MLB NETWORK PRESENTS LIVE & NEW ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT

2014 ALL-STAR WEEK 

Top Prospects Showcased in MLB Network’s First Telecast of the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, July 13 

Wall-to-Wall Coverage of the 2014 All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis Starting Monday, July 14 

Triple-A All-Star Game to Air Live on Wednesday, July 16 from Durham, NC 

New Specials – Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker and “Field of Dreams”: Twenty-Five Years Later – Debut Thursday, July 17 

July 7, 2014 – To mark Major League Baseball’s 2014 All-Star Game, MLB Network will air live and new original programming throughout All-Star Week, anchored by live coverage from Target Field in Minneapolis featuring Greg Amsinger, Sean Casey, Peter Gammons, Brian Kenny, Al Leiter, Kevin Millar, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds, Chris Rose, Ken Rosenthal, John Smoltz, Tom Verducci, Heidi Watney and Matt Yallof. Programming highlights include

• Signature coverage of the 2014 All-Star Game and Gillette Home Run Derby

o    The 2014 Midsummer Classic will be front and center on MLB Network starting with live coverage of All-Star media day on Monday, July 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET as All-Star managers John Farrell and Mike Matheny announce the starting pitchers for the American League and National League.

o    Coverage will shift to the ballpark with four hours of shows live from batting practice for the Gillette Home Run Derby at Target Field, starting with High Heat with Christopher Russo at 4:00 p.m. ET, Intentional Talk presented by Dairy Queen with Kevin Millar and Chris Rose at 5:00 p.m. ET, and MLB Tonight presented by Firestone at 6:00 p.m. ET, plus a highlight-filled MLB Tonight after the Home Run Derby.

o    On Tuesday, July 15, MLB Network will highlight all of the 2014 All-Stars as they make their way to Target Field on theAll-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Chevrolet at 3:00 p.m. ET, followed by High Heat with Christopher Russo at4:00 p.m. ET, Intentional Talk presented by Dairy Queen at 5:00 p.m. ET and MLB Tonight presented by Firestone at6:00 p.m. ET on-field leading up to and immediately following the 85^th All-Star Game.

o    Throughout All-Star Week, MLB Network will share behind-the-scenes photos from its sets at Target Field and the MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show via its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. MLB Network will once again use Twitter Mirror to provide an all-access look at the MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show and SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game where All-Stars and Futures Game participants can take a photo of themselves, sign an autograph or message and tweet it via @MLBNetwork using #ASGRedCarpet and #FuturesGame. Viewers will also be given the opportunity to interact with players during the MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show by submitting questions to @MLBNetwork on Twitter. Select questions will be chosen and asked to players during the telecast.

o    Exclusive footage of the band The Hold Steady, known for its Minneapolis roots, will be featured throughout MLB Network’s All-Star Week programming, including video filmed at a performance in Minnesota last week.

• Two chances to see future All-Stars in action

o    MLB Network will televise the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game for the first time on Sunday, July 13 at 5:00 p.m. ETwith Matt Vasgersian, Sean Casey, Heidi Watney and MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo on the call live from Target Field. Comprised of players from all levels of Minor League Baseball, the U.S. and World teams feature 15 former first round draft picks, six players picked in Compensation Round A and five second round picks.

o    The 27th annual Triple-A All-Star Game will be televised live on MLB Network for the fifth time on Wednesday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m. ET with MLB Network’s Paul Severino, Darryl Hamilton, Sam Ryan and Baseball America editor-in-chief John Manuel on the call from Durham Bulls Athletic Ballpark in Durham, North Carolina.

• Bob Uecker & Kevin Costner featured in new original programming

o    Some of the biggest names in baseball and television -  including Hank Aaron, Bob Costas, Dick Ebersol, Tim McCarver, Al Michaels, “Major League” director David Ward and Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig - come together to share stories about the Milwaukee Brewers’ beloved radio broadcaster in Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker onThursday, July 17 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Narrated by actor Tom Berenger, the hour-long special looks back on Uecker’s brief career as a Major League catcher and his enduring 43-year broadcasting career, including new interviews with Uecker himself and highlights from “Major League,” his Miller Lite commercials, and his many appearances on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.”

o    MLB Network’s Bob Costas interviews award-winning actor Kevin Costner about his role in one of the most beloved baseball films in ”Field of Dreams”: Twenty-Five Years Later. Filmed last month on the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa at the 25^th anniversary celebration of the film’s release, Costner recounts stories of the making of the film in this one-hour special. Also featured are Costner’s “Field of Dreams” co-stars Timothy Busfield (Mark) and Dwier Brown(John Kinsella), with whom Costner recreates their famous catch in the final scene of the film. “Field of Dreams”: Twenty-Five Years Later premieres on July 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET. 

INDEPENDENCE DAY MORNING matchup AND key intra-divisional battles headline MLB NETWORK’S JULY GAME SCHEDULE

Hall of Fame Award-Winning Broadcaster Bob Uecker to Make Guest Booth Appearance with Bob Costas on MLB Network Showcase on July 11                                                                                                           

Secaucus, N.J., June 26, 2014 – As teams look to identify themselves as buyers or sellers leading up to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, MLB Network’s July game schedule  will feature key intra-divisional games, a July 4th National League morning matchup, and Interleague games showcasing the league’s best teams: Highlights include:

• The NL-leading Milwaukee Brewers, who have posted an NL best 15-9 record in June, visit Jose Bautista and the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, July 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET, live from the Rogers Centre. MLB Network Showcase  will feature the Brewers hosting the St. Louis Cardinals in an NL Central showdown on Friday, July 11 at 8:00p.m. ET, with Hall of Fame award-winning broadcaster Bob Uecker scheduled to make a guest booth appearance with Bob Costas during the game.
• The MLB action on Independence Day, Friday, July 4, begins when the NL East-leading Washington Nationals host the Chicago Cubs at 11:00 a.m. ET. Later in the day, MLB Tonight will air live at 4:00 p.m. ET followed by Quick Pitch, MLB Network’s highlights show of record, recapping the great fielding and scoring plays from the day.
• Every Division-leading and Wild Card-leading team will be featured, including the AL Central-first place Detroit Tigers hosting Yasiel Puig and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, July 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET, and again on Wednesday, July 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Later that week, the Oakland Athletics visit the San Francisco Giants in a Bay Area showdown on Thursday, July 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
• MLB Network Showcase features four games in July, including the NL Wild Card-leading Cardinals and Dodgers meeting on Friday, July 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET, live from Busch Stadium with Bob Costas, Tom Verducci and Sam Ryan on the call.

EVERY DIVISION LEADER AND FIVE MLB NETWORK SHOWCASE MATCHUPS FEATURED IN MLB NETWORK’S JUNE GAME SCHEDULE

American League-Leading Oakland Athletics Featured in Five Games Starting Tuesday, June 3               

Secaucus, N.J., May 27, 2014 – As teams try to distance themselves from the pack leading up to the All-Star Break, MLB Network’s June game schedule features 25 different teams, including every division leader, and live games six days per week. Highlights include:

• The Oakland Athletics, with the best record in the American League, are featured in five games throughout June, including a matchup against the Yankees on Thursday, June 5 at 1:00 p.m. ET, leading up to MLB Network’s coverage of the MLB Draft at 6:00 p.m. ET.
• MLB stars Jose Bautista, Yadier Molina, Mike Trout and Troy Tulowitzki will all be in action, including when the Colorado Rockies host the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, June 25 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
•   MLB Network Showcase make its first stops of the season in Cincinnati, Detroit and Texas, beginning with the Red Sox visiting Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers on Friday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET with Matt Vasgersian, John Smoltz and Tom Verducci on the call.

Expert Panel Headlines MLB Network Roundtable: The Pitching Dilemma

On Widespread Pitching Injuries in MLB This Season

Bob Costas Moderates Panel Discussion with Dr. David Altchek, Tom House, Jim Kaat,

John Smoltz & Tom Verducci

Exclusive One-on-One Interview with Dr. James Andrews & Costas

Covers the Current Prevalence of Elbow Injuries in Youth Baseball

 

May 8, 2014 – With 17 Major Leaguers having undergone Tommy John surgery so far this year, MLB Network assembled an expert panel to examine the prevalence of elbow injuries among MLB pitchers and what it means for the future of the game. In MLB Network Roundtable presented by Delta Airlines: The Pitching Dilemma, Bob Costas moderates a roundtable discussion with Hospital for Special Surgery Co-Chief of Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service Dr. David Altchek; pitching expert Tom House; Jim Kaat, who pitched more than 4,500 innings and 180 complete games in his 25-year career;1996 NL Cy Young Award winner John Smoltz, who had Tommy John surgery in 2000 and finished his career as the only pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves; and MLB Network insider Tom Verducci, who has covered the topic extensively.

Costas also hosts an exclusive one-on-one interview with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, one of the foremost authorities on Tommy John surgery, to discuss his latest research on the biggest risk factors for elbow injuries among young pitchers before they reach the Major League level.

The one-hour program airs this Saturday, May 10, immediately following MLB Network’s 1:00 p.m. ET telecast of the Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers game, and on Sunday, May 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET. A clip from the program is available here and quotes from the program are transcribed below:

Dr. James Andrews on what causes elbow injuries:

“The basic thing that parents out there and coaches and players alike need to know is if you throw with fatigue at a young age – in high school, for example, or youth baseball – you have a 36-to-1 chance of injuring your shoulder or elbow. … Fatigue could be event fatigue, seasonal fatigue or year-round fatigue, so it’s a big problem.”

“What we really found out is that [high school patients] only had one week off each year from competitive baseball and that one week was – you could guess what – between Christmas and New Year’s. So they’re playing year-round baseball – that’s the number one risk factor in youth baseball.”

“If you take a coat hanger and you bend it enough times, what happens? It breaks clean, and then of course that injury didn’t begin with that last bend, it began with all of those multiple, multiple bends. It’s a developmental ligament and the stress that it will take is only about 80-miles per hour, so our high-velocity throwers in high school – unless they’ve got great genetics – are really suspect to really injure their ligament along the way.”

On what can be done to prevent future elbow injuries:

Tom House: “We’re designed to throw on flat ground. … What happens to kids today? They pitch too much year-round and they don’t throw enough. … They only time they throw is in a practice or a game, and the pitcher’s are [throwing] off the mound. … Let them play on flat ground. Let them throw stuff, throw anything. Stay off the mound except for game day, throw as much as you can on flat ground the rest of the time.”

Jim Kaat: “I had pitched nine innings against [Tommy John] in Chicago and the next day I’m at the mound throwing. Not pitching, [but] exercising. He’s running his laps and he said, ‘What are you doing? You pitched nine innings. You can’t do that.’ I said, ‘Well, I throw every day. It will rust out before it will wear out.’ Well, when he had the surgery, he called me and said, ‘Guess what Dr. [Frank] Jobe told me to do?’ He got his wife in the backyard and played catch every day. Throw a little more – I think that’s one thing that’s lacking.”

On the recent increase in Tommy John surgeries:

Dr. Andrews: “It’s really depressing to go in and see the number of high school kids coming in with this injury. At this point in my career I’m probably seeing more high school kids with a ulnar collateral ligament injury than I am with college and pros.”

Dr. David Altchek: “It’s a constant struggle in terms of trying to treat any of these athletes conservatively with this injury.”

John Smoltz: “A lot of those [success rate] numbers that we see are a little skewed – they make you want to grasp something. They want to say, ‘If you’re going to make it to the big leagues, follow these guys who were successful.’ But I had my surgery after 2,400+ innings in the big leagues [and] I knew how to get back to the big leagues. I feel sorry for the Single-A, Double-A players.”

Tom Verducci: “As more people get the surgery – we know that’s happening – that means that more people don’t come back.”

CIVIL RIGHTS GAME AND WEEKDAY TRIPLEHEADER HIGHLIGHT MLB NETWORK’S MAY GAME SCHEDULE

Bob Costas, Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds, John Smoltz, Sam Ryan & Tom Verducci to Call Four MLB Network Showcase Games               

Secaucus, N.J., April 24, 2014 – Major League Baseball stars Bryce Harper, Derek Jeter, Andrew McCutchen and Mike Trout will be featured throughout MLB Network’s live May game schedule, which includes:

• Prime time games on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, featuring division matchups, interleague rivalries, and four MLB Network Showcase games, including the Washington Nationals against the Pittsburgh Pirates live from PNC Park on Thursday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
• Afternoon games on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, featuring 20 different teams, including the Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays.
• A Tripleheader on Thursday, May 8, featuring the Houston Astros visiting the Detroit Tigers at 1:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Baltimore Orioles at 7:00 p.m. ET, and ending with the San Francisco Giants taking on rival Los Angeles Dodgers at 10:00 p.m. ET.
• A Memorial Day prime time showdown featuring the Cincinnati Reds against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, May 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Ø  The MLB Network Showcase telecast of the eighth installment of the Civil Rights Game on Thursday, May 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET, featuring the Houston Astros hosting the Baltimore Orioles. Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds and Sam Ryan will call the game, which pays tribute to those who fought on and off the field for equal rights for all Americans.

Schedule Includes MLB Opening Series Sydney 2014, Boston Red Sox’s Home Opener,

and a New Slate of Sunday Afternoon Games

Bob Costas, Matt Vasgersian, Jim Kaat, John Smoltz, Sam Ryan & Tom Verducci to Call

MLB Network Showcase Games All Season Long

March 12, 2014 – With the 2014 season approaching, MLB Network today announced its first schedule of live regular season games, which includes more than 40 game telecasts beginning with the exclusive national telecast of the MLB Opening Series Sydney 2014 next weekend.

MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian and John Smoltz will have the call live from the Sydney Cricket Ground as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers match up in a two-game series in Australia on Saturday, March 22. The first game will air live at 4:00 a.m. ET, immediately followed by a replay telecast at 7:30 a.m. ET, and the second game live at 10:00 p.m. ET. Former Australia cricket captain and International Cricket Council Hall of Fame member Ian Chappell of Australia’s Nine Network will join Vasgersian and Smoltz for commentary throughout each game.

Back in the U.S., MLB Network will televise nine games during Opening Week from April 1 through April 6, including the World Series champion Boston Red Sox’s home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on MLB Network Showcase on Friday, April 4 at 2:00 p.m. ET with Bob Costas, Jim Kaat and Sam Ryan on the call. The next day, the 2013 National League champion St. Louis Cardinals will face the Pittsburgh Pirates in a rematch of the 2013 NLDS on Saturday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET. MLB Network will begin a new slate of Sunday matinee games for the first half of the season as the Baltimore Orioles travel to Detroit to face the Tigers on April 6 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Later in the month, MLB Network Showcase will travel to Boston on Patriots’ Day, April 21 for a special matinee telecast of the Orioles against the Red Sox at 11:00 a.m. ET, called by Costas, Kaat and Tom Verducci. The next night, the same MLB Network Showcase crew will call the New York Yankees at Red Sox on April 22 at 7:00 p.m. ET. MLB Network’s Intentional Talk with Chris Rose and Kevin Millar will also head to Boston and air live from Fenway Park on April 21 and 22 at 5:00 p.m. ET.  

The remainder of MLB Network’s April game schedule is available here, including the following matchups on MLB Network Showcase presented by Chevrolet (all times Eastern):

Fri., April 4, 2:00 p.m.:             Milwaukee Brewers at Boston Red Sox (Costas, Kaat and Ryan)

Thu., April 10, 7:00 p.m.:         Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees (Costas, Smoltz and Verducci)

Thu., April 17, 7:00 p.m.:         St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals (Vasgersian, Smoltz and Ryan)

Mon., April 21, 11:00 a.m.:      Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox (Costas, Kaat and Verducci)

Tues., April 22, 7:00 p.m.:        New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (Costas, Kaat and Verducci)

Tues., April 29, 7:00 p.m.:        Seattle Mariners at New York Yankees (Costas, Smoltz and Ryan)

Games will be blacked out in each team’s home television territory unless otherwise announced. Viewers in areas subject to blackouts will be provided with an alternate game telecast or other programming.

MLB Network’s commercial-free, highlights-focused Strike Zone channel will return on Tuesday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET, taking viewers on a high-speed trip around MLB on Tuesday and Friday nights during the regular season. When live game telecasts air on MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone brings fans to every game across the league, with up-to-the-minute highlights, live look-ins and updates. MLB Network Strike Zone is available on providers across the country including AT&T U-verse, Bright House Networks, DirecTV, DISH, Google Fiber and Time Warner Cable.

Longtime Radio Personality Russo to Host His First TV Talk Show

Weekdays Throughout the Year

March 5, 2014 – This spring MLB Network will launch a brand new weekday studio program as Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, one of the most accomplished sports radio voices in the country, hosts his first TV-based baseball talk show, High Heat with Christopher Russo. Starting on Opening Day, March 31 at 12:00 p.m. ET, Russo will bring his passionate opinions and energetic delivery to MLB Network for a one-hour live program every weekday with discussion on all 30 MLB clubs and interviews with players and club personnel.

Each show will begin with “The Brushback,” Russo’s opening monologue on the day’s biggest headlines, followed by “Coast to Coast,” a fast-paced look at the top news around the league with a roster of on-air contributors including MLB Network analysts Al Leiter, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds and Bill Ripken, insider Tom Verducci, and national and local beat writers and broadcasters. High Heat will also highlight the voices of the game with “Curtain Calls,” where Russo will give his take on the most talked about game calls from the previous day, while viewers will have the chance to give Russo their feedback in a voicemail segment called “Man Bites Dog” to close out every show.

After Opening Day, High Heat will lead off MLB Network’s live studio programming schedule at 1:00 p.m. ET unless a game telecast is scheduled at that time, in which case it will air live at 12:00 p.m. ET. High Heat will be produced by MLB Network and simulcast on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.

Russo joins MLB Network’s programming lineup in addition to his roles hosting “Mad Dog Unleashed,” his all-sports radio show, weekdays on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, and serving as SiriusXM’s Baseball Ambassador on MLB Network Radio. Russo joined SiriusXM in 2008 after nearly 20 years in New York hosting the popular Mike and the Mad Dog show. Russo can be followed on Twitter via @MadDogUnleashed.

Bob Costas and Tom Verducci Interview Johnny Bench, Bob Gibson, Tom Glavine, Cal Ripken Jr., Ozzie Smith and John Smoltz in New Series Premiering Thursday, January 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET

Secaucus, NJ, January 14, 2014 – Major League Baseball legends recount unforgettable games in their careers in MLB Network’s new series My Most Memorable Game beginning this Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET as Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. discusses the night in September 1995 he played his 2,131^st consecutive game and broke Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig‘s streak of games played.

Co-hosted by Bob Costas and Tom Verducci, My Most Memorable Game features Ripken, eight-time All-Star John Smoltz, and Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith, Bob Gibson, Johnny Bench and Tom Glavine as they relive the memories they have from a signature game in their storied careers.

Throughout the hour-long interview filmed in Cooperstown, New York in July 2013, Ripken talks about his emotions leading up to and during the game, being linked to Gehrig in baseball history, criticism he faced during the streak, the closest he came to missing a game prior to breaking the record, and the mentality needed to accomplish the feat.

My Most Memorable Game will continue throughout the offseason as Smoltz discusses his complete game shutout to win Game Seven of the 1991 NLCS (Jan. 23, 9pm ET), Smith reminisces about his walkoff home run to end Game Five of the 1985 NLCS (Jan. 30, 9pm ET), Gibson talks about his record-setting 17 strikeout performance in Game One of the 1968 World Series (Jan. 30, 9:30pm ET), Bench recounts his game-tying home run during Game Five of the 1972 NLCS (Feb. 6, 9pm ET), and Glavine relives his eight shutout innings to clinch Game Six of the 1995 World Series (Feb. 6, 9:30pm ET).

Highlights from the conversation with Ripken include:

On where his 2,131^st game ranks in his career:

To me, the best feeling I’ve ever had on a baseball field is catching the last out of the World Series. Fulfillment, gratification, part of the dream, it all floods to you at once. The best human moment has to be September 6, 1995. I would have rather had it been about the team going for a pennant, but as it turns out, we fell out of the race and it was all about celebration and maybe linking current history with past history.

On criticism he faced leading up to breaking the streak:

I was proud of the fact that I could play all those games. I was proud of the fact that in order to do that you have to be responsible, you have to be willing to come out there. … I think the only part about the streak that bothered me … is that [fans] said it was a selfish obsession. It wasn’t. It was actually the opposite. I was giving up a little bit of me for the sake of the challenge of today because that’s how I was brought up.

On what he felt the morning after he tied Gehrig’s record:

There was a lot of pressure starting to build up. I never felt the pressure in the streak itself because that wasn’t my goal. And then all of a sudden there was this celebration and there was this set time for this to happen, and all of a sudden, you felt like you had a responsibility to get to the finish line. Once the tying game was over, it was a foregone conclusion that … the record-breaking game would come, so there was a little sense of relief. I was worn out. I was trying to give as much as I can to that process. Mentally and emotionally, I was a little worn down.

On running around the field to thank the fans after breaking the streak:

It was a World Series-sort of atmosphere in that game. All of a sudden…you start to see some people you know…This massive celebration became very personal very quickly. As I went around, I wanted to touch as many people as I could…As I went around, the pace got slower and slower and slower, and [I] really started to enjoy that moment.

On making eye contact with his father after breaking the record:

That was the most emotional part of the whole thing. … He wanted to be up in the skybox so I didn’t get a chance to speak any words to him, but when [I] actually caught eyes and looked at him, a million words were going back-and-forth. … Dad was from the old school, maybe it’s his generation where he didn’t express himself in terms of love out loud. He just showed it. … Looking up … it was an expression of love that we communicated in that brief period of time. … It’s still emotional to this day.

Extensive Coverage Begins at 12:00 p.m. ET and Will Feature First Interviews with Electees

Bob Costas, Ron Darling, Harold Reynolds, Chris Russo, Ken Rosenthal and Joel Sherman to Appear on

Special Hall of Fame Roundtable Show Tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. ET

Secaucus, NJ, January 6, 2014 – The results of the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot will be announced exclusively on MLB Network and simulcast on MLB.com on Wednesday, January 8 live at 2:00 p.m. ET.

The announcement will be part of a three-hour live show beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET anchored by MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger, Brian Kenny and Heidi Watney, and including the first interviews with any electees immediately following the announcement, plus analysis from Bob Costas, Harold Reynolds, John Smoltz, Hall of Fame award-winning baseball writer Peter Gammons and Hall of Fame voters Jon Heyman, Ken Rosenthal, Joel Sherman and Tom Verducci, and segments analyzing the ballot from a sabermetric perspective.

Live coverage and analysis of the Hall of Fame announcement will be featured throughout the day on MLB Network beginning with Hot Stove at 9:00 a.m. ET and continuing on Intentional Talk, Clubhouse Confidential and MLB Tonight starting at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Tomorrow, January 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET, Costas, Ron Darling, Reynolds, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Rosenthal and Sherman will debate the first-year eligible nominees, returning candidates from previous elections, the election process, and candidates who deserve more consideration during a special Hall of Fame roundtable show. The day after the announcement, MLB Network and MLB.com will air the National Baseball Hall of Fame press conference featuring the electees live from New York on Thursday, January 9 at 11:00 a.m. ET, followed by in-studio interviews with the electees at MLB Network later that day.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) 2014 Hall of Fame ballot features 36 candidates with 17 holdovers from previous elections, including Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jack Morris, Mike Piazza, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling and Alan Trammell,  plus 19 newcomers, including Tom Glavine, Jeff Kent, Greg Maddux, Mike Mussina and Frank Thomas.

Managers Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre were elected to the Hall of Fame in December by the Expansion Era Committee. Cox, La Russa and Torre will be inducted along with any candidates who receive votes on at least 75 percent of all ballots cast from the BBWAA vote. Eric Nadel, who has spent the last 35 years as the voice of the Texas Rangers, has been selected as the 2014 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award presented annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting. Roger Angell, a senior editor at The New Yorker who has been writing about baseball for more than 50 years, has been named the 2014 winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award presented annually to a sportswriter for meritorious contributions to baseball writing. Joe Garagiola, who has helped others in the game through his role in founding The Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) and the National Spit Tobacco Education Program, has been selected as the 2014 winner of the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented to an individual for extraordinary efforts to enhance baseball’s positive impact on society.

The 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on Sunday, July 27 and air exclusively on MLB Network and MLB.com.