FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
MLB on FOX Starts Prime Time Triple-Play This Saturday at 7:00 PM ET
Yankees/Red Sox, Cubs/Giants, & Dodgers/D’Backs
McCarver: Jeter Isn’t Washed Up
#SATURDAYNIGHTFEVER Hits MLB on FOX
Waltrip Weighs-In on Whether Punishment Fit the Crime in Harvick/Busch Penalties
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER IN THE BRONX AS THE RED SOX TAKE ON YANKEES – On Saturday, May 14, the FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL GAME OF THE WEEK moves to prime time with three high-profile matchups at 7:00 PM ET. The greatest rivalry in baseball is on display as a resurgent Derek Jeter and the Yankees host Adrian Gonzalez and the Red Sox. World Series Champs visit the friendly confines of Wrigley Field as the Giants take on the Cubs. Fresh off ending his consecutive hit streak, Andre Ethier and the Dodgers host Justin Upton and the Diamondbacks. The MLB on FOX pregame originates live from the FOX Network studio in Los Angeles, with host Chris Rose.
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 and www.myspace.com/foxsports. Saturday night’s special prime time coverage will carry the hashtag #saturdaynightfever.
GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST COV.
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees Joe Buck, Tim McCarver 71%
& Ken Rosenthal
Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY
MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, Tulsa, Washington, West Palm Beach
Probable Pitchers: Josh Beckett, RHP (2-1, 1.99 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia, LHP (3-2, 2.89 ERA)
San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs Matt Vasgersian & Eric Karros 20%
Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL
MARKETS INCLUDE: Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis, Louisville, Milwaukee, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, St. Louis
Probable Pitchers: Ryan Vogelsong. RHP (2-0, 3.05 ERA) vs. TBA
Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers Kenny Albert & Mark Grace 8%
Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix
Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. Chad Billingsly, RHP (2-2, 3.91 ERA)
McCARVER: JETER ISN’T FINISHED YET – While a strong week has quelled some, many are questioning whether Derek Jeter is in the midst of a decline and becoming detrimental to the Yankees. MLB on FOX lead analyst Tim McCarver vehemently disagrees. “The patience for older players is almost nil in professional sports,” said McCarver. “If you have a bad first month, people are inclined to say it’s because of age. Whereas if you were a younger or middle aged player, they’d be more inclined to say, ‘he had an off month but his numbers will be there at the end of the year.’ However, one of an athlete’s greatest accomplishments is when people say ‘he’s washed up’ and the player proves them wrong. It’s one of the most satisfying feelings as an athlete. The Yankees are still in first place and Derek has contributed to that.”
ROSENTHAL STANDS UP TO CANCER – This week’s bow tie has a special meaning to FOX Sports reporter and FOXSports.com senior MLB columnist Ken Rosenthal. During Saturday’s Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees game, Rosenthal will be supporting “Stand Up To Cancer,” the official charity for MLB on FOX this season. SU2C utilizes resources from the film and media industry to support a new model of cancer research with the mission to fund groundbreaking, collaborative research to accelerate treatments to patients. The Bow Tie Cause specially designed this bow tie for Rosenthal and MLB on FOX. For more information, please visit www.standup2cancer.org/foxsports. To keep track of all of the bow ties Rosenthal wears throughout the season, click here: www.bowtiecause.org.
MONSTER MILE HITS NASCAR SPRINT CUP DRIVERS WITH ALL ITS MIGHT – Racing from Darlington last week lit a spark in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. This week, drivers try to maintain their cool on Sunday, May 15 at 12:30 PM ET as FOX Sports presents the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks from Dover International Speedway. All eyes will be on Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick as they take their feud to Dover, DE. Busch spun Harvick out during a multi-car accident last week and postrace words were had and penalties handed down from NASCAR for both drivers. Each has a long history of feuds (Harvick vs. Joey Logano, Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya; Busch vs. Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton) and the NASCAR on FOX prerace show hosted by Chris Myers explores them this Sunday.
The prerace show, which also features analysts Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond, airs live from the infield and includes updates from drivers, crewmen and officials shaping the day’s action. Once the green flag drops, the voice of NASCAR Mike Joy is alongside analysts 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 reports on teams and pit stops.
WALTRIP: THE DRIVERS CAN POLICE THEMSELVES BUT THE POLICE CHIEF IS STILL WATCHING – In response to Saturday night’s postrace altercation between Sprint Cup drivers Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, NASCAR handed down penalties to both. Each was fined $25,000 and placed on probation for the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points events ending June 15 for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing). NASCAR on FOX and SPEED analyst Darrell Waltrip reacted: “I’m not surprised,” said Waltrip. “They’ve been pretty lenient with ‘boys, have at it’ and have been letting them police themselves. However, when it starts carrying over into the pits and beyond, NASCAR has to have some parameters. They have to have some control and that’s what this is. It’s a small message to these guys to say, ‘Look, you can police yourself but the police chief is still watching you.’”
GUS JOHNSON NAMED THE VOICE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOR FOX & MEN’S BASKETBALL ON BIG TEN NETWORK – FOX Sports Media Group conducted a media conference call to announce the addition of Gus Johnson as lead play-by-play announcer for its college football coverage and men’s basketball on the Big Ten Network. For a complete replay of the call dial 719-457-0820 and enter passcode 6203110.
Johnson on his new position with FOX Sports Media Group: “I think it’s a bigger stage for me right now having an opportunity to be a lead play-by-play guy at a network like FOX. My relationship with Eric Shanks, maybe more than anything, was something that made me feel very comfortable about making this leap after being at CBS for 16 years and being comfortable and being happy there. Also Mark Silverman and the relationship that we’ve developed over the last three years reassured me that I was in good hands.”
FOX Sports Media Group Co-President & COO Eric Shanks on Johnson’s fan following: “Here at FOX Sports, we’re a fan of Gus and how he calls a game with passion and a unique voice. It really can add a new dimension to not only, FOX’s college sports but to college sports in general like he has done with March Madness for so many years. It’s phenomenal when some tweets last week went out about Gus leaving CBS and you could take a look at the conversation happening in the social media world. First and foremost, it’s the product on television but then it’s really neat to have a personality who has such a following in the social media world.”
Johnson on criticism of his announcing style: “I have to go out there and do what I can do and be who I am. Changing my style is something I’d be comfortable with. I don’t think it’s something that would be successful for me. I’ve in New York for a long and one thing I understand is like the old Jack Kent Cooke line – ‘criticism is like walking in the rain, once you get wet, what’s another drop?’ I get it and that’s just how it is. You have to take the bitter with the sweet when you’re a public figure”
Lead college football analyst Charles Davis on partnering with Johnson: “I’m very excited about it. This is one of those things that you dream about, something that you work hard for. Now, to have the chance to work with Gus Johnson, are you kidding me? This is fantastic. I consider myself a very fortunate guy once again. I’m looking forward to forging that partnership.”
FOX SOCCER’S ‘SOCCER NIGHT IN AMERICA’ HEADS TO UTAH – FOX Soccer’s “Soccer Night In America” televises one of Major League Soccer’s elite when the Houston Dynamo visit 2011 CONCACAF Champions League runner-up Real Salt Lake from Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, UT on Saturday, May 14 (8:30 PM ET). RSL plays its first game without midfielder Javier Morales who injured his left leg during Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Chivas USA. Dynamo forward and team goal leader Will Bruin looks to march his team to victory and break RSL’s nearly two-year regular season undefeated home streak. Allen Hopkins handles play-by-play with Brian Dunseth providing analysis and Keith Bleyer contributing sideline reports. Former U.S. National Team and MLS players Eric Wynalda and Christopher Sullivan team up for the pregame, halftime and postgame coverage from the new “Soccer Night in America” studio.
For the latest MLS news, information and FOX Soccer’s 2011 telecast schedule, visit: http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/mls.
FUEL TV PREVIEWS UPCOMING LUCAS OIL AMA PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FUEL TV previews the upcoming Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Thursday, May 12 (10:00 PM ET/PT). The program features the world’s best motocross racers in Ryan Dungey (Bell Plaine, MN), Ryan Villapoto (Poulsbo, WA), Chad Reed (2009 Champion) and James “Bubba” Stewart (Winterhaven, FL) (2008 Champion).
— FOX SPORTS —
Recent Comments