting System from 1928-1974). ... Major League Baseball on ABCs Wide World of Sports. ... In 1920, the owners of Major League Baseball, in order to reestablish confidence of fans in the sport following the Black Sox Scandal, established the office of Commissioner of Baseball. ... Bud Selig Allan Huber the idiot Selig, Jr. ...

Neal Pilson, who was the president of CBS Sports when the network had the exclusive television rights for Major League Baseball said of Fox's $2.5 billion deal: CBS Sports is a division of CBS which airs many of the sports telecasts in the United States. ...

Some observers believed that gaining the relative ratings boost from the League Championship Series and World Series meant more to FOX than the other broadcast networks. That was because FOX had the biggest prime time ratings decline of the four major networks during the 1999-2000 season. Its average prime time audience of 8.97 million was down 17 percent from the year before, according to Nielsen Media Research. Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1999. ... This is a list of television-related events in 2000. ... Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is a U.S. firm, headquartered in New York City, and operating primarily from Oldsmar, FL, which measures media audiences, including television, radio and newspapers. ...

New contract: 2007-2013

See also: Major League Baseball on TBS

On July 11, 2006, rumors on the future of Major League Baseball on FOX were put to rest when it was announced that the Fox Broadcasting Company had signed a new seven-year contract, which will guarantee that the World Series will appear on FOX through the 2013 season. FOX had widely been expected to renew the deal, but it was unclear what they would be willing to air beyond the All-Star Game and World Series. Major League Baseball on TBS is a broadcasting agreement between Major League Baseball and the Turner Broadcasting System to broadcast baseball via cable television nationwide, beginning in 2007. ... July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2006 throughout the world. ... For the animal, see Fox. ...

The package was officially announced on October 17, with the news that TBS will air all Division Series games through 2013 and alternate League Championship Series with FOX during the contract. Coverage of the Saturday Game of the Week will be expanded to start in April and last during the entire season. October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... TBS also stands for Tokyo Broadcasting System, a Japanese television network. ... In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. ...

Major League Baseball has also agreed to expand commercial time between half-innings on FOX telecasts as part of its new contract.

Scheduling

Since the network bought the rights to post-season baseball coverage, FOX has received criticism from non-baseball fans for not airing first-run original programming during October. (Baseball fans point out that there are plenty of other broadcast and cable networks available on every TV package that do show original scripted programming.) For the majority of the years that FOX has aired baseball, the network started the season for The Simpsons and other shows in November, although a few shows begin in August or September and then go on hiatus until after the World Series. In 2005, FOX started its season in September, took the month of October off to show the Major League Baseball playoffs, and resumed non-baseball programming in November. Both approaches have drawn criticism, indicating that there may not be a perfect way to accommodate both sports and entertainment.^[1] Simpsons redirects here. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2005 throughout the world. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

In the first year of its six year, exclusive contract (2001), FOX did a split-telecast (not seen of since the days of the ill-fated Baseball Network) for the League Championship Series. This meant that one game would be aired on the Fox Network while the other would be aired on the local regional Fox Sports Net cable channel (depending on market, as some markets had no regional sports network with a relationship to FSN). The rationale behind the split-telecast was that because of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the whole post-season schedule was pushed back a week. Because of this, two Sunday LCS games came in conflict with a NFL on FOX doubleheader. The fans and sports media reporters were unimpressed with the situation and Bud Selig vowed it was a one-time deal necessitated by circumstance. However, in later years FOX used split telecasts on a few occasions to keep the playoffs "on schedule," and aired the second game on FX, which has virtually national cable/satellite coverage. The 2007-2013 contract eliminates this, as TBS will have one of the League Championship Series each year. The following are the baseball events of the year 2001 throughout the world. ... The Baseball Network was a short-lived television joint venture involving the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and Major League Baseball. ... Fox Sports Net headquarters in Los Angeles. ... A Regional Sports Network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... NFL on FOX is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Companys coverage of the National Football Leagues National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports. ... Bud Selig Allan Huber the idiot Selig, Jr. ... FX (shorter for Fox Extended Networks) is the name of a number of related subscription TV channels owned by News Corporations Fox Entertainment Group. ... Major League Baseball on TBS is a broadcasting agreement between Major League Baseball and the Turner Broadcasting System to broadcast baseball via cable television nationwide, beginning in 2007. ...

Starting in 2004, FOX's Game of the Week telecasts only appeared three times after August 28, because the network chose to begin telecasts in mid-May and avoid going up against college football in September. With lead play-by-play man Joe Buck now also handling the same duties for FOX's NFL coverage, FOX had to use a variety of announcers for its late-season baseball coverage. This may change under the 2007-2013 contract, as FOX is supposed to show games throughout the season. The following are the baseball events of the year 2004 throughout the world. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... For the fictional character, see Midnight Cowboy. ...

Blackout policies/Flexible scheduling

FOX has certain rights for afternoon Major League Baseball games on Saturdays, and ESPN has the same rights for night games on Sundays. Broadcasters cannot show games of in-market teams regardless of if the game is home or away if the game of the local team has a start time or likely end time intruding on FOX or ESPN's national window, unless that network waives its exclusivity. This is to encourage people to watch the ESPN or FOX game. A further enticement comes simply through the fact that FOX offers mostly regional coverage. ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. Major League Baseball on ESPN debuted on April 15, 1990 with Sunday Night Baseball, ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ...

The reasoning is that since people will not be able to watch their favorite team, they may be willing to settle for some baseball. This results in higher ratings for the national broadcaster by pulling baseball fans away from watching their own team, although critics may note that during the late-spring and summer, fans might simply do something else outside of when their favorite team is playing.

Usually there are no other games scheduled at these times, except when a team decides not to change the start-time even after FOX drops the game in favor of a better match-up, which they can and often will do on a few weeks notice, particularly after the All-Star Game. ESPN's post-All-Star Game schedule is likewise picked a few weeks ahead of time (schedules for the first half of the season are usually set during the winter). Other teams simply schedule games for other time-slots, particularly later on Saturday or on Sunday afternoons. Also, the Texas Rangers often play summertime home games at night on Sundays because of the extreme heat common to Texas during much of the season, and normally receive special permission from ESPN to televise these games locally (their opponent's TV partner can also show the game). The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the manager (the managers from the previous years... Major league affiliations American League (1961–present) West Division (1972–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 26,34,42 Name Texas Rangers (1972–present) Washington Senators (1961-1971) Ballpark Ameriquest Field in Arlington (1994–present) a. ...

Commentators and studio personalities

As of 2006, Joe Buck, son of Hall of Fame St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck, is FOX's #1 play-by-play commentator (a role he has had since FOX's first year of coverage in 1996). Buck was 27 years old when first named to the position. Joe Buck was teamed with Tim McCarver, who was considered the main reason behind the firing of Jack Buck from CBS five years earlier. Unlike Tim McCarver and Jack Buck, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver fused. According to McCarver, The following are the baseball events of the year 2006 throughout the world. ... For the fictional character, see Midnight Cowboy. ... The Ford C. Frick Award is an award bestowed annually by the Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball. ... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1,2,6,9,14,17,20,42,45,85 Name St. ... John Francis Jack Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002), born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1996 throughout the world. ... James Timothy McCarver (born October 16, 1941 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American former catcher in Major League Baseball and a current broadcaster for FOX Sports. ... Major League Baseball on CBS is the name of the former TV show that televised Major League Baseball games on the American television network CBS (legally known as the Columbia Broadcasting System from 1928-1974). ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 8 - Rod Carew, Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, with Carew becoming the 22nd player to be named in his first year of eligibility. ...

Currently (as of 2007), commentators for Major League Baseball on FOX telecasts are: The following are the baseball events of the year 2007 throughout the world. ...

• Play-by-Play Commentators

1. Joe Buck
2. Thom Brennaman
3. Josh Lewin
4. Kenny Albert

• Color Commentators

1. Tim McCarver
2. Kevin Kennedy
3. Eric Karros (Alternating weeks)
4. Joe Girardi (Alternating weeks)
5. Mark Grace (Alternating weeks)

• Field Reporters

1. Ken Rosenthal
2. Chris Myers

• Studio Host

1. Jeanne Zelasko or Chris Rose

• Studio Analysts

1. Eric Karros (Alternating weeks)
2. Joe Girardi (Alternating weeks)
3. Mark Grace (Alternating weeks)

During the pre-2001 period, Bob Brenly acted as the third man in the booth with Buck and McCarver during World Series games. Buck and McCarver were at the microphone when Brenly led the Arizona Diamondbacks as manager to the 2001 World Series title. For the fictional character, see Midnight Cowboy. ... Thom Brennaman is an American sportscaster, and the son of sportscaster Marty Brennaman. ... Josh Lewin is an American sports commentator. ... Kenny Albert (born in 1968), son of sportscasting legend Marv Albert, is a sportscaster in his own right. ... James Timothy McCarver (born October 16, 1941 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American former catcher in Major League Baseball and a current broadcaster for FOX Sports. ... Kevin Kennedy may refer to: Kevin Kennedy (actor) Kevin Kennedy (baseball) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Eric Peter Karros (born November 4, 1967 in Hackensack, New Jersey) is a former American baseball player who played in Major League Baseball from 1991-2004. ... Joseph Elliot Girardi (born October 14, 1964 in Peoria, Illinois) is a former catcher in Major League Baseball and is the former manager of the Florida Marlins. ... Mark Eugene Grace (born June 28, 1964 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was a professional Major League Baseball player for 16 seasons with the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks. ... Ken Rosenthal is the senior Major League Baseball columnist for FoxSports. ... Chris Myers is a sports broadcaster who works for numerous media outlets and covers several different sports. ... Jeanne Zelasko (born October 26, 1966 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a sports commentator for the FOX network. ... Chris Rose is one of the hosts of The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox Sports Net. ... Eric Peter Karros (born November 4, 1967 in Hackensack, New Jersey) is a former American baseball player who played in Major League Baseball from 1991-2004. ... Joseph Elliot Girardi (born October 14, 1964 in Peoria, Illinois) is a former catcher in Major League Baseball and is the former manager of the Florida Marlins. ... Mark Eugene Grace (born June 28, 1964 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was a professional Major League Baseball player for 16 seasons with the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2001 throughout the world. ... Robert Earl Brenly (born February 25, 1954 in Coshocton, Ohio) is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball and a current broadcaster. ... Major league affiliations National League (1998–present) West Division (1998–present) Current uniform Name Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–present) Ballpark Chase Field (1998–present) formerly known as Bank One Ballpark (1998-2005) Major league titles World Series titles (1) 2001 NL Pennants (1) 2001 National League West Division titles (3) 2002... The 2001 World Series (the November Series) took place between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees and is considered one of the most exciting World Series in recent memory. ...

The original studio host in 1996 was Chip Caray. Dave Winfield and Steve Lyons were the show's original analysts. Unlike the network's primary broadcast teams, the studio personnel have not had the same longevity. Winfeld left FOX after only one season, and both Caray and Lyons would move to the broadcast booth before leaving the network. From 1999-2000, Keith Olberman took over the hosting seat form Chip Caray, before being replaced by Jeanne Zelasko, who was promoted from Fox Sports Net's National Sports Report. The following are the baseball events of the year 1996 throughout the world. ... Chip Caray Harry Christopher Chip Caray III (born 1965) is a television broadcaster for the Atlanta Braves of the National League, but is best known as an announcer for Chicago Cubs games from 1998 to 2004. ... David Mark Winfield (born October 3, 1951 in St. ... Stephen John Lyons (born June 3, 1960) is a former Major League Baseball player and a television sportscaster. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1999 throughout the world. ... This year in baseball: 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 6 - Major League Baseball officials order Atlanta Braves reliever John Rocker is to undergo psychological testing following derogatory remarks he made in an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine. ... Keith Olbermann Keith Olbermann (born January 27, 1959 in New York City, New York) is an American news anchor and radio sportscaster. ... Jeanne Zelasko (born October 26, 1966 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a sports commentator for the FOX network. ... Fox Sports Net headquarters in Los Angeles. ...

Pregame shows

Most Saturday baseball games on FOX have been preceded by a baseball-oriented show. From 1996-1999, FOX aired a baseball program geared to children and teenagers called In the Zone. In 2000, In the Zone was replaced by This Week in Baseball, which had previously been in syndication. TWIB has been on FOX ever since. The following are the baseball events of the year 1996 throughout the world. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1999 throughout the world. ... This year in baseball: 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 6 - Major League Baseball officials order Atlanta Braves reliever John Rocker is to undergo psychological testing following derogatory remarks he made in an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine. ... This Week in Baseball is a weekly television program showing highlights of the previous weeks Major League Baseball action. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ...

Innovations

See also: Baseball telecasts technology

On July 8, 1997, Fox televised its first ever All-Star Game (out of Jacobs Field in Cleveland). For this particular game, FOX introduced "Catcher-Cam" in which a camera was affixed to the catchers' masks in order to provide unique perspectives of the action around home plate. Catcher-Cam soon would become a regular fixture in FOX's baseball broadcasts. The following is a chronological list of the technological advancements of Major League Baseball television broadcasts: // On August 26, the first ever Major League Baseball game was televised W2XBS, an experimental station in New York City which would ultimately become WNBC-TV. Red Barber called the game without the benefit... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... The following are the events of the year 1997 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... Jacobs Field (informally called The Jake) is a baseball stadium located in the middle of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. ... Cleveland redirects here. ... Sony camera head with Betacam SP dock recorder. ...

In addition to Catcher-Cam, other innovations (some of which have received more acclaim than others) that Fox has provided for baseball telecasts have been:

• Sennheiser MKE-2 microphones and SK-250 transmitters in the bases.

• Between 12 and 16 microphones throughout the outfield, ranging from Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun microphones to DPA 4061s with Crystal Partners Big Ear parabolic microphones to Crown Audio PCC160 plate microphones.

• The continuous "Fox Box" graphic, which contained the score, inning and other information in an upper corner of the TV screen. Since 2001, the Fox Box has morphed into a strip across the top of the screen which would later be used by NBC. For baseball broadcasts, it would be turned off when something really important happened (Mark McGwire's record-breaking 62nd home-run in 1998, the last out of the World Series, et cetera). However, turning off the box at critical points has been criticized, as the purpose of turning off the box is to promote the network that showed the play instead of provide viewers with relevant information they normally get when the network isn't self-promoting.

• Audio accompanying graphics and sandwiched replays between "whooshes."

• "Mega Slo-Mo" technology.

• Scooter, a cartoony 3-D animated talking baseball (voiced by Tom Kenny) that occasionally appears to explain pitch types and mechanics, purportedly for younger viewers -- approximately the 10- to 12-year-olds.^[2]

• Ball Tracer, a stroboscopic comet tail showing the path of a pitch to the catcher's glove.

• Strike Zone, which shows pitch sequences with strikes in yellow and balls in white. It can put a simulated pane of glass that shatters when a ball goes through the zone (a la the computerized scoring graphics used for bowling).

• The "high home" camera from high behind home plate. Its purpose is that it can trace the arc of a home run and measure the distance the ball traveled. The "high home" camera can also measure a runner's lead off first base while showing in different colors (green, yellow, red) and how far off the base and into pickoff danger a runner is venturing.

In October 2004, FOX started airing all Major League Baseball postseason broadcasts (including the League Championship Series and World Series) in high definition. Fox also started airing the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in HD the following year. The Sennheiser Logo Sennheiser is a German pro audio company. ... A microphone with a cord A microphone, sometimes called a mic (pronounced mike), is a device that converts sound into an electrical signal. ... In communications and information processing, a transmitter (sometimes abbreviated XMTR) is an object (source) which sends information to an observer (receiver). ... A parabola A parabola (from the Greek: παραβολή) is a conic section generated by the intersection of a cone, and a plane tangent to the cone or parallel to some plane tangent to the cone. ... Fox Box was Fox Sports term for the chyron used during its broadcasts of baseball and the National Football League, among others, which displayed the score of the game and other real-time information (time left in periods/outs left in baseball innings, football downs and yards-to-go, whether... This is a list of television-related events in 2001. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This year in baseball 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 5 - Don Sutton, a 324-game winner is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his fifth try. ... Slow motion is an effect resulting from running film through a movie camera at faster-than-normal speed. ... Scooter is an animated character used by Fox Sports during Major League Baseball games. ... The rewrite of this article is being devised at Talk:3D computer graphics/Temp. ... Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962 in East Syracuse, New York) is an American voice actor who is perhaps best known for his work in the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, in which he is the voice of the title character, the narrator, Patchy the Pirate, and a number of... Bowling ball and two pins Ten-pin bowling lane Automatic Scorer by Brunswick Specialized computers replaced hand scoring beginning 1970s. ... The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of playoffs in Major League Baseball. ... The 2004 World Series represented the 100th time two modern Major League Baseball teams met to decide the championship. ... High-definition television (HDTV) means broadcast of television signals with a higher resolution than traditional formats (NTSC, SECAM, PAL) allow. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the manager (the managers from the previous years... The following are the baseball events of the year 2005 throughout the world. ...

Ratings

Main article: Ratings for Major League Baseball on FOX telecasts

External links

References

Sources