Fox’s World Series Plans

Got this release from the fine people at Fox Sports outlining what they’re doing for the World Series starting on Wednesday.

Game One Begins Wednesday Night from Yankee Stadium

Charismatic & Entertaining 2005 World Champion Manager Ozzie Guillen Joins Coverage as Pre & Postgame Analyst

Veteran Analyst Tim McCarver Calls an Unmatched 20^th World Series; Joe Buck Ties Curt Gowdy & Vin Scully for Record 12^th

World Series Play-by-Play Assignment

New York, N.Y. — The stage is set. FOX Sports’ exclusive coverage of Major League Baseball’s 105^th World Series begins Wednesday, Oct. 28 (7:30 PM ET), with Game 1 between the National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies and the American League Champion New York Yankees live from Yankee Stadium in New York. Play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and analyst Tim McCarver, MLB on FOX’s Emmy Award-winning lead broadcast team, call the action with MLB on FOX Insider Ken Rosenthal serving as in-game reporter for the series.

Coverage each night begins with the MLB on FOX pregame show hosted by Chris Rose live from New York and Philadelphia. Rose is joined by analysts Eric Karros, Mark Grace and special guest analyst for the 2009 Fall Classic, Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. In addition to Guillen’s role on FOX Sports, he also provides exclusive analysis and content for FOXSports.com and appears on FOX Sports En Español World Series coverage.

The 2009 World Series marks McCarver’s 20^th behind the microphone, adding to his record-setting achievement. His first assignment was the 1985 “Show Me Series” between the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck calls his 12^th World Series (all on FOX and with McCarver) and with that ties Vin Scully and Curt Gowdy for most World Series called by a play-by-play announcer. Rosenthal works his fourth World Series assignment for FOX Sports.

To bring viewers the sights and sounds of the Fall Classic, over 20 cameras and 80 microphones will be positioned throughout both Yankee Stadium and Citizens Bank Ballpark. Players, managers and umpires are scheduled to be miked for behind-the-scenes audio as well as in-game interviews with managers and coaches throughout the series.

New for the 2009 postseason, FOX Sports and TrackMan Baseball™ teamed up to introduce FOXTrax+, a set of exciting new graphics and information based on actual measurements of the baseball’s flight. FOXTrax+ utilizes a military-grade 3D Doppler radar that tracks the ball’s movement from the moment it leaves the pitcher’s hand all the way to the catcher’s glove – or in the case of a hit – until it hits the ground or is caught by a fielder. FOXTrax+ adds a new element to help viewers understand and appreciate the amazing athletic ability, reflexes, and power of the players.

FOX Sports’ social media campaign continues full force throughout the 2009 World Series. Fans can get behind-the-scenes photos, commentary and observations from Guillen, Grace, Karros, Rose, Buck, McCarver and Rosenthal before and during each World Series game broadcast. For instant updates, follow MLB on FOX on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MLBONFOX. Fans can also gain more access to exclusive FOX Sports content by logging on to www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.myspace.com/foxsports.

105^th WORLD SERIES ON FOX BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Schedule Subject to Change/All Times Eastern

Wednesday, Oct. 28 – GAME 1, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY, 7:30 PM

Thursday, Oct. 29 – GAME 2, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY, 7:30 PM

Saturday, Oct. 31 – GAME 3, Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia, PA, 7:30 PM

Sunday, Nov. 1 – GAME 4, Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia, PA, 8:00 PM

*Mon
day, Nov. 2 – GAME 5, Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia, PA, 7:30 PM

*Wednesday, Nov. 4 – GAME 6, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY, 7:30 PM

*Thursday, Nov. 5 – GAME 7, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY, 7:30 PM

* If necessary

This year marks the network’s 14^th straight as the television home for postseason baseball and the 2009 Fall Classic will be FOX’s 10^th consecutive of the event and 12^th overall. David Hill and Ed Goren are the Executive Producers of FOX Sports. Bill Brown is Senior Producer. Scott Ackerson is the Coordinating Producer of MLB on FOX’ studio coverage; Don Bui produces. Pete Macheska is lead game producer of FOX Sports’ Major League Baseball coverage. Bill Webb directs.

By the way, the press release says Joe Buck has tied Vin Scully in calling 12 World Series. In his bio on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ website, it says Vin has called 25 Fall Classics:

In addition to his Dodger broadcasts, the multi-talented broadcaster called play-by-play for National Football League games and PGA Tour events on CBS-TV from 1975-82 and play-by-play for Major League Baseball’s Game of the Week, three World Series and four All-Star Games on NBC-TV from 1983-89. Scully also called play-by-play for the World Series on CBS Radio from 1990-97. In all, he has called 25 World Series and 12 All-Star Games.

I don’t know where Fox is getting the 12 World Series assignments from. It might be confusing his 12 All-Star Games for World Series, but if you total his World Series calls for CBS Radio Sports and NBC between 1979 and 1997, not counting 1994 which was a strike year, that’s 14 and I’m not adding the ones that he called with the Dodgers for NBC when local announcers were allowed to participate in the national TV and radio broadcasts so where Fox is getting “12” for Vin, I’m not quite sure. Anyway, just pointing that out and I thank frequent Fang’s Bites visitor DyHrdMet for the tip.