FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
MLB on FOX: Dodgers/Cubs Revisit 2008 NLDS,
Braves/DBacks & Twins/Rays Face Off
Rosenthal on Ortiz Steroid Rumors: It’s Irresponsible and Unfair.
NASCAR on FOX Races To Final Lap of ’09 Season with Monster Mile Race in Dover
MANAGING TITANS MEET AT WRIGLEY – It’s a rematch of last year’s NLDS on the FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL GAME OF THE WEEK as Lou Piniella‘s Cubs welcome Joe Torre‘s Dodgers to Chicago on Saturday, May 30 at 4:00 PM ET. Torre’s men have been more than able to cope with the suspension of slugger Manny Ramirez, maintaining MLB’s best record. In Phoenix, Chipper Jones and the Braves look to pick up a win out west when the take on the Diamondbacks in the desert. Also, Joe Mauer and hit scorching-hot bat travel down to Florida to face David Price and the Rays. Pregame originates live from Chase Field in Phoenix with host Chris Rose. Once game action begins, Rose joins the game crew including Kenny Albert and Mark Grace as a field reporter. For instant updates during the week and games from the entire MLB on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MLBONFOX.
GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST COV.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs Joe Buck, Tim McCarver 70%
& Ken Rosenthal
Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL
MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Dayton, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tulsa, Washington, West Palm Beach
Probable Pitchers: Eric Stults, LHP (4-1, 4.29 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (3-3, 4.99 ERA)
Atlanta Braves at Arizona Diamondbacks Kenny Albert & Mark Grace 15%
Chase Field – Phoenix, AZ
MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Nashville, Phoenix, Raleigh
Probable Pitchers: Javier Vazquez, RHP (4-4, 3.80 ERA) vs. Doug Davis, LHP (2-6, 3.77 ERA)
Minnesota Twins at Tampa Bay Rays DeWayne Staats & Eric Karros 14%
Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, FL
MARKETS INCLUDE: Boston, Detroit, Fort Myers, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Orlando, Providence, Tampa
Probable Pitchers: Francisco Liriano, LHP (2-6, 6.42 ERA) vs. David Price, LHP (0-0, 5.40 ERA)
ROSENTHAL: BIG PAPI IS LIVING IN AN AGE OF ACCUSATIONS & IT’S UNFAIR – With David Ortiz’s continued struggles and his recent demotion to sixth in the Red Sox lineup, MLB on FOX’s Ken Rosenthal has noticed that the whispers of steroids and performance enhancing drugs has started and he believes its unfair. “Ten years ago, no self-respecting journalist would have speculated that a player was using PEDs without some form of proof. Today, respected journalists, blogs, chat rooms and other Internet vehicles, have blithely suggested that Ortiz is in a decline because he no longer take PEDs,” said Rosenthal. “It’s irresponsible. It’s unfair. It needs to stop. Several times in recent weeks, radio talk-show hosts have asked me what I thought of the possibility that Ortiz was using PEDs. I have no idea if David Ortiz used PEDs; probably no journalist does. I could not even make an educated guess, and it would be unprofessional of me to do so. Here’s one thing I do know: Before steroids, players actually declined as they got older. Ortiz is 33. Maybe he is losing his skills. Maybe he just stinks. If I were an innocent player, I would fight back. But I wouldn’t even know where to start.” Click here to read more: http://tinyurl.com/qlcw3m
NASCAR ON FOX’S 2009 FINALE AT DOVER – The NASCAR on FOX 2009 Sprint Cup Series returns to Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 31 (1:30 PM ET) for the networks’ final race of the season. David Reutimann, who notched his first Sprint Cup victory of 2009 at the rain shortened Coca-Cola 600, has risen to one spot out of the Chase. Despite the chaos of Memorial Day weekend, Jeff Gordon increased his points lead ever so slightly over second- running, Tony Stewart. Prerace host Chris Myers along with analysts Jeff Hammond and Darrell Waltripbring fans all the news and features from the Hollywood Hotel, FOX Sports’ traveling prerace set.
Once the green flag drops, race announcer Mike Joy will be alongside Waltrip and Larry McReynolds to call all the twists and turns on the track while Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda and Matt Yocum patrol the pits for up-to-the-second reports on teams and pit stops. For instant updates during the week and race from the entire NASCAR on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NASCARONFOX.
HAMMOND: DID NASCAR LEARN ANYTHING FROM CHARLOTTE? – Yesterday, NASCAR on FOX analyst Jeff Hammond gave NASCAR credit for meeting with drivers and owners to get their input on potential changes within the sport following a rough weekend for racing. “You simply have to give all the drivers and crew a lot of credit because they put up with a lot. [Over Memorial Day Weekend] we had, get ready, start, wait don’t start, finally start, stop, start, stop, take a time out during the race to pay tribute to the troops, which I think was the silver lining in all those clouds Monday,” said the former crew chief. With all the starts and stops, Hammond wonders what NASCAR took away from that. “We had the opportunity to see if shorter race lengths are right or wrong. Did we learn anything from that?”
To read more on Hammond’s thoughts following Charlotte and what changes he thinks Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 needs to make click here: http://tinyurl.com/pcd8y9
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