FOX Sports Named Television Home of the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game Presented by Ephesus Sports Lighting

MLB 05/02/2019

2019 & 2020 Winner-Take-All Showdowns to Air Exclusively on FS1

Triple-A Baseball (International and Pacific Coast Leagues) announced today that FOX Sports will be the new exclusive television home of the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game Presented by Ephesus Sports Lighting. The annual event determines the overall champion of Minor League Baseball’s highest classification in a one-game, winner-take-all showdown between the teams that emerge victorious from the IL and PCL playoffs.

This year’s contest takes place at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Tuesday, September 17 at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee, home of the defending Triple-A National Champion Memphis Redbirds. The game will be televised live nationally on FS1 and available for live streaming on the FOX Sports app, as well as to MiLB.TV subscribers via the MiLB First Pitch mobile app for supported devices.

Bringing the action to a national television audience will once again be broadcasting legends George Grande and Jim Kaat, who combined have been a part of twelve Triple-A National Championship Game telecasts. Grande, the veteran MLB broadcaster who has served as the play-by-play voice of the Yankees, Cardinals, and Reds, will be in a familiar position working alongside Kaat, the former big league All-Star pitcher and Emmy-award winning commentator. George and Jim will be joined in the booth by MLB.com’s Jim Callis, a familiar contributor on MLB Network and a veteran of several Triple-A All-Star Game and National Championship Game telecasts.

International League President Randy Mobley said, “As home for the Major League Baseball World Series for more than two decades it is only fitting that Minor League Baseball’s highest classification align itself with FOX Sports as the exclusive national broadcaster for its pinnacle event, the annual Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game presented by Ephesis Sports Lighting. This relationship is one that we look forward to nurturing and growing in the years to come.”

“FOX Sports and Major League Baseball have an exceptional track record of capturing the sport’s most brilliant moments,” FOX Sports Vice President of Programming Acquisitions and League Operations Josh Oakley said. “When the opportunity arose to broadcast the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game, we jumped at the chance to showcase baseball’s rising stars.”

“Baseball fans know the quality coverage that FOX provides,” Pacific Coast League President Branch Rickey said. “Continuing to broadcast our Triple-A National Championship Game on this network is a winning formula and provides tremendous exposure for the culminating event of our season. Moreover, the Memphis Redbirds have a proven record of being a wonderful host for big games and can be counted on to make AutoZone Park a great site for this 2019 event.”

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.

About Triple-A Baseball
With a history dating back over 135 years, today you’ll find 30 Triple-A Baseball teams throughout the United States developing talent for major league affiliates while providing affordable, family entertainment for fans of all ages. Drawing an average of nearly 14 million fans per season during the past decade, Triple-A Baseball spans the entire United States, from Norfolk, VA to Sacramento, CA. One day after July’s Major League All-Star tilt, television audiences nationwide can tune in for Triple-A Baseball excitement as players from both the International and Pacific Coast Leagues compete in the Triple-A All-Star Game. The nationally televised excitement continues in September with the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game Presented by Ephesus Sports Lighting, a winner-take-all showdown between the champions of each league. For more information visit Triple-ABaseball.com.

About the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game Presented by Ephesus Sports Lighting:
Since 2006, the International League’s Governors’ Cup champion has opposed the Pacific Coast League champion in a one-game, winner-take-all event initially known as the “Bricktown Showdown” and for the past ten years, the “Triple-A National Championship Game”. Pacific Coast League teams have prevailed in eight of the thirteen title games played, including in 2018 when Memphis achieved revenge against Durham in the event’s first rematch. Memphis hopes to become the first host team to participate in the National Championship Game in 2019.

Year Result (league and MLB affiliate) Site:

2006 Tucson (PCL – Arizona) 5, Toledo (IL – Detroit) 2 Oklahoma City, OK
2007 Sacramento (PCL – Oakland) 7, Richmond (IL – Atlanta) 1 Oklahoma City, OK
2008 Sacramento (PCL – Oakland) 4, Scranton/WB (IL – N.Y. Yankees) 1 Oklahoma City, OK
2009 Durham (IL – Tampa Bay) 5, Memphis (PCL – St. Louis) 4 (11 Inn.) Oklahoma City, OK
2010 Columbus (IL – Cleveland) 12, Tacoma (PCL – Seattle) 6 Oklahoma City, OK
2011 Columbus (IL – Cleveland) 8, Omaha (PCL – Kansas City) 3 Albuquerque, NM
2012 Reno (PCL – Arizona) 10, Pawtucket (IL – Boston) 3 Durham, NC
2013 Omaha (PCL – Kansas City) 2, Durham (IL – Tampa Bay) 1 Allentown, PA
2014 Omaha (PCL – Kansas City) 4, Pawtucket (IL – Boston) 2 Charlotte, NC
2015 Fresno (PCL – Houston) 7, Columbus (IL – Cleveland) 0 El Paso, TX
2016 Scranton/WB (IL – N.Y. Yankees) 3, El Paso (PCL – San Diego) 1 Memphis, TN
2017 Durham (IL – Tampa Bay) 5, Memphis (PCL – St. Louis) 3 Moosic, PA
2018 Memphis (PCL – St. Louis) 14, Durham (IL – Tampa Bay) 4 Columbus, OH