New Season, New Team: Buck and Smoltz Take Fox Mlb Reins April 9 on Fs1
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dan Bell Thursday, March 31, 2016 [email protected] Jonathan Butnick [email protected] NEW SEASON, NEW TEAM: BUCK AND SMOLTZ TAKE FOX MLB REINS APRIL 9 ON FS1 2016 Play-By-Play Broadcaster and Analyst Rosters Unveiled Los Angeles – Opening Day 2016 is right around the corner and anticipation for the looming Major League Baseball season is reaching a fever pitch from coast-to-coast. As the grind of spring training gives way to the hopes of spring, FOX Sports unveils its broadcasters for the coming season, highlighted by its new lead pair, seven-time Emmy-winning play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and first-ballot Hall of Fame pitcher, analyst John Smoltz. The announcement was made today by John Entz, President of Production & Executive Producer, FOX Sports. Buck, the voice of FOX Sports’ baseball coverage since its first broadcast in 1996, enters his 21st season in the lead booth. In addition to calling marquee regular season contests, he’s also behind the mic for the All-Star Game and postseason, including his 16th consecutive World Series and 19th overall. Smoltz, the former eight-time All-Star and Cy Young Award winner, joined FOX Sports in 2014 and enters his third season with the network. He was elevated to lead analyst to work alongside Buck in December. While the FOX MLB season has a special primetime premiere Thursday, April 7, Buck and Smoltz make their 2016 debut Saturday, April 9 at 4:00 PM ET on FS1 when the Los Angeles Dodgers travel to AT&T Park to take on their National League West division rival San Francisco Giants, with Ken Rosenthal reporting. In addition to Buck, FOX Sports once again boasts a deep group of experienced play-by-play voices calling games throughout the season, including Kenny Albert, Kevin Burkhardt, Joe Davis, Aaron Goldsmith, Len Kasper, Justin Kutcher, Don Orsillo and Matt Vasgersian. The list of Smoltz’s fellow game analysts features Brian Anderson, Cliff Floyd, Mark Gubicza, Eric Karros, CJ Nitkowski, Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci. Reporters Erin Andrews, Jon Paul Morosi and Rosenthal also contribute to game coverage. FOX Sports’ Los Angeles studio coverage is anchored by Burkhardt and Chris Myers, who rotate on the desk for pregame and postgame shows during the regular season, Division Series and Championship Series, in addition to hosting on-site coverage at the All-Star Game and World Series. - more - 2016 FOX MLB BROADCASTERS – Page 2 Studio analysts include Karros, Nitkowski, all-time hits leader Pete Rose, Hall of Famer Frank Thomas and Dontrelle Willis. As mentioned previously, the FOX MLB season gets underway with a special mid-week matchup, live from Angels Stadium, Thursday, April 7, when the Texas Rangers visit the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in an opening-week American League West contest. Pregame coverage begins at 9:30 PM ET with Myers, Nitkowski and Thomas on site, and Burkhardt, Karros and Rosenthal working the game which begins at 10:00 PM ET. MLB WHIPAROUND, FS1’s nightly in-progress highlights and analysis studio show returns this season, airing weeknights throughout the regular season. Premiering Monday, April 4 (7:00 PM ET), MLB WHIPAROUND is led in rotation by Burkhardt and Myers. The show features live look- ins at games from across the country, courtesy of FOX Sports’ Regional Sports Networks, in addition to recaps and analysis from regulars Karros, Nitkowski, Mark Sweeney, Thomas and Willis. Morosi also makes frequent studio visits this season, reporting on the latest news and rumors from around the league. FOX Sports, MLB's primary broadcast rights holder since 1996 and exclusive national broadcast partner since 2001, enters its third year of an eight-year, multiplatform media rights agreement. This season features 39 games on FS1, primarily on Saturdays and as many as 32 Saturday games on the FOX broadcast network. The schedule includes 18 Saturday doubleheaders, nine exclusively on FS1 and nine split between FS1 and the FOX broadcast network. All regular season games, Division Series, League Championship Series, World Series games and the All- Star Game broadcast by FOX Sports stream live via FOX Sports GO through participating video providers. Click here for the MLB on FOX schedule: http://foxs.pt/1QPFBFM. For more information and for news and updates all year long, visit FOXSports.com and follow @MLBonFOX on Twitter. -- FOX SPORTS – .