MLB Network gets first interview with newest Baseball Hall of Famer, Jim Rice

01/12/2009 4:33 PM ET
MLB Network gets first interview with newest Baseball Hall of Famer, Jim Rice

As part of the first-ever live television broadcast of the Baseball Hall of Fame announcement, MLB Network was the first media outlet today to speak with former Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice, who was elected to the Hall of Fame today in his final year of eligibility.

Less than 10 minutes after the announcement was made live on MLB Network, Rice was on the phone live with Greg Amsinger, Harold Reynolds, Barry Larkin, Tom Verducci and Jon Heyman. Here is a sampling of Rice's comments to MLB Network:

ON GETTING INDUCTED IN HIS 15TH AND FINAL YEAR ON THE BALLOT:
"Well, you know, what can you say? I don't think you can go back and look at the past. You look at the numbers, that some of the guys that talk about the numbers have not changed, but you leave all that in the past. I'm looking forward to the future."

ON PLAYERS WHO INSPIRED HIM:
"I would probably say more like Henry Aaron, a man from South Carolina. Atlanta was pretty close to South Carolina and of course I met him when he played with Milwaukee. And the writer in South Carolina was pretty good friends with Hank, and so probably I looked at Hank more than anybody else."

ON WAITING 15 YEARS TO BE ELECTED:
"Well that, I mean, you have no control over. I heard you guys talk about Andre Dawson. This guy's a tremendous baseball player. I mean, look at the numbers that he put up. And, you just take it with a grain of salt because there's nothing you can do. You just wait and wait and hope that somewhere down the line that they realize that you were special."

ON WHO INFLUENCED HIM THE MOST PERSONALLY:
"Well, personally, I have to go back and look at my father. My father was a very strong man and, coming from a family of 9, you know, he was very strict and taught you right from wrong. But as far as baseball-wise, you have to look at guys like Johnny Pesky, a guy like Don Zimmer. When I came up in '75, we had a lot of guys that had baseball knowledge. And, of course, my high school coach, I mean the things I learned in high school, I had already picked that up when I got to the big leagues. So you look at guys like Don Zimmer, Johnny Pesky, Ted Williams around, Tommy Harper, I mean, you look at all the guys that you associate with the Red Sox organization. That's a lot of knowledge. And those are the guys that influenced me more than anything else."

01/27/09 1:46 PM EST
MLB Network adds Sean Casey to on-air talent lineup
Three-time All-Star joins versatile roster as studio analyst

MLB.com

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- MLB Network today announced that Sean Casey, who announced his retirement from baseball today after a 12-year Major League Baseball career, has joined its roster of onair talent. Casey will join the cast of MLB Tonight, the live, nightly studio show that will be the signature program of the new network, and Hot Stove, a live, nightly off-season studio show, joining Barry Larkin, Al Leiter, Joe Magrane, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams as a studio analyst. All of the on-air personalities will appear on both shows, as well as other programming across MLB Network, which launched on January 1, 2009, in approximately 50 million homes as the largest network debut in cable history.

"Sean's reputation within baseball as one of the most likable players in the game will help him transition easily into an on-air role," said Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network. "We have no doubt he'll be able to jump right in and add to the great chemistry we've already developed with our studio team."

"I really don't feel like I'm retiring, I just feel like I'm moving on to the next stage of my career," said Casey. "Joining MLB Network is allowing me to do the two things that are most important to me, and that's staying in baseball while getting to spend more time with my family."

A three-time National League All-Star as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, Casey batted .302 with 130 home runs and 735 RBI in his career. He played for the Cleveland Indians (1997), the Reds (1998-2005), the Pittsburgh Pirates (2006), the Detroit Tigers (2006-07) and the Boston Red Sox (2008) and finished among the N.L.'s top 10 hitters three times in his career while batting over .300 in six seasons. In 2004, the University of Richmond graduate was the recipient of the Ernie Lombardi Award as the Reds' Most Valuable Player. After being dealt from the Pirates to the Tigers at the trade deadline in 2006, Casey helped lead the team to its first American League pennant in 22 years. He was the Tigers' top hitter in the postseason, going 16-for-37 overall - a batting average of .432 - and he starred in the 2006 World Series, going 9-for-17 (.529) with a pair of home runs and five RBI in his first Fall Classic. Known as "The Mayor" for being one of baseball's most outgoing and likeable players, Casey was voted "the friendliest player in baseball" by fellow players in a Sports Illustrated poll in May 2007.

MLB Tonight will air live beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET until the final MLB game of the night ends between Monday and Saturday, and will be based out of MLB Network's headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey. The program will feature live look-ins of games in progress, updates, highlights, reporting and analysis. Hot Stove airs during the off-season at 7:00 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and features news, reports, and analysis of the moves clubs are making and planning in preparation for the upcoming season.

MLB Network launched in approximately 50 million cable and satellite homes on January 1, 2009 as the largest debut in cable television history, exceeding any other cable television launch by approximately 20 million. With live games, original programming, highlights, classic games, and coverage of baseball events, MLB Network is the ultimate television destination for baseball fans. For more information, go to mlbnetwork.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

02/03/09 12:50 PM EST
Bob Costas joins MLB Network
Costas Returns to Baseball to Host Special Programs, Contribute to On-Air Game Telecasts MLB Network to be Exclusive Cable Home of 19-Time Emmy Winner

By mlbn - costas / MLB.com

SECAUCUS, N.J. - MLB Network today announced that Bob Costas, one of the most accomplished and highly decorated sports broadcasters in history, has joined its roster of on-air talent, effective immediately. As part of a multi-year deal, MLB Network will be the exclusive cable home for Costas, who will host special original programming with an emphasis on the game's history and its most significant figures and topics, and serve as the lead play by play commentator for a select number of MLB Network's slate of 26 live regular season games. Costas, fresh off hosting NBC's Super Bowl XLIII coverage, will maintain all his current duties at NBC, including his role as host of their Olympic and NFL coverage.

Costas today will interview Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Joe Torre for a new one hour program titled, MLB Network Studio 42 with Bob Costas that is scheduled to air in its entirety on Thursday, February 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET, immediately following live coverage of the Caribbean World Series. MLB Network launched on January 1 in approximately 50 million homes as the largest network debut in cable history.

"In addition to being one of the preeminent sports broadcasters of his generation, Bob also cares very deeply about the game of baseball," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "We're glad to reunite him with the game he loves most and look forward to the exciting television he and MLB Network will create together in the years to come."

"I'm especially enthused about the type of programming we'll be able to create at MLB Network, a mix of historical pieces, documentary-style programming, interviews and play-by-play -- all the things I most enjoy, and it's all baseball," said Costas.

"Bob showed us all on January 1 how his presence can truly elevate a broadcast, and we plan to tap into his unique abilities and perspective to build more high-caliber programming in the future," said Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network. "In addition to the studio show, we're also looking forward to Bob's return to the broadcast booth, where he's been part of so many memorable moments in baseball over the years."

Costas played a major role in the debut of MLB Network on January 1 by hosting a special interview with Don Larsen and Yogi Berra which was interspersed throughout the airing of Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, which appeared on television for the first time since its original broadcast.

Costas has been honored as Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association a record eight times. He also won the Sports Emmy for "Outstanding Studio Host" every year from 2002-2006, and has won 19 Emmy's over a 30-year career. His previous baseball work includes NBC's Saturday Game of the Week during the 1980's with Tony Kubek and NBC's All-Star, Playoff, and World Series coverage from 1994 through 2000. In 2000, Costas wrote the critically acclaimed best selling book Fair Ball: A Fan's Case for Baseball.

A 29-year veteran of NBC Sports, Costas has hosted eight Olympics including the recent Summer Games in Beijing, and has been prominently involved over the years in numerous World Series, Super Bowl and NBA Finals broadcasts on the network. He is the host of NBC's Sunday evening NFL program, "Football Night in America," as well as hosting special events such as the Kentucky Derby and U.S. Open Golf Championships.

From 2001 through 2008, Costas had a prominent role at HBO Sports, where he hosted "Inside the NFL" and his own highly respected programs, "On The Record With Bob Costas," later renamed "Costas Now."

Costas joins MLB Network's growing roster of on-air talent, including studio hosts Matt Vasgersian, Victor Rojas and Greg Amsinger, studio analysts Sean Casey, Barry Larkin, Al Leiter, Joe Magrane, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams, reporters Trenni Kusnierek and Hazel Mae, and baseball insiders Jon Heyman and Tom Verducci.

MLB Network launched in approximately 50 million cable and satellite homes on January 1, 2009 as the largest debut in cable television history, exceeding any other cable television launch by approximately 20 million. With live games, original programming, highlights, classic games, and coverage of baseball events, MLB Network is the ultimate television destination for baseball fans. For more information, go to mlbnetwork.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

03/25/09 2:33 PM ET
MLB Network unveils "Thursday Night Baseball" schedule and announcers
Bob Costas Returns to Broadcast Booth for First Game at New Yankee Stadium
MLB.com

MLB Network today announced its Thursday Night Baseball schedule for April and May, featuring 16 different MLB clubs in its first eight live regular season games. MLB Network's first-ever regular season game broadcast will occur on April 9 with the Milwaukee Brewers at the San Francisco Giants. The following week, MLB Network will air two games including the debut of the new Yankee Stadium on April 16, which will also mark Bob Costas' play-by-play debut for MLB Network. Costas last appeared in a baseball broadcast booth at the old Yankee Stadium for NBC on October 17, 2000, where the Yankees closed out the ALCS with a win in Game Six over the Seattle Mariners.

Jim Kaat will make his MLB Network debut on April 16, joining Costas and Harold Reynolds in the booth for the Yankees home opener. In addition to that game, Costas will also call the May 7 game between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets at CitiField. Broadcast teams for the additional Thursday Night Baseball games on MLB Network in April and May will include play by play by Matt Vasgersian and Victor Rojas, with analysis by Al Leiter, Joe Magrane, and Dan Plesac. Other highlights of the April and May game schedule include matchups of division rivals such as the Boston Red Sox at the Tampa Bay Rays (April 30), the Philadelphia Phillies at the New York Mets (May 7) and the Chicago Cubs at the St. Louis Cardinals (May 21). The Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals will also be featured. MLB Network will announce future Thursday Night Baseball games coinciding with its selection windows. Games will be blacked out in each team's home television territory. Viewers in areas subject to blackouts will be provided with an alternate game telecast or other programming.

"It's important for MLB Network right from the start to establish a national footprint with live games, and we've done that with this Thursday night package to complement our ambitious nightly studio show, MLB Tonight," said Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network. "We're very excited about the mix of games we'll show in the first two months, and think fans will continue to appreciate the versatility of our on-air talent as they transition seamlessly between the studio and the broadcast booth."

The full MLB Network Thursday Night Baseball broadcast schedule for April and May appears below.

MLB NETWORK THURSDAY NIGHT BASEBALL SCHEDULE
April 9 - 7:00 p.m. Brewers @ Giants - Matt Vasgersian & Joe Magrane
April 16 - 1:00 p.m. Indians @ Yankees - Bob Costas, Harold Reynolds & Jim Kaat
April 16 - 8:00 p.m. Blue Jays @ Twins - Victor Rojas & Dan Plesac
April 23 - 8:00 p.m. Dodgers @ Astros - Matt Vasgersian & Joe Magrane
April 30 - 7:00 p.m. Red Sox @ Rays - Victor Rojas & Joe Magrane
May 7 - 7:00 p.m. Phillies @ Mets - Bob Costas & Al Leiter
May 14 - 8:00 p.m. Orioles @ Royals - TBD
May 21 - 8:00 p.m. Cubs @ Cardinals - TBD

During the regular season, MLB Network's signature program will be MLB Tonight, which will air live beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET until the final MLB game of the night ends each Monday through Saturday, featuring live look-ins of games in progress, updates, highlights, reporting and analysis. On Thursday nights, the show will lead in to Thursday Night Baseball and provide viewers with highlights and analysis after the game as well as live studio updates during the game broadcast.

MLB Network launched in approximately 50 million cable and satellite homes on January 1, 2009 as the largest debut in cable television history, exceeding any other cable television launch by approximately 20 million. With live games, original programming, highlights, classic games, and coverage of baseball events, MLB Network is the ultimate television destination for baseball fans. For more information, go to mlbnetwork.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.