Two More All-Star Game-Centric Press Releases Plus Comments

We continue to clear the Fang’s Bites inbox of press releases and there are two more regarding the All-Star next Tuesday.

Let’s go to the latest on the All-Star Game Final Vote.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL: INGE GRABS SLIM LEAD, SANDOVAL HANGS ON 2009 ALL-STAR GAME FINAL VOTE NEARS DRAMATIC FINISH

NEW YORK, July 8, 2009 – Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers has replaced Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers atop the American League ballot heading into the final 24 hours of the 2009 All-Star Game Final Vote on MLB.com and the individual Club sites. Over the last few hours, Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants has again re-taken the lead in the National League over Shane Victorino, but only after the Philadelphia Phillies outfielder jumped in front last night.

Sandoval and Victorino are separated by just two percentage points and the voting is so close that this race for the final roster spot on the 2009 National League All-Star Team has already seen at least five different lead changes. Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks continues to surge in third place as he is followed in the standings by Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cristian Guzman of the Washington Nationals.

Inge surpassed Kinsler last night and continues to hold a slim lead of only nine percent entering these final 24 hours of balloting for the American League All-Star Team’s final roster spot. Chone Figgins of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays and Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays have accumulated more than two million votes each.

With one day left to determine the winners, balloting remains ahead of last year’s record pace as 34.3 million votes have been cast. After a final early morning update tomorrow, the winners will be announced shortly after the conclusion of the balloting at 4 p.m. (EDT).

Mobile voting is available exclusively on Sprint capable mobile phones and fans can send the word “Vote” to 1122 to receive the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote ballot. Standard text rates apply. In Canada, fans should text the word “Vote” to 88555.

We have highlights of a conference call Fox Sports conducted with its announcing crew and MLB Walking Talking Conflict of Interest Bud Selig.

SELIG, GOREN, BUCK & McCARVER PREVIEW MIDSUMMER CLASSIC – MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, FOX Sports President Ed Goren along with MLB on FOX’s Emmy Award-winning broadcast team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver participated in a press call to preview coverage of Major League Baseball’s 80^th All-Star Game from Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Tuesday, July 14 (8:00 PM ET.)

Selected highlights are transcribed below.

Ed Goren on the production logistics in having President Obama at Busch Stadium to throw out the first pitch: “We went through this during the post-9/11 World Series at Yankee Stadium with President Bush. His presence affects the set up a bit, makes it similar to a Super Bowl in terms of security. The Secret Service will lock down the facility before the game and there may be some limitations of camera movement and certainly involves a lot more communication, but its not a big deal. It will be seamless to the viewer and trust me, it’s well worth it.”

Joe Buck on whether he likes the format of playing for home-field advantage format: “Tim and I are on record saying this has made the best All-Star Game of the four major sports even better. Before the format change, you would see the starters for one maybe two at bats and then they would be on their way to the airport. Now its completely different. We sit in with the managers and talk about how they’re going to manage and win the ball game, not just to get everyone in. Now personally, I love to see them go a step further. We were awfully close to a frightening situation last year at Yankee Stadium. Great ballgame but as it turned out we were maybe one out away from having JD Drew pitch in the ballgame. I’m glad they ended up adding another pitcher and a 33rd person on each roster but I’d love to see the starters start the game and see, for example, Tim Lincecum pitch five innings and see a real baseball game.”

Tim McCarver on his time in St. Louis and its baseball tradition: “I played in St. Louis from 1959-1969 and again in 1973 and 1974 and was fortunate to be on teams that were very successful so you would get no argument from me in saying St. Louis was and still is the best baseball town in America. My experience there was nothing but terrific. With Joe living in St. Louis and me going back, from a personal standpoint, this game is very special for both of us.”

Bud Selig on whether he thinks the format of playing for home-field advantage works: “A lot of people think that the 2002 tie really drove the change in format. We had been talking about this for at least a year before. I remember as kid watching Ted Williams break his elbow in the first inning of the 1950 All-Star Game in Chicago’s Comiskey Park. He played the whole game
. But later the All-Star Game had lost its desire. Since the format change, the games have been played with remarkable intensity. It isn’t like we had a brilliant recipe for how we decided how to award home-field advantage before. One year the AL got it, the next the NL got it. Do I think playing for home-field advantage is good? You bet I do. Frankly, the events over the last six years have really made me feel stronger about this.”

And to ESPN’s plans for the Home Run Derby on Monday as well as the other festivities of All-Star Weekend.

ESPN to Debut “Ball Track” During Home Run Derby

80^th MLB All-Star Game Live on ESPN Radio

ESPN’s extensive Major League Baseball All-Star coverage from Busch Stadium – home of the St. Louis Cardinals – will be highlighted by the 2009 Home Run Derby Monday, July 13, at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local time) exclusively on ESPN HD.

The Derby will also be available live via ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN International. Scheduled participants include St Louis’ Albert Pujols, who leads the Majors with 31 home runs, Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder, San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez and Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard (2006 winner). A.L. participants will be determined.

This year’s event will include the debut of “Ball Track” technology, which uses Doppler radar to track the ball off the bat and provide the following information:

• Real-time distance the ball is traveling (from the point of impact to the final resting point);
• The path of the ball, or arch, as it travels through the air;
• Projection by using the path of the ball (in mid-flight, using a changing color pattern) whether the hit will be a home run.

Information will be presented using an on-screen graphic and will be stored for reference throughout the telecast. ESPN has displayed home run distances in the past, but this is the first time the information will be presented in real time.

Chris Berman will host the event, joined on the field by analysts Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips and reporter Erin Andrews. ESPN will utilize 20 cameras to capture the excitement of the Derby, including the use of “Ultra Mo,” a replay device recapping action at 1,000 frames per second. This is ESPN’s 12^th consecutive year of live Derby coverage and 17^th straight year overall. The Derby is traditionally one of ESPN’s highest-rated summer programs.

A special edition of Baseball Tonight, with host Karl Ravech, analysts John Kruk, Eduardo Perez and Chris Singleton, and reporters Peter Gammons and Tim Kurkjian, will be televised at 7 p.m.

ESPN Radio’s Dan Shulman and Dave Campbell will describe the Derby, with on-field reports from Peter Pascarelli. For the third consecutive year, ESPN360.com will provide a live simulcast of the event. For the first time, ESPN Mobile TV will also provide a live simulcast.

Ernesto Jerez will call the Derby for ESPN Deportes with analyst Candy Maldonado and on-field reporters Guillermo Celis and Carolina Guillén. ESPN Deportes’ Beisbol Esta Noche, with host Fernando Alvarez and analyst Eduardo Perez – plus reports by Guillén and Carlos Baerga from St. Louis – will preview the event at 7:30 p.m.

ESPN has been airing a marketing campaign – “Who will own the night?” – leading up to the Home Run Derby.

2009 Legends and Celebrity Softball Game

Immediately following the Home Run Derby on Monday, July 13, ESPN and ESPN HD wi
ll present the 2009 Legends and Celebrity Softball Game. Gary Thorne will call the game with analyst Rick Sutcliffe and reporter Erin Andrews. In addition to Monday’s ESPN telecast (July 13), fans will have an opportunity to see the game live via ESPN360.com on Sunday, July 12, at 4 p.m.

Legends will include Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith and Bruce Sutter, both former Cardinals, Dave Winfield (ESPN analyst), Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage and Ernie Banks; Cardinals legends Lee Smith, Vince Coleman and Whitey Herzog; plus Tommy John and Fred Lynn. Celebrities scheduled to participate include Ashanti (Grammy Award-winning artist), Carl Edwards (NASCAR driver), Jenna Fischer (The Office), Ginuwine (R&B artist), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Shawn Johnson (Olympic champion), Nelly (Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter), Billy Bob Thornton (actor) and more.

ESPN Radio Mike & Mike in the Morning co-hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic will also participate. Mike & Mike will originate from St. Louis’ downtown Keener Plaza (Mon.-Tues., 6-10 a.m.), which was the site of the Cardinals’ and Rams’ championship victory parties and has a view of the Gateway Arch.

All-Star Futures Game

The networks’ All-Star coverage will begin with the 2009 All-Star Futures Game Sunday, July 13, at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV. Gary Thorne will call the game with analysts Rick Sutcliffe and Peter Gammons and reporter Erin Andrews. ESPN Deportes will also televise the Futures Game live, with Ernesto Jerez (play-by-play), analyst Candy Maldonado and reporter Guillermo Celis.

80^th MLB All-Star Game on ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes Radio

ESPN Radio (7:45 p.m.) and ESPN Deportes Radio (8 p.m.) will broadcast the 80^th All-Star Game, Tuesday, July 14. ESPN Radio’s Dan Shulman will call the game with analyst Dave Campbell, with Marc Kestecher serving as on-site host. Peter Pascarelli and John Rooney, the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals, will serve as on-field reporters. Shulman and Campbell have worked the All-Star Game and Derby together for eighth consecutive seasons. ESPN Radio will broadcast All-Star Specials Monday, June 13, and Tuesday, June 14, from 4- 8 p.m. with co-hosts Orestes Destrade and Jon Seibel.

Eduardo Ortega will call the game for ESPN Deportes Radio with Hall of Famer Juan Marichal and analyst Renato Bermudez. Jose Francisco Rivera will serve as on-field reporter.

ESPN International

ESPN International will offer live coverage of the All-Star Game and Futures Game on its networks serving Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean), Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Coverage of the Derby on Monday at 8 p.m. will also be available in these regions, plus Australia. ESPN AMERICA, the only European network dedicated to North American sports, will broadcast the All-Star Game, Futures Game and Home Run Derby to 43 countries throughout Europe.

SportsCenter & Baseball Tonight All-Star Coverage

The 6 p.m. SportsCenter on Monday and Tuesday will present live batting practice reports and previews from the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, respectively, while the late-night SportsCenters will provide live post-Derby and post-game analysis and interviews. Chris Berman will anchor the post All-Star game SportsCenter, with Karl Ravech anchoring all other SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight coverage. Analysts will include Peter Gammons, John Kruk, Tim Kurkjian, Eduardo Perez, Steve Phillips and Chris Singleton. Baseball Tonight will provide highlights, news and information related to the Derby Monday, July 13, at midnight (9 p.m. PT) and the All-Star Game Tuesday, July 14, at 1 a.m. (10 p.m. PT).

ESPNEWS

ESPNEWS will provide live coverage of Monday’s All-Star Game press conference (11 a.m.) and Home Run Derby press conference (1:15 p.m.), along with the post-Derby press conference. On Tuesday, ESPNEWS will cover the pre- and post-game press conferences.

ESPN.com, ESPNDeportes.com, ESPN The Magazine and ESPNTheMag.com will also provide All-Star coverage.

ESPN.com

ESPN.com’s MLB All-Star Game index page will include:

• New content daily July 9-14 featuring retrospective pieces on the All-Star Gamenews and analysis, and scouting reports; through the years,
• Reports by Jerry Crasnick, Jason Grey, Eric Karabell, Keith Law, Rob Neyer, Peter Pascarelli and Jayson Stark;
• Real-time coverage via a live All-Star blog and Twitter feed with contributions from ESPN writers and editors on site;
• Play-by-play home run tracker during the Derby;
• Live GameCast during the All-Star Game;
• SportsNation polls;
• Baseball Today podcast with hosts Karabell and Pascarelli;
• Coverage of the Derby and All-Star Game on a special Baseball Tonight C
  lubhouse page featuring Baseball Tonight Minute video;
• “Off Base” video pieces from Jim Caple in St. Louis;
• “SweetSpot” blog by Neyer, who will be blogging during the Derby and All-Star Game;
• Photo galleries and more.

ESPN Mobile Web

All-Star coverage across the ESPN Mobile Web and MVP application will allow users to follow the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game live directly on their mobile device via GameCast and a blog. An All-Star Hot Corner feature will provide interactive chats and polls.

ESPN Alerts will provide subscribers with in-progress and final result updates from the Futures Game, Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.

That will conclude our work for Wednesday.