FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
Legendary Franchises Battle Saturday Night in Wrigley as Red Sox Take on Cubs
MLB Rookies Harper & Trout Should Represent Leagues in
All-Star Game Says Rosenthal
BASEBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA – Interleague play continues in primetime during BASEBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA Saturday, June 16 at 7:00 PM ET. Two of MLB’s longest-standing clubs face-off in Chicago as David Ortiz and the Red Sox take on the Cubs. Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Ken Rosenthal call the action from Wrigley Field. In the lone intra-league matchup of the weekend, David Wright and the Mets host N.L. first baseman leading vote-getter Joey Votto and the Reds. Buck Showalter’s Orioles, one of the surprises of the season, take on the Braves and their balanced lineup led by Michael Bourn, Martin Prado and Dan Uggla. The all-Texas matchup takes place in Arlington as Josh Hamilton, who leads A.L. All-Star balloting with almost 4 million votes and the Rangers host the Astros. Also, the second round of the Citrus Series kicks into high gear as Jose Reyes and the Marlins travel to St. Petersburg to battle the Rays.
Coverage begins with the BASEBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA PREGAME SHOW, originating live from MLB Network’s state-of-the-art Studio 3 in Secaucus, NJ. The show is hosted by MLB Network studio host Matt Vasgersian, who is joined by analysts Mitch Williams and Eric Byrnes.
For instant updates throughout the week and during games from the entire MLB on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MLBONFOX. Fans can gain more access to exclusive FOX Sports content by logging on to www.facebook.com/foxsports.
GAME
Boston Red Sox at Chicago Cubs
Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL
MARKETS INCLUDE: Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Hartford, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, Providence, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle
Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. TBA
Cincinnati Reds at New York Mets Thom Brennaman & Sean Casey
Citi Field – Flushing, NY
MARKETS INCLUDE: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis
Probable Pitchers: Homer Bailey, RHP (4-4, 4.35 ERA) vs. Jon Niese, LHP (4-2, 3.69 ERA)
Baltimore Orioles at Atlanta Braves
Turner Field – Miami, FL
MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville, Norfolk, Raleigh, Washington
Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. Brandon Beachy, RHP
Houston Astros at Texas Rangers
PNC Park – Pittsburgh, PA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Tulsa
Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. TBA
Miami Marlins at Tampa Bay Rays Rich Waltz & Brian Anderson
Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, FL
MARKETS INCLUDE: Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach
Probable Pitchers: Anibal Sanchez, RHP (3-5, 3.40 ERA) vs. James Shields, RHP (7-4, 4.06 ERA)
ROSENTHAL: HAVING HARPER, TROUT AT ALL-STAR GAME WOULD BE WORTH EVERY PENNY – The 2012 MLB season has seen an infusion of young talent that the league hasn’t seen in years. Leading the surge are the Nationals’ phenom Bryce Harper and the Angels’ Mike Trout. Not only does MLB on FOX & FOXSports.com reporter Ken Rosenthal see both of them representing their leagues at the MLB All-Star Game on FOX (July 10, 7:30 PM ET), but leading the sport for years to come. “The Angels’ Mike Trout is a definite All-Star, and the Nationals’ Bryce Harper should be in the game, too,” Rosenthal writes. “We are talking, quite possibly, about a baseball version of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, two once-in-a-generation players we’ll be comparing for the next 20 years. There is no other way to say it: Something will be terribly wrong if the two prodigies do not represent their respective leagues in Kansas City, MO.”
To read more on Trout and Harper from Rosenthal, click here: http://on-msn.com/KMtQUg
HAMILTON LEADS ALL-STAR GAME VOTE-GETTERS BY WIDE MARGIN – With less than four weeks before first pitch of Major League Baseball’s 83rd Mid-Summer Classic, airing Tuesday, July 10(7:30 PM ET) on FOX, Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton leads all Major League players with a whopping 3.8 million votes. Hamilton is poised to become the first outfielder to start in five consecutive All-Star Games since Ichiro Suzuki (2006-10). Six-time All-Star and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter trails him in second place for the American League. In the National League, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is currently the leading vote-getter with over 2.5 million votes. Kemp, who looks set to make his second straight start in the All-Star Game, is followed by Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto.
Fans can vote for their hometown superstar and get more information on this year’s ballots, by visiting www.allstargame.com or www.royals.com/asg Spanish-language ballots are also available at www.lasmayores.com.
CAN FORMER MOTOCROSS CHAMP JAMES STEWART COMEBACK FROM INJURY? – After dominating wins at the first two stops of the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, 2008 Champion James Stewart suffered a wrist injury at the third stop that knocked him out of the race. 2010 Champ Ryan Dungey took the overall points lead with victories at the next two races. Stewart returns to action at the fifth stop of the series, the Red Bull Budds Creek National at Southern Maryland’s Budds Creek MX Park, in Mechanicsville, to challenge Dungey and the rest of the pack. Live coverage begins on FUEL TV Saturday, June 16, (1:00 PM ET) with the 250 Class first moto.
URIJAH FABER & RIMA FAKIH TALK UFC, DOMINICK CRUZ RIVALRY & UPCOMING FIGHT ON BARFLY – UFC Fighter Urijah Faber and 2010 Miss USA and WWE Diva hopeful Rima Fakih joined FOXSports.com national columnist Mark Kriegel on this week’s episode of Barfly. The trio discussed the evolution of the UFC, the polemic rivalry between Faber and Dominick Cruz and the California Kid’s next fight with Renan Barao in July.
Faber on who he’d rather fight between Cruz and Barao: “I would rather fight the guy who is going to make the most money for me, which is Dominick Cruz…and I would also like to shut him up and finish this trilogy.” Kriegel asked him if he thought Dana White had done him any favors by replacing Cruz, who is out indefinitely due to an ACL injury, “I don’t think so, in a bunch of different ways.”
Faber on whether or not he expected to fight Cruz again in the future: “Oh yeah, if not in the ring we’ll get it done somewhere else.” Faber was then asked to predict the outcome of his upcoming fight with the Brazilian striker, who is unbeaten since 2005, “Fourth round stoppage by me, either by submission or TKO.”
To view these Barfly clips and others, visit http://msn.foxsports.com/
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