Major League Baseball on television

Baseball Firsts

1930s

The first-ever televised baseball game was on May 17, 1939 between Princeton and Columbia; Princeton beat Columbia 2-1 at Columbia's Baker Field. The contest was aired on W2XBS, an experimental station in New York City which would ultimately become WNBC-TV.

On August 26 of the same year, the first ever Major League Baseball game was televised (once again on W2XBS). 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.

1940s

By 1947, 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 attendence 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.

On April 16, 1948, Chicago's WGN-TV broadcast its first big-league game, with Jack Brickhouse calling the White Sox' 4-1 defeat of the Cubs in an exhibition game at Wrigley Field. WGN televised each Cubs and White Sox home game live. According to Brickhouse, "It worked because the Cubs and White Sox weren't home at the same time. You aired the Sox at Comiskey, or Cubs at Wrigley Field." Daytime scheduling gave the Cubs a decided edge, as "Wrigley didn't have lights, so kids came home from school, had a sandwich, and turned the TV on."

When the Boston Braves won the National League pennant in 1948 and drew 1.46 million fans, they decided to sell the television rights to all of their home games for the next two years. They also had television coverage for most of their home games through the 1952 season, all for the sum of $40,000. The Braves figured that the televising of home games and fueled interest in the team in the first place.

By the time the Braves' television contract ran out, their home attendance had fallen 81%. Apparently, fans had decided that they preferred to watch the games on television than go to the ballpark. In 1953, when baseball's attendance shrunk to 14 million playing customers, the Braves moved to Milwaukee and refused all offers to televise home games.

1950s

On July 11, 1950, the All-Star Game out of Chicago's Comiskey Park was televised for the first time. On November 8, 1950, Commissioner Happy Chandler and player reps agreed on the split of the TV-radio rights from the World Series. A few weeks later, Gillette signed a 6 year deal, worth an estimated $6 million, with Major League Baseball for the TV-radio rights for the World Series.

On August 11, 1951, WCBS-TV in New York City televised the first baseball game (in which the Milwaukee Braves beat the Brooklyn Dodgers by the score of 8-1) in color. On October 3 of that year 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 3-1 (off Bobby Thomson's now-legendary home run).

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 to 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.

Also in 1953, ABC-TV executive Edgar Scherick broached a Saturday Game of the Week-TV sport's first network series. At the time, ABC was labeled a "nothing network" that had fewer outlets than CBS or NBC. ABC also need paid programming or "anything for bills" as Scherick put it. At first, ABC hesitated at the idea of a nationally televised regular season baseball program. ABC wondered how exactly the Game of the Week would reach television in the first place and who would notice if it did?

In April of 1953, Edgar Scherick set out to sell teams rights but instead, only got the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox to sign on. To make matters worse, Major League Baseball barred the Game of the Week from airing within 50 miles of any ballpark. Major League Baseball according to Scherick, insisted on protecting local coverage and didn't care about national appeal. ABC though, did care about the national appeal and claimed that "most of America was still up for grabs."

In 1953, ABC earned a 11.4 rating for their Game of the Week telecasts. Blacked-out cities had 32 percent of households. In the rest of the United States, 3 in 4 TV sets in use watched Dizzy Dean call the games for ABC.

By 1955, Dizzy Dean and the Game of the Week would move to CBS. "CBS' stakes were higher" said Bud Blattner, who left Mutual to rejoin Dean. Ron Powers wrote about the reteaming of Dean and Blattner "They wanted someone who'd known Diz, could bring him out." Also in 1955, NBC would televise the first ever World Series game (in which the Yankees beat the Dodgers 6-5) in color.

In 1956, baseball's owners announced that the players' pension fund will receive 60 percent of World Series and All-Star Game radio and TV revenues.

In 1957, CBS added a Sunday Game of the Week. ABC's Edgar Scherick said "In '53, no one wanted us. Now teams begged for Game's cash." That year, the NFL began a $14.1 miliion revenue-sharing pact. By 1965, Major League Baseball ended the big-city blackout, got $6.5 miliion for exclusivity, and split the pot.

With CBS now carrying the Game of the Week, outlets in Phoenix, Little Rock, and Cedar Rapids were finally receiving the Game of the Week. Bud Blattner said "America had never had TV network ball. Now you're getting two games a week [four, counting NBC, by 1959]"

1960s

On July 23, 1962, Major League Baseball had its first satellite telecast (via Telstar Communications). The telecast included portion of a contest between the Chicago Cubs vs. the Philadelphia Phillies from Wrigley Field with Jack Brickhouse commentating.

By 1964, CBS' Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese worked Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. New York got $550,000 of CBS' $895,000. Six clubs that exclusively played nationally televised games on NBC got 1.2 million

On March 17, 1965, Jackie Robinson became the first black network (ABC) broadcaster for Major League Baseball. That year, ABC provided the first-ever nationwide baseball coverage with weekly Saturday broadcasts on a regional basis. ABC paid $5.7 million for the rights to the 28 Saturday/holiday Games of the Week. ABC's deal covered all of the teams except the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies (who had their own television deals) and called for two regionalized games on Saturdays, Independence Day, and Labor Day. ABC blacked out the games in the home cities of the clubs playing those games.

In 1966, the New York Yankees, 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 1960's three-network 123.

By 1969, Major League Baseball had grown to 24 teams and the net local TV revenues had leaped to $20.7 million. This is in sharp contrast to 1950 when local television brought the then 16 Major League clubs a total net income of $2.3 million. You have to take under consideration the fact that changes that occured to baseball during the 1960s such as expansion franchises and increasing the schedule from 154 games to 162 led to a wider audience for network and local television.

1970s

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.

On October 21, 1975, 62 million watched what was arguably the greatest World Series game ever played. In Game 6 of the 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds, the Reds were up by the score of 6-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning. The Reds only needed six more outs in order to win their first World Championship in 35 years. Instead, Bernie Carbo tied tied the game up with a three-run home run. The game would go on into the bottom of the 12th inning when Carlton Fisk won it for the Red Sox (at aproximately 12:34 a.m. Eastern Time) with a solo home run off of Pat Darcy. Fisk's body language and subsequent reaction to the ball landing fair (it hit the left field foul pole at Fenway Park) ultimately became one of the most replayed moments in baseball history. Game 7 was just as intense as the Red Sox carried a 3-0 lead into the top of the 6th inning. Tony Pérez's two-run homer narrowed the gap to 3-2, and in the top of the 9th, Joe Morgan's bloop single drove in Pete Rose to give the Reds a 4-3 led. When Will McEnaney got Carl Yastrzemski to hit a lazy fly ball for the final out (and thus clinch the World Championship for the Reds), it conclued perhaps the most thrilling World Series of all-time.

In the aftermath of the thrilling 1975 World Series, attendance figures, television contracts (this time including two networks, NBC and now ABC), and player salaries all spiraled. In the eyes of some, that particular World Series restored baseball as America's national pastime (ahead of football).

Cable Television

On July 17, 1964, a game out of Los Angeles between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers contest became the first Pay-TV baseball game. Basically, subscription television offered the cablecast to subscribers for money. The Dodgers beat the Cubs by the score of 3-2, with Don Drysdale collecting 10 strikeouts by the way.

In 1980, 22 teams (all but the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals) took part in a one-year cable deal with UA-Columbia. The deal involved the airing of a Thursday night Game of the Week in markets at least 50 miles (80 km) from a major league park. The deal earned Major League Baseball less than $500,000, but lead to a new two-year contract for 40-45 games per season.

On January 5, 1989, Major League Baseball signed a $400 million deal with ESPN, who would show over 175 games in beginning in 1990. For the next four years, ESPN would televise six games a week (Sunday, Wednesday Night Baseball, doubleheaders on Tuesdays and Fridays, plus holidays).

NBC's Bob Costas believed that a large bulk of the regular season coverage beginning in the 1990s to cable because CBS, the network that was taking over from NBC the television rights beginning in 1990 didn't really want the Saturday Game of the Week. Many fans who didn't appreciate CBS' approach to scheduling regular season baseball games believed that they were only truly after the marquee events (i.e. All-Star Game, League Championship Series, and the World Series) in order to sell advertising space (especially the fall entertainment television schedule).

In 1994, ESPN renewed its baseball contract for six years (through the 1999 season). The new deal was worth $42.5 million per year and $255 million overall. The deal was ultimately voided after the 1995 season and ESPN was pretty much forced to restructure their contract.

In 1996, ESPN began a five year contract with Major League Baseball worth $440 million and about $80 million per year. ESPN paid for the rights to a Wednesday doubleheader and the Sunday night Game of the Week, as well as all postseason games not aired on Fox or NBC. Major League Baseball staggered the times of first-round games to provide a full-day feast for viewers: ESPN could air games at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 11 p.m. EDT, with the broadcast networks telecasting the prime-time game.

Beginning in 1997, Fox entered a four year joint venture with Liberty Media Cable worth $172 million. The deal called for two games a week that aired games on its choice of two weeknights other than Wednesday, with no exclusivity.

OLN is considering picking up the rights to the Sunday and Wednesday games, which expire after the 2005 season. ESPN is the current rights holder.

Monday Night Baseball

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. In addition, the previous deal limited CBS to covering only 12 weekends when its new subsidiary, the New York Yankees, played at home.

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 1967 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) up to $30.6 million.

From 1972-1975 NBC televised Monday games under a contract worth $72 million. In 1973, NBC extended the Monday night telecasts to from (with a local blackout) to 15 straight. On September 1, 1975, the last Monday Night Baseball game, in which the Montréal Expos beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5, was televised on NBC.

ABC would pick up the television rights for Monday Night Baseball games in the following year. Just like with Monday Night Football, ABC brought in the concept of the three-man-booth (originally comprised of Bob Prince, Bob Uecker, and Warner Wolf as the primary crew) to their baseball telecasts. Said ABC Sports head Roone Arledge: "It'll take something different for it to work" - i.e. curb viewership yawns and lulls with Uecker as the real difference so Arledge reportedly hoped.

Prince disclosed to his broadcasting partner Jim Woods about his early worries about calling a network series for the first time. Prince for one, didn't have as much creative control over the broadcasts on ABC as he did calling Pittsburgh Pirates games on KDKA radio.

On the June 8, 1976 edition of Monday Night Baseball, Prince returned to Pittsburgh, where he had been exiled from for over a year. Although Prince received a warm reception, Prince was confused when the next day, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette[1] read: "Ratings are low, negative reviews rampant."

Bob Prince (and therefore, Warner Wolf) was gone by the fall of 1976 with Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell, and Bob Uecker calling that year's American League Championship Series. On the subject of his dismissal from ABC, Bob Prince said "I hated Houston, and ABC never let me be Bob Prince."

Howard Cosell said of Bob Uecker that he "was the only person in the series to have his reputation helped." Cosell, who hated athletes-turned-announcers considered Uecker to being the exception. Cosell gloated that "The man's bigger than the game, bigger than the team, bigger than the league, bigger than the sport. They talk about a new commissioner, if I had my pick, it would be you Bob Uecker." Uecker replied by sighing and telling Cosell that he wished he "had the time."

In 1978, Baseball Hall of Famer Don Drysdale joined ABC Sports with assignments such as Monday Night Baseball, Superstars, and Wide World of Sports. According to Drysdale "My thing is to talk about inside things. Keith [Jackson] does play-by-play. Howard's [Cosell] role is anything since anything can happen in broadcasting." When ABC released and then rehired him in 1981, Drysdale explained it by saying "If there is nothing to say, be quiet." Ultimately, Drysdale seemed to be slowly phased out of the ABC picture as fellow Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer was considered ABC's new poster child "[of] superior looks and...popularity from underwear commercials."

On June 6, 1983, Al Michaels officially succeeded Keith Jackson as the #1 play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Baseball. Michaels was apparently very miffed over ABC Sports taking their sweet time with making him their #1 baseball announcer. Unlike Keith Jackson, whose forte was college football, Al Michaels had gigs with the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants before joining ABC in 1976. TV Guide huffed about Keith Jackson by saying "A football guy, on baseball!"

By 1986, ABC only televised 13 Monday Night Baseball games. This was a fairly sharp contrast to the 18 games to that were scheduled in 1978. The Sporting News believed that ABC paid Major League Baseball to not make them televise the regular season. TSN added that the network only wanted the sport for October anyway.

For most of its time on ABC, the Monday night games were held on "dead travel days" when few games were scheduled. The team owners liked that arrangement as the national telecasts didn't compete against their stadium box offices. ABC on the other hand, found the arrangement far more complicated. ABC often had only one or two games to pick from for each telecast from a schedule designed by Major League Baseball. While trying to give all of the teams national exposure, ABC ended up with way too many games between sub .500 clubs from small markets.

In 1989 (the final year of ABC's contract with Major League Baseball), ABC moved the baseball telecasts to Thursday nights in hopes of getting leg up against NBC's Cosby Show. After braving the traumatic Loma Prieta earthquake and an all-time low 16.4 rating for the 1989 World Series Al Michaels took ABC's loss of baseball to CBS as "tough to accept." Michaels added that "baseball was such an early stepchild at ABC and had come such a long way."

ABC's Monday Night Baseball Announcers

Gary Bender (1987-1988)
Lou Brock (1980)
Norm Cash (1976)
Howard Cosell (1977-1985)
Don Drysdale (1978-1986)
Bob Gibson (1976-1977)
Keith Jackson (1977-1982; 1986)
Reggie Jackson (1976-1987 - periodical postseason telecasts only)
Jim Lampley (1977-1979)
Tim McCarver (1984-1989)
Al Michaels (1976-1989)
Joe Morgan (1988-1989)
Jim Palmer (1984-1989)
Bob Prince (1976)
Steve Stone (1983)
Gary Thorne (1989)
Bob Uecker (1976-1982)
Earl Weaver (1983-1984)
Bill White (1976-1979)
Warner Wolf (1976-1977)

References

ABC and NBC Alternates Coverage of the All-Star Game, League Championship Series, and World Series: 1976-1989

Under the initial agreement with ABC, NBC, and Major League Baseball (1976-1979), 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 new broadcasting arragement at first saying "I wished they hadn't got half the package. Still, Game, half of the postseason - we got lots left." By 1980, income from TV accunted for a record 30% of the game's $500 million in revenues.

On April 7, 1983, Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC agreed to terms of a 6-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. Breakdown:

1983 - $20 million in advance from the two networks

1984 - NBC $70 million, ABC $56 million, total $126 million.

1985 - 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.

1986 - NBC $75 million, ABC $66 million, total $141 million.

1987 - NBC $81 million, ABC $90 million, total $171 million.

1988 - NBC $90 million, ABC $96 million, total $186 million.

1989 - NBC $106 million, ABC $125 million, total $231 million.

In 1985, NBC's telecast of the All-Star Game out of the Metrodome in Minnesota was the first program to be broadcasted in stereo by a TV network.

Also in 1985, ABC announced that every game of the World Series would be played under the lights for the biggest baseball audience possible. Just prior to the start of the 1985 World Series, ABC removed Howard Cosell from scheduled announcing duties as punishment for his controversial book I Never Played the Game. In Cosell's place came Tim McCarver (joining play-by-play man Al Michaels and fellow color commentator Jim Palmer), who was beginning his trek of being apart of numerous World Series telecasts. Prior to joining Al Michaels and Jim Palmer in the booth, Tim McCarver's most notable assignment for ABC Sports was working as a field reporter during the 1984 National League Championship Series (with Don Drysdale, Earl Weaver, and Reggie Jackson in the booth).

Reportedly, by 1985, Howard Cosell was considered to be difficult to work with on baseball telecasts. Apparently, Cosell and Al Michaels, got into a fairly heated argument following the conclusion of the their coverage of the 1984 American League Championship Series due to Cosell's supposed drunkenness among other problems. Rumor has it that Michaels went as far as to urged ABC executives to remove Cosell from the booth. Ultimately, Al Michaels went public with his problems with Howard Cosell. Michaels claimed that "Howard had become a cruel, evil, vicious person."

References

The End of an Era

File:Nbclogos.jpg

NBC logos through the years

In 1966, NBC took over the rights to the Game of the Week with Curt Gowdy as the star announcer from 1966-1975. Other announcers to be featured on NBC's television coverage of Major League Baseball since 1947 include:

Marv Albert (1979-1981; 1986-1988)
Mel Allen (1951-1953; 1955-1958; 1960-1963)
Red Barber (1948 World Series and 1952 World Series)
Buddy Blattner (1964; 1969)
Marty Brennaman (1975 World Series and 1976 World Series)
Jack Brickhouse (1954 World Series, 1959 World Series, and 1951-1953 All-Star Games)
Jack Buck (1965 All-Star Game)
Ken Coleman and Harry Caray (1967 World Series)
Bob Costas (1982-1989)
Gene Elston (1968 All-Star Game)
Dick Enberg (1982)
Joe Garagiola (1961-1964; 1976-1988)
Gayle Gardner (1989)
Bryant Gumbel (1976-1978; 1980 World Series)
Al Helfer (1955-1958 All-Star Games and 1957 World Series)
Russ Hodges (1951 World Series, 1954 World Series, and 1962 World Series, 2nd 1959 All-Star Game, and 1st 1961 All-Star Game)
George Kell (1962 National League playoff, 2nd 1962 All-Star Game, and 1968 World Series)
Sandy Koufax (1967-1972)
Tony Kubek (1965-1989)
Merle Harmon (1980-1981)
Bill Macatee (1982-1985)
Ned Martin and Dick Stockton (1975 World Series)
Tim McCarver (1980)
Al Michaels (1972 World Series)
Jon Miller (1986-1989)
Joe Morgan (1986-1987)
Monte Moore (1972-1974 World Series and Game of the Week announcer from 1978-1980)
Lindsey Nelson (1957-1961; 1964 All-Star Game, 1969 World Series, and 1973 World Series)
Bill O'Donnell (1969-1976)
Van Patrick (1948 World Series)
Pee Wee Reese (1966-1968)
Phil Rizzuto (1964 World Series and 1976 World Series)
Ted Robinson (1986-1989)
Ray Scott (1960; 1965 World Series)
Vin Scully (1983-1989)
Tom Seaver (postseason telecasts only from 1978-1984 and Game of the Week announcer in 1989)
Jim Simpson (1966-1975)
Duke Snider (1983 National League Championship Series)
Don Sutton (pre and post-game analyst for NBC's coverage of the 1987 League Championship Series)
Chuck Thompson (1959-1960; 1966 World Series, and 1970-1971 World Series)
Maury Wills (1973-1975)
Bob Wolff (1962-1964)
Jim Woods (1957)

1960s

Before 1966, local announcers called the World Series. Typically, Gillette, the Commissioner of Baseball, and NBC television would chose 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, got Vin Scully and Chuck Thompson, respectively, did the rest. Scully wasn't satisified 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 4 1/2 inning. When Curt Gowdy inherited the announcing reigns, Scully was so upset that he refused to say another word.

In April of 1966 in New York City, about fifty baseball, network, and ad officials discussed NBC's first year with the Game of the Week. Ironically, New York couldn't 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.

1970s

Joe Garagiola was pushed to the succeed Curt Gowdy as NBC's #1 play-by-play announcer (and team with color commentator Tony Kubek) in 1976. NBC hoped that 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.

In late 1979, Milwaukee Brewers announcer Merle Harmon left Milwaukee completely in favor of a multi-year pact with NBC. Harmon saw the NBC deal as a perfect oppurtunity since according to The Milwaukee Journal he would make more money, get more exposure, and do les travelling. 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. Incidentally, long time NBC Game of the Week announcer Curt Gowdy replaced Harmon, who was working with ABC a year earlier.

1980s

By 1983, Joe Garagiola had stepped aside from the play-by-play duties for Vin Scully while Tony Kubek was paired with Bob Costas on NBC telecasts. The New York Times observed the performance of the team of Scully and Garagiola by saying "The duo of Scully and Garagiola is very good, and often even great, is no longer in dispute."

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 milllion 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, who did the Game of the Week the year prior to Vin Scully's hiring mused "No room for me. Game had enough for two teams a week."

The legendary Scully had to wait over 15 years to get his shot at calling the Game of the Week. Prior to 1983, Scully only announced the 1966 and 1974 World Series for NBC (during the time-frame of NBC having the Game of the Week) since they both involved Scully's Dodgers. Henry Hecht once wrote "NBC's Curt Gowdy, Tony Kubek, and Monte Moore sounded like college radio rejects vs. Scully."

When Tony Kubek first teamed with Bob Costas in 1983, 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 homor loosened Tony, and his knowledge improved me."

After calling the 1988 World Series with Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola resigned from NBC Sports. 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.

NBC's final edition of the Game of the Week 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." Scully added that "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 "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." Costas added that he would rather do a Game of the Week that got a 5 rating than host a Super Bowl. "Whatever else I did, I'd never have left Game of the Week" Costas claimed.

The final regular season edition of NBC's Game of the Week by the way, was televised on September 30, 1989. That game featured the Toronto Blue Jays beating Baltimore Orioles 4-3 to clinch the AL East title from the SkyDome. It was the 981st edition of NBC's Game of the Week overall. Tony Kubek, who 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. Coincidently, from 1977-1989, Tony Kubek (in addition to his NBC duties) worked as a commentator for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Major League Baseball on CBS-TV: 1990-1993

On December 14, 1988, CBS (under the guidance of Commissioner Peter Ueberroth) paid approximately $1.2 billion for exclusive television rights for over four years (beginning in 1990). CBS paid about $265 million each year for the World Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the Saturday Game of the Week. It was one of the largest agreements (to date) between the sport of baseball and the business of broadcasting.

The deal with CBS was also suppose to pay each team $10 million a year. A separate deal with cable TV would bring each team an additional $4 million. Each team could also cut its own deal with local TV. For example, the New York Yankees signed with a cable network (MSG) that would pay the team $41 million annually for 12 years. Radio broadcast rights can bring in additional money. Reportedly, after the huge TV contracts with CBS and ESPN were signed, ballclubs spent their excess millions on free agents.

Before the previous television contract (1983-1989) with Major League Baseball was signed, CBS was at one point, interested in a pact which would have called for three interleague games every Thursday night (only). The proposed deal with CBS involved the AL East teams playing the NL East and the AL West playing the NL West respectively.

A trademark of CBS' baseball coverage was its majestic, uplifting, and harmonious theme music. The music was usually set to the opening graphic of an opaque rendition of the CBS insignia entering an big, waving red, white, and blue bunting and then a smaller, unfolding red, white, and blue bunting (over a white diamond) and floating blue banner (which usually featured an indicating year like "1991 World Series" for instance) complete with dark red Old English text. Pat O'Brien anchored the World Series and All-Star Game telecasts while usually delivering the prologue (normally set against the live scenery over the theme music).

Major League Baseball's four year tenure with CBS (1990-1993) was marred by turmoil and shortcomings throughout. For starters, Brent Musburger, who was originally slated to be the #1 play-by-play announcer for baseball telecasts (thus, having the tasks of calling the All-Star Game, National League Championship Series, and World Series) was fired by CBS on April Fools Day of 1990.

Jack Buck was bumped to the top play-by-play spot with just weeks before CBS' first baseball telecast. With Buck now the #1 play-by-play man (with ABC baseball alumni Tim McCarver as his partner), his original back-up spot was filled in by CBS' top NBA announcer Dick Stockton (with Jim Kaat as Stockton's partner); studio host Greg Gumbel took over for Stockton in 1993. On the teaming of Buck and McCarver, Broadcasting magazine wrote "The network has exclusivity, much rides on them." After two years of calling baseball telecasts for CBS, Jack Buck was dismissed in December of 1991. According to the radio veteran Buck, he had a hard time adjusting to the demands of a more constricting television production. CBS felt that Buck should've done more to make himself appear to be a set-up man for lead analyst Tim McCarver. Phil Mushnick added insult to injury to Buck by accusing him of "Trying to predict plays, as if to prove he was still on top."

Jack Buck got into deep trouble with CBS executives (namely, director Ted Shaker, who approached Buck in the hotel lobby to tell him that he was in trouble) over questionable comments made towards singer Bobby Vinton. While on air during the 1991 National League Championship Series in Pittsburgh, Buck criticized Vinton's off-key rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. What got Buck into trouble was that his pot-shot towards Vinton sounded as if he was making a prejudicial remark centered on Vinton's Polish heritage. According to Jack Buck's son Joe, he believed that the Bobby Vinton situation was ironic because his father was "trying to help the guy." Legend has it, that Buck soon received death threats from Pirate fans and discovered a footprint on his pillow once he returned to his hotel room.

Jack Buck was soon replaced by Boston Red Sox announcer Sean McDonough. Ted Shaker called McDonough about his interests for the top announcing job. After McDonough hung up the telephone, he claimed that he didn't want to act like a 10 year old, but he jumped so high that he put a hole in his ceiling.

In 1992, McDonough at 30 years of age, became the youngest man to call a national broadcast of a World Series. Also in 1992, Tim McCarver ran afoul of Atlanta Braves outfielder Deion Sanders while in the Braves' clubhouse following Game 7 of the NLCS. Sanders dumped a bucket of ice water on McCarver as retaliation for McCarver's on-air comments that criticized Sanders' life as a two-sport athlete (the other sport being as a member of the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL).

Jack Buck himself sized up CBS' handling of the announcers by saying "CBS never got that baseball play-by-play draws word-pictures. All they knew was that football stars analysts. So they said, 'Let [analyst Tim] McCarver run the show.'"

A mildly notorious moment game during CBS' coverage of the 1990 All-Star Game from Wrigley Field in Chicago. In a game that was marred by rain delays for a combined 85 minutes (including a 68 minute monsoon during the 7th inning), CBS annoyed many diehard fans by airing the William Shatner hosted reality series Rescue 911 during the delay.

In the end, CBS wound up losing approximately half a billion dollars from their television contract with Major League Baseball.

Reasons for CBS losing so much money may include:

CBS alienated fans with their sporadic treatment of regular season telecasts. With a sense of true continuity destroyed, fans eventually figured that they couldn't count on CBS to satisfy their needs (thus poor ratings were a result). CBS televised about 16 regular season Saturday afternoon games (not counting back-up telecasts) which was 14 less than what NBC televised during the previous contract. CBS used the strategy of broadcasting only a select amount of games in order to build a demand in response to supposedly sagging ratings.

Marv Albert, who hosted NBC's studio baseball pre-game show for many years said about CBS' baseball coverage "You wouldn't see a game for a month. Then you didn't know when CBS came back on." Sports Illustrated joked that CBS stood for Covers Baseball Sporadically. USA Today added that Jack Buck and Tim McCarver "may have to have a reunion before [their] telecast."

The Toronto Blue Jays were in back-to-back World Series from 1992-1993. Unfortunately, Canada does not factor in the Nielsen ratings so as a consequence, CBS got the lowest ratings in over 20 years for a World Series (not counting the earthquake interrupted 1989 World Series that was televised by ABC).

The country at the time was going through a recession.

CBS couldn't properly maximize the deal because the Division Series wasn't created yet (thus automatically giving CBS more games to carry) and they didn't have a cable outlet like Fox Broadcasting Company's Fox Sports Net.

CBS simply made way too high of a bid (especially for a network that wound up frustrating fans with its lack of regular season coverage) and substained a shortfall in advertising revenue.

The final Major League Baseball game that CBS has televised to date, was Game 6 of the 1993 World Series on October 23. Before Major League Baseball decided to seek the services of other networks, CBS offered $130 million per year to renew its previous contract.

In October of 1995, when it was a known fact that ABC and NBC were going to pull out of their television deal/joint venture with Major League Baseball, preliminary talks rose about CBS returning. It was rumored that CBS would show Thursday night games while Fox would show Saturday afternoon games.

Regular Season (Saturday afternoons: April-September)

Year	Network	Rating
1987	NBC	5.9
1988	NBC	5.5
1989	NBC	4.9
1990	CBS	4.7
1991	CBS	4.1
1992	CBS	3.4
1993	CBS	3.4

All-Star Game Television Ratings Breakdown: 1986-1993

Year	Network	Rating	Share	Households
1986	ABC	20.3	35	17,440,000
1987	NBC	18.2	37	15,910,000
1988	ABC	20.4	33	18,070,000
1989	NBC	18.2	33	16,450,000
1990	CBS	16.2	33	14,940,000
1991	CBS	17.4	32	16,200,000
1992	CBS	14.9	27	13,720,000
1993	CBS	15.6	28	14,550,000

American League Championship Series Ratings

Year	Network	Match-up	Rating
1987	NBC	Min vs. Det	14.5
1988	ABC	Oak vs. Bos	11.0
1989	NBC	Oak vs. Tor	10.0
1990	CBS	Oak vs. Bos	11.1
1991	CBS	Min vs. Tor	9.2
1992	CBS	Tor vs. Oak	8.7
1993	CBS	Tor vs. Chi	10.7

National League Championship Series Ratings

Year	Network	Match-up	Rating
1987	NBC	StL vs. SF	15.4
1988	ABC	LA vs. NY	15.3
1989	NBC	SF vs. Chi	15.0
1990	CBS	Cin vs. Pit	12.0
1991	CBS	Atl vs Pit	13.9
1992	CBS	Atl vs Pit	12.1

World Series Television Ratings Breakdown: 1986-1993

Year	Network	Rating	Share
1986	NBC	28.6	46
1987	ABC	24.0	41
1988	NBC	23.9	39
1989	ABC	16.4	30
1990	CBS	20.8	36
1991	CBS	24.0	39
1992	CBS	20.2	34
1993	CBS	17.3	30

References

The Baseball Network: 1994-1995

After the fall-out from CBS' financial problems from their four year long television contract with Major League Baseball, MLB decided to go into the business of producing the telecasts themselves. After a four year hiatus, ABC and NBC returned to Major League Baseball under the umbrella of a revenue sharing venture called The Baseball Network. The slogan for The Baseball Network was "Welcome to the Show" while the fast-paced, swelling, heroic sounding theme music was composed by Scott Schreer from the New York recording studio company called NJJ Music.

Under a six year plan, Major League Baseball was intended to receive 85% of the first $140 million in advertising revenue (or 87.5% of advertising revenues and corporate sponsorship from the games until sales top a specified level), 50% of the next $30 million, and 80% of any additional money. Prior to this, Major League Baseball was projected to take ta projected 55% cut in rights fees and receive a typical rights fee from the networks. When compared to the previous TV deal with CBS, The Baseball Network was supposed to bring in 50% less of the broadcasting revenue. The advertisers were reportedly excited about the arrangement with The Baseball Network because the new package included several changes intended to boost ratings, especially among younger viewers.

Arranging broadcasts though The Baseball Network seemed on the surface, to benefit NBC and ABC since it gave them a monopoly on broadcasting Major League Baseball. It also stood to benefit the networks because they reduced the risk associated with purchasing the broadcast rights outright (in stark contrast to CBS' disaterous 1990-1993 MLB contract). NBC and ABC was to create a loss-free environment for the each other and keep an emerging Fox, who had recently made an aggressive and ultimately successful $1.58 billion bid for the television rights for National Football Conference games (thus, becoming a large player in the sports broadcasting game in the process), at bay.

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. 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 an MLB game on those dates. Baseball Night in America usually aired up to 14 games based on the viewers' region (affiliates chose games of local interest to carry) as opposed to a (traditional coast-to-coast format). Normally, announcers who represented each of the teams playing in the repective games were paired with each other.

ABC (with a reunited Al Michaels, Tim McCarver, and Jim Palmer as the primary crew) would then pick up where NBC left off by televising six more regular season games. The regular season games fell under the Baseball Night in America umbrella which premiered on July 16, 1994. On the subject of play-by-play man Al Michaels returning to baseball for the first time since the infamous 1989 World Series, Jim Palmer said "Here Al is, having done five games since 1989 and steps right in. It's hard to comprehend how one guy could so amaze."

Every Saturday game was scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. A single starting time, gave the networks the opportunity to broadcast one game and then, simultaneously, cut to another game were there was a break in action. The ultimate effect from this scheduling tactic was that there was no longer any day baseball on Saturdays.

A major problem with Baseball Night in America was the idea that viewers couldn't watch "important" games. Marty Noble put it in perspective by saying "With the Network determining when games will begin and which games are made available to which TV markets, Major League Baseball can conduct parts of its pennant races in relative secrecy."

What added to the troubles of The Baseball Network was the fact that Baseball Night in America held exclusivity over every market. This most severely impacted markets with two teams, specifically New York, Los Angeles/Anaheim, Chicago, and San Francisco/Oakland. For example, if Baseball Night in America showed a Chicago Cubs game, this meant that nobody in Chicago could see that night's White Sox game and vice versa. Things got so bad for The Baseball Network, that even local broadcasters objected to its operations. KSMO-TV, an affiliate in Kansas City, went as far as to sue the Royals for breach of contract resulting from their broadcasts being "overexposed" and violating its territorial exclusivity.

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 was supposed alternate. The networks also promised not to begin any World Series weekend broadcasts after 7:20 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. When CBS held the television rights, postseason games routinely aired on the East Coast at 9 p.m. at the earliest. This meant that Joe Carter's dramatic World Series clinching home run in 1993 occurred after midnight on the East.

What separated The Baseball Network from previous television deals with Major League Baseball was the fact that none of the postseason games outside of the World Series would air nationally. Because of this, games would often be played simultaneously. It also meant that fans everywhere could only see one game per night. This was done mainly in hopes of avoiding the possibilities of playoff games airing in the middle of the day (when most viewers would either be at work or at school). Major League Baseball was the only professional sport that played postseason games during weekday afternoons. The result was that ratings for daytime LCS games declined 37% between 1985 and 1993. With The Baseball Network, hopes were high that game fans were most interested in would be available at a time most likely to be viewed.

The Baseball Network in essence, set out to create areas of "natural" interest. But because so-called neutral markets summarily fell to one or the other league, whatever you saw depended almost entirely on where you lived. Despite the frustration of not being able to see both League Championship Series on a national level, the 1995 LCS averaged a 13.1 rating.

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 of 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 having the rights to the odd numbered games and NBC getting the even numbered games), announced that they were opting out of their agreement with Major League Baseball. Both networks figured that as the delayed 1995 baseball season opened without a labor agreement, there was no guarantee against another strike. Others would argue that a primary reason for its failure was its abandoning of localized markets in favor of more lucrative and stable advertising contracts afforded by turning to a national model of broadcasting.

Sports Illustrated for one, was very harsh on The Baseball Network, for whom SI dubbed "America's regional pastime" and an "abomination." ABC Sports president Dennis Swanson, in announcing the dissolution of The Baseball Network, said:

"The fact of the matter is, Major League Baseball seems

incapable at this point in time, of living with any longterm

relationships, whether it's with fans, with players, with the

political community in Washington, with the advertising community here in Manhattan, or with its TV partners."

The Baseball Network Announcers

References

Baseball Comes to Fox

FOX logo

Soon after the Baseball Network fiasco, 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. Unlike The Baseball Network, Fox went back to the tried and true format of televising regular season games (aproximately 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. When Fox first got into baseball, it used the motto "Same game, new attitude."

Like its predecessor NBC, Fox determines it's Saturday schedule by who's playing a team from one of the 3 largest television markets: New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. If there's a game which combines 2 of these 3 markets, it will definately be aired. In Fox's first season of Major League Baseball coverage in 1996, they averaged a 2.7 rating for its Saturday Game of the Week. That was down 23% from CBS' 3.4 in 1993 despite the network's infamy for its rather haphazard Game of the Week schedule.

27 year old Joe Buck was named Fox's #1 play-by-play man. Ironically, Buck was teamed with Tim McCarver, who was considered the main reason behind the firing of Buck's father Jack from CBS five years earlier. Other commentators for Fox have included:

Kenny Albert
Bret Boone
Bob Brenly
Thom Brennaman
George Brett
Chip Caray (studio host from 1996-1998; play-by-play announcer from 1999-2000)
Ray Fosse
Mark Grace
Rex Hudler
Eric Karros
Kevin Kennedy (studio analyst from 2001-Present)
Duane Kuiper
Mike Krukow
Al Leiter
Josh Lewin
Steve Lyons (studio anaylst from 1996-2000; game anaylst from 2001-Present)
Jose Mota
Keith Olbermann (studio host from 1999-2000)
Patrick O'Neal (substitute studio host in August 2005; regular host Jeanne Zelasko was on maternity leave)
Jim Palmer
Mel Proctor
Jerry Remy
Frank Robinson
John Rooney

NOTE: Play-by-play announcer John Rooney was canned after three years (1996-1998) because as one producer at Fox stated, Rooney wasn't "Hip or edgy enough."

Jeff Torborg
Dick Stockton
Daron Sutton
Chris Welch
Dave Winfield (studio anaylst in 1996)
Jeanne Zelasko (studio host from 2001-Present)

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.

In addition to Catcher-Cam, other so-called "innovations" 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, clock and other information in an upper corner of the TV screen. In recent years, the Fox Box has morphed into a strip across the top of the screen.

Audio accompanying graphics and sandwiched replays between "whooshes."

"Mega Slo-Mo" technology.

Scooter, a 3-D animated talking baseball (voiced by Tom Kenny) that occasionally appears to explain pitching mechanics, purportedly for younger viewers -- approminately 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.

During the 2000 World Series that was televised by Fox, 61% of the televisions in New York watched Game 5. The next 30 largest television markets, during that same exact viewing period, registered double digit percentage losses compared to the market in New York City. The 12.4 rating for the 2000 World Series wound up being the worst in World Series history[3]. On the subject of the poor ratings, Fox Sports president Ed Goren commented, "There's no question the viewership never built. Normally, through a Series, it builds from game one to a game two, from a game two to a game three. We would have liked to have seen higher numbers, but they are respectable in today's world."

Prior to the 2000 World Series, Bob Brenly, who normally did West Coast games with Thom Brennaman, regularly joined Joe Buck and Tim McCarver in the booth for events such as the World Series and All-Star Game. But during the 2000 World Series, Brenly was relegated to simply being a field reporter. Brenly was on the verge of becoming the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who would win the World Series under Brenly just a year later. After Brenly was dismissed by the Diamondbacks following a disappointing start to the 2004 regular season, Brenly returned to Fox.

In 2001, Jeanne Zelasko[4] became the first woman in more than a decade to regularly host Major League Baseball for a network. Unless you count Hannah Storm, who only hosted selected ball games during NBC's sporatic phase in the 1990s or CBS' Andrea Joyce in 1993, then Zelasko succeeded Gayle Gardner, who hosted for NBC in 1989.

In 2003, the national ratings for Fox's Saturday baseball coverage jumped by 8% when compared to 2002. The games earned an average national rating of 2.7 with an 8 share over 18 weeks of coverage. That's up from the 2.5 rating and 8 share in 2002. It was the highest since Fox posted a 2.9 rating in 1999. Observers credited the ratings boost to Fox's decision to shift two of its broadcasts from September to May so it wouldn't have to go against college football.

In 2004, Fox's Game of the Week telecasts only appeared three times after August 28. One unidentified ex-Fox broadcaster complained by saying "Fox is MIA on the pennant race, and Joe [Buck] doesn't even do [September 18's] Red Sox-Yankees. What kind of sport would tolorate that?" By this point, Joe Buck was unavailable to call baseball games due to his duties as being Fox's #1 NFL announcer (a job he has held since 2002).

References

Trouble at NBC: 1996-2000

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 1996-2000) 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, and the American League Championship Series in even numbered years and the World Series, three Division Series games, 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.

In 1997, just before the start of NBC's coverage of the World Series, West Coast entertainment division president 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. 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.

In 1998, Bob Uecker abruptedly 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 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.

In 1999, 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, who was on hand in Atlanta's Turner Field to accept the fan voted honor of being named to MasterCard's All Century Team, into admitting to betting on baseball games while as manager of the Cincinatti Reds ten years earlier. After NBC was flooded with tons of viewer complaints, Gray was forced to clarify (much less apologize) 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.

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. 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." Incidentally, in 1992 CBS refused to break away from a baseball game that had gone into extra innings to the first Clinton-Bush-Perot debate. Like NBC and Fox 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.

References

Baseball Leaves NBC Again

Major League Baseball currently has contracts with Fox (worth $2.5 billion through the year 2006) 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.

The contract protects Major League Baseball in the event of a labor dispute: if some of the games are canceled by a strike or lockout, MLB still gets all its money, but must compensate Fox with additional telecasts. On the other hand, a repeat of the 1994 situation could cost Fox well over $1 billion.

ESPN and ESPN2 have contracts (which was signed in 2000 and will run through 2005) to show selected weeknight and Sunday night games, along with selected Division Series playoff games. The current contracts with ESPN are worth $141.8 million per year and $851 million overall. After Disney bought Fox Family (who from 2000-2001 aired Thursday night games) in 2002 to become ABC Family the Division Series games aired on ABC Family (with ESPN's announcers, graphics, and music) for one year.

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 decided to part ways with Major League Baseball (for the second time in about 12 years) on September 27, 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.

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.

When asked about the new deal with Fox, Commissioner Bud Selig said "We at Major League Baseball could not be happier with the result. They have been a good partner and an innovative producer of our games."

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.

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) to express his views, he to some extent, started editorializing in games. When asked about whether or not the fact that NBC no longer hand the baseball rights was disappointing, 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."