Different game, same attitude. That essentially is the plan of the Fox Network as it prepares to use its younger, hipper approach on America's pastime.
Fox is giving the same contemporary look and attitude it gave to the National Football League and the National Hockey League to baseball in hopes of increasing its popularity with viewers who idolize Luke Perry much more than Gaylord Perry.
The attitude is reflected in the reported $10 million worth of humorous promos -- starting with Cal Ripken's playing off his ironman image -- that Fox is running on behalf of baseball.
New graphics, new music, new announcers are all being developed to update the sport's stodgy image.
Fox also returns the "Game of the Week" series on June 1 for the first time in seven seasons. That may be more of a symbolic gesture than anything. The importance of the weekly network game had declined because of all the games carried nightly on cable.
Fox's entry in the baseball picture resulted in the end of The Baseball Network partnership among ABC, NBC and the major leagues. Its two seasons were marked by disruptions caused by labor troubles.
Fox stepped up to the plate to pay $575 million for five seasons to make the switch worthwhile for the major leagues, which also made deals with NBC ($475 million) and ESPN ($455 million) that will net each club team about $10 million a season.
The new deal also benefits fans, who were angered by last season's failure to show all postseason games and by World Series coverage that was confusingly alternated between two networks.
Under the new deal, ESPN gets playoff games for the first time, carrying up to 12 first-round games not shown on Fox or NBC. NBC gets the All-Star game, three divisional games and the National League championship. Fox gets five divisional playoffs, the American League championship and the World Series.
As always, Western New Yorkers can see more than their share of baseball thanks to all the regional and national cable networks that enter our market. Here's a quick look at their plans.
Joe Buck (son of Jack), Thom Brennaman (son of Marty) and Chip Caray (grandson of Harry, son of Skip) are the play-by-play men already hired by Fox, with Bob Brenly becoming a game analyst and Dave Winfield signing on as a studio analyst. Former Mets and White Sox manager Jeff Torborg is expected to be added as an analyst.
Tim McCarver is expected to join the network as its lead analyst with Buck. McCarver worked with Joe's legendary father at CBS.
Fox will have exclusivity on 18 Saturday afternoons during the season, generally with four games being carried on a regional basis.
Channel 29 plans to carry all the games.
It is starting its coverage tonight with a game between the American League West champion Seattle Mariners and the Chicago White Sox. It has exclusive coverage on Sunday night for 26 straight weeks (with announcers Jon Miller and Joe Morgan). It also is carrying 49 games on Wednesday doubleheaders. There also will be doubleheaders on Opening Day and Memorial Day and tripleheaders on Independence Day and Labor Day.
Former Mariner Harold Reynolds has replaced Roy Smalley as an analyst on "Baseball Tonight." Andy Van Slyke has been added as a Wednesday night analyst after ending his 13-year playing career.
The Olympic network has the All-Star game July 9, but doesn't return until the postseason. The announcing teams of Bob Costas-Bob Uecker and Greg Gumbel-Joe Morgan are expected back for the postseason.
The world champion Atlanta Braves will be featured 125 times on superstation WTBS. Skip Caray, Pete Van Wieren, Don Sutton and Joe Simpson all return to the booth. There is widespread speculation that the major leagues could end the superstation's baseball plans next season, but nothing has been resolved.
The New Jersey station is carrying 77 New York Met games, starting with Wednesday's home game with St. Louis. Ralph Kiner, Gary Thorne and McCarver all return to the booth.
CFTO (CTV) and CBLT (CBC)
The Canadian affiliates will carry about 60 regular-season Toronto Blue Jay games between them, starting with CFTO's coverage of a game with Cleveland Friday. CBC is expected to return play-by-play men Chris Cuthbert and Brian Williams and analyst Tommy Hutton. Hutton is also a CFTO analyst alongside play-by-play man Don Chevrier and reporter Fergie Olver.
The regional network is carrying 102 New York Yankees games, with announcers Jim Kaat, Steve Cohen, Al Trautwig, Michael Kay and Steve Palermo returning. The Yanks also have seven Fox appearances and three ESPN games scheduled.
Adelphia's regional sports network will carry 51 Pittsburgh Pirates games in the regular season, starting with an April 6 game against the New York Mets. Lanny Frattare, Steve Blass, Bob Walk and former WGR-AM announcer Greg Brown all return to the booth.
The direct broadcast satellite service has a package that will deliver up to 1,000 baseball games. The regular-season price is $139 and you can save $20 if you subscribe before April 15.
It will be harder to catch baseball on local radio. The Big 3 radio stations in town -- WGR, WWKB and WBEN -- are all controlled by the same radio company and have no plans to carry any major league baseball.
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