FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
MLB on FOX Kicks Off 2013 with a Bang Saturday at 3:30 PM ET
Yankees/Tigers & Giants/Cardinals in LCS Rematches
Hamilton Returns to Texas with Angels
McCarver: AL Cy Young In Tigers’ Rotation and Not Named Verlander
With Dale Jr. Atop Standings, NASCAR on FOX Hits Martinsville Sunday at 12:30 PM ET
UFC on FUEL TV 9: Mousasi vs. Latifi Saturday – Rashad Evans Guest Studio Analyst
Barclays Premier League Action on FOX Soccer Sun at 9:00 AM ET: Tottenham vs. Everton
MLB ON FOX WEEK 1 SEASON PREMIERE – This Saturday, April 6, FOX Sports begins its 18th season of MLB coverage with three exciting matchups beginning at 3:30 PM ET. In Detroit, big names face off as Joe Girardi leads the Yankees into the Motor City to take on Triple Crown-winner Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers. Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, Ken Rosenthal and Erin Andrews call the action from Comerica Park. The defending World Series Champion Giants welcome the Cardinals to the Bay Area for a rematch of the 2012 NLCS. In another intriguing matchup, Josh Hamilton makes his return to Texas with his new team, the Angels, in this AL West battle.
Coverage begins with the FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL PREGAME SHOW, a full 30-minute program, originating live from MLB Network’s state-of-the-art Studio 3 in Secaucus, NJ. It’s hosted by longtime FOX Sports and MLB Network broadcaster Matt Vasgersian who is joined this week by analysts Harold Reynolds and Kevin Millar.
For instant updates during the week from the entire MLB on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MLBONFOX, on Instagram at http://instagram.com/foxsports
GAME
New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers*
Comerica Park – Detroit, MI
MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Norfolk, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Tampa, Washington, West Palm Beach
Probable Pitchers: David Phelps, RHP (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer, RHP (0-0, -.– ERA)
*On FOX Deportes
St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants Justin Kutcher & Eric Karros
AT&T Park – San Francisco, CA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Chicago, Cincinnati, Dayton, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Louis
Probable Pitchers: Shelby Miller, RHP (0-0, -.– ERA) vs. Ryan Vogelsong, RHP (0-0, -.– ERA)
Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers Thom Brennaman & Tom Verducci
Rangers Ballpark – Arlington, TX
MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Seattle, Tulsa
Probable Pitchers: Tommy Hanson, RHP (0-0, -.– ERA) vs. Matt Harrison, LHP (0-1, 7.94 ERA)
MCCARVER: AL CY YOUNG WINNER WILL COME FROM DETROIT TIGERS BUT NOT WHO YOU THINK – Earlier this week, MLB on FOX analyst and Ford C. Frick award winner Tim McCarver made a bold prediction on-air with FOX Sports Radio’s “Loose Cannons” on who will be the 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner. “The Detroit Tigers will have the Cy Young Award winner for the American League this year and my pick is not Justin Verlander,” said McCarver. “Max Scherzer will win it.” McCarver also talked about how the Yankees will fare this year: “The Yankees have been decimated with injuries. I’ve never seen anything like it. They are a skeleton of their former selves. People are used to seeing them contend on a regular basis and I doubt that will be the case this year.”
MCCARVER STEPPING DOWN BUT NOT RETIRING AFTER 2013 – While it is true that Tim McCarver is stepping down from his role as lead MLB on FOX analyst at the end of this season, he is by no means planning to retire. “I didn’t announce my retirement. I just said I was stepping away from doing the job that I’ve done since 1996 and that’s the FOX Saturday Game of the Week, the All-Star Game and postseason baseball on FOX. I am by no means retiring after this season. I know there will be plenty of things out there to do.”
NASCAR ON FOX RETURNS TO MARTINSVILLE – With a week off to recharge the batteries, FOX Sports and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series return Sunday, April 7 (12:30 PM ET) for NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing From Martinsville. Fresh off his second-place finish two weeks ago, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has taken over the top spot in the series standings. Coverage begins with the FOX NASCAR SUNDAY prerace show hosted by Chris Myers, providing up-to-the-minute reports, live interviews with drivers, crewmen and officials shaping the day’s action and analysis from Darrell Waltrip and Michael Waltrip. Once the green flag drops, race announcer Mike Joy is alongside analysts Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds to call all the twists and turns on the track while Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda and Matt Yocum patrol the pits for reports on teams and pit stops. FOX Sports’ Jeff Hammond serves as the network’s roving analyst, taking fans from the garages to pit road and everywhere in between. For instant updates during the week from the entire NASCAR on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NASCARONFOX
RIVALRIES HEAT UP HEADING INTO MARTINSVILLE – When NASCAR Sprint Cup racing last took to the track two weeks ago in Fontana, tempers flared. Not only did rivals and then-race leaders Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano spin each other out on the final turn of the final lap, but Logano made another enemy when he blocked out Tony Stewart on a restart, prompting a profanity-riddled post-race interview from Stewart in which he promised to get his revenge on Logano.
NASCAR on FOX analysts Steve Byrnes and Darrell Waltrip weigh on in Stewart’s threats and what it could mean for this Sunday’s short-track race in Martinsville.
“Stewart doesn’t make idle threats,” said Byrnes, who interviewed Stewart following the Fontana race. “I think his comments about Joey Logano were an accumulation of things on-track and off. It’s obvious he doesn’t have a lot of respect for Joey right now. Personally, I don’t see him going out of his way in terms of ‘payback,’ but I also wouldn’t be surprised if it happened this week.”
“People won’t cut Joey Logano any slack,” Waltrip added. “Tony has buddies and Denny has buddies, and those buddies sometimes mess with you because you messed with their buddy. If you cut off Tony at Martinsville, he’ll probably put you in the wall. Tony won’t take any crap. Logano is smart enough to know that, and we’re all smart enough to be watching for it.”
For more on what to expect at Martinsville, click here: http://nascar.speedtv.com/
FLORIAN SAYS LATE REPLACEMENT LATIFI COULD SPELL TROUBLE FOR MOUSASI AT UFC ON FUEL TV 9 – UFC® on FUEL TV travels to Stockholm, Sweden, on Saturday, April 6 (2:00 PM ET), for the network’s ninth installment featuring former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (34-12-1, 1NC), against late replacement Ilir “The Sledgehammer” Latifi (7-2-0, 1NC), in a light heavyweight headlining bout. Latifi replaces the No. 2-ranked Alexander Gustafsson after Gustafsson was injured in training last week and was deemed unable to fight by the Swedish MMA Federation. Kenny Florian, FUEL TV’s UFC TONIGHT co-analyst, says the change could spell trouble for the veteran Mousasi: “Gegard Mousasi is so fast at 205 pounds and he has excellent submissions. This guy is a true finisher, but you have to think about his mindset now. He was preparing for Gustafsson, and now he’s training for a completely different opponent. Ilir Latifi is a national champion in wrestling in Sweden. If we’ve seen a weakness in Mousasi in the past, it’s with guys who can take him down and control him, so perhaps Ilir has the style that will give him a lot of problems.”
The live telecast on FUEL TV consists of five more exciting bouts including a lightweight battle between England’s Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson (16-6-0), fresh off a knockout victory over George Sotiropoulos, and Strikeforce vet Ryan Couture (6-1-0), who is looking to extend his current four-fight winning streak. Matt Mitrione (5-2-0), a four-year NFL veteran, takes on British prospect Phil De Fries (9-2-0, 1NC) in a heavyweight showdown. Fifth-ranked bantamweight Brad “One Punch” Pickett (23-7-0) faces ninth-ranked Mike “The Hulk” Easton (13-2-0). TUF 14 winner Diego “Ceara” Brandao (20-8-0) goes toe-to-toe against Pablo “The Scarecrow” Garza (13-3-0) in a featherweight scrap. Featherweight Robbie “Problems” Peralta (16-3-0, 1NC), coming off a 23-second knockout of Jason Young on UFC® on FUEL TV 5, battles Akira Corassani (12-4-1). UFC announcers Mike Goldberg and Kenny Florian call all bouts live from Sweden on FUEL TV.
UFC® ON FUEL TV 9: MOUSASI VS. LATIFI PRELIMS STREAMED LIVE ON FUEL.TV AND FOXSPORTS.COM – FUEL TV and FOXSports.com are webcasting the UFC PRELIMS beginning on Saturday, April 6 (10:50 AM ET). The stream can be seen at: http://www.fuel.tv/ufc/events/
FORMER UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP JOINS FUEL TV’S WEIGH-IN AND POSTFIGHT SHOWS – Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans joins the announcing teams for the upcoming UFC® on FUEL TV 9 shows, starting with the UFC WEIGH-IN on Friday, April 5 (10:00 AM ET). The program is hosted by veteran combat sports announcer Karyn Bryant, with Evans and UFC middleweight Brian Stann adding analysis, and veteran British MMA journalist Gareth A. Davies interviewing fighters on-site. Immediately following UFC® on FUEL TV 9 on Saturday, April 6 (5:00 PM ET), FUEL TV telecasts the UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW featuring host Jay Glazer, Evans and Stann analyzing the biggest and best moments of the evening’s fights. Davies provides interviews backstage live from the Ericsson Globe Arena. Click here for more information: http://www.fuel.tv/ufc/events/
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE: TOTTENHAM VS. EVERTON – FOX Soccer is home to the Barclays Premier League this weekend as third-placed Tottenham faces sixth-placed Everton, live this Sunday, April 7 (9:00 AM ET). Six points separate the two teams in the standings, but with the Spurs having played one game more, the Toffees look to slash the gap in half with a victory and keep their hopes alive for a top-four European finish. Tottenham has a quick turnaround following midweek Europa League quarterfinal action, and manager Andres Villas-Boas will be counting on in-form duo Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon to provide the magic. U.S. national team goalkeeper Tim Howard continues to lead the backline for Everton after recovering from two broken bones in his back. David Moyes’ side aims to shrug off the label of underdogs at White Hart Lane, with less than ten games remaining as the season reaches its finale.
NEW PSAs FEATURING 2013 FOX SPORTS SUPPORTS CHARITIES DEBUT THIS WEEKEND ACROSS NEWS CORP. CHANNELS – In February, FOX Sports Supports, the charitable arm of FOX Sports, announced Feeding America, Johns Hopkins Medicine and STOMP Out Bullying as its partner charities for 2013. The three charities receive support from FOX Sports in the forms of campaigns that span all of FOX Sports’ properties, premier events and assets beginning with February’s Daytona 500 and culminating with Super Bowl XLVIII from New York/New Jersey. Last month, FOX Sports filmed public service announcements for each charity with several members of its on-air teams. These PSAs, featuring Erin Andrews, Terry Bradshaw, Charles Davis, Jay Glazer, Tim McCarver and Chris Myers with Feeding America, Troy Aikman, Joey Harrington, Jimmy Johnson, Curt Menefee, Regis Philbin and Michael Waltrip with Johns Hopkins and Eddie George, Howie Long, Mike Pereira, Ken Rosenthal, Michael Strahan and Darrell Waltrip with STOMP Out Bullying, will air across all News Corporation channels. For more information, visit FOXSportsSupports.com.
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