FOX Sports Knocks One Out of the Park with Talent Lineup for the 2019 MLB Season
Joe Girardi Joins Network’s Regular-Season Coverage
Network Brings Emmy Award-Winning Studio Show For Mitel & MLB Present London Series 2019
New York – Today, FOX Sports announces its lineup of on-air broadcasters for the 2019 Major League Baseball season. Whether it’s in the studio or at the ballpark, the network continues to elevate the game with signature voices and fresh faces that are synonymous with the sport’s greatest moments. Today’s announcement was made by Mark Silverman, President, FOX Sports National Networks.
FOX Sports’ latest addition to the broadcast booth is three-time World Series Champion and former Manager of the Year, Joe Girardi. Far from a stranger to sports television, Girardi offers viewers a unique look inside the game, from a managerial standpoint to on-field experience. In addition to the new role, Girardi continues to work as an analyst for MLB Network.
First-Ballot Hall of Famer and World Series Champion John Smoltz reprises his role as the network’s lead game analyst, while three-time Emmy Award-winner Tom Verducci brings his knowledge of the game into the broadcast booth during the regular season. Former National League Rookie of the Year Eric Karros and World Series Champion AJ Pierzynski round out the group of game analysts.
With an unprecedented 21 World Series under his belt, seven-time Emmy Award-winner Joe Buck returns as FOX Sports’ lead play-by-play announcer. The versatile broadcaster Justin Kutcher returns, along with one of the fastest rising stars on the sports broadcast landscape, Joe Davis. In addition, Kenny Albert, Aaron Goldsmith, Len Kasper and Don Orsillo all revive their broadcasting roles as play-by-play announcers for FOX Sports’ game coverage in the coming season.
Highly acclaimed reporters Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi contribute to FOX Sports’ game coverage, keeping viewers up to date with exclusive inside information.
This off-season’s most sought-after free agents, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, both make their national television debut on FS1, as the network’s regular season coverage leads off with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 30. Goldsmith, Smoltz and Rosenthal take the call from Citizens Bank Park as the Atlanta Braves face the Philadelphia Phillies at 4:00 PM ET, while Kutcher and Karros voice the San Francisco Giants matchup against the San Diego Padres at 8:30 PM ET.
On Saturday, June 29, FOX Sports broadcasts one of baseball’s deepest rivalries in a historic setting with the inaugural Mitel & MLB Present London Series 2019 between the New York Yankees and World Series Champion Boston Red Sox live from London’s Olympic Stadium. Pregame coverage begins at 12:30 PM ET with a two-time Emmy Award-winning group. Veteran studio host Kevin Burkhardt is joined by Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, three-time World Series Champion David Ortiz and World Series Champion Alex Rodriguez on-site in London. Following MLB on FOX’s pregame show, Buck and Smoltz call the game beginning at 1:00 PM ET with reports from Rosenthal.
MLB WHIPAROUND, the nightly in-season baseball-centric studio show, returns on Thursday, March 28 at 11:00 PM ET on FS1, as Burkhardt is joined by World Series Champions Nick Swisher and Dontrelle Willis who recap all the action from Opening Day.
Throughout the regular season, versatile broadcaster Chris Myers shares hosting duties with Burkhardt for MLB WHIPAROUND. The aforementioned Karros, Pierzynski, Morosi, Thomas, Swisher and Willis contribute regularly to the nightly studio show along with veteran Mark Sweeney.
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About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform, Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.
