List of American League Division Series broadcasters

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The following is a list of the television networks and announcers who have covered the American League Division Series throughout the years.

[edit] 2000s

[edit] 2008

[edit] 2007

[edit] Notes

• Turner Sports provided a provisional plan in which if a League Division Series game televised on TBS ran into the start of the next LDS game scheduled to air on TBS, then TNT would provide supplementary coverage of the latter games' early moments.

[edit] 2006

[edit] Notes

• Ernie Harwell served as a special guest commentator for two innings in Game 3 of the Tigers-Yankees series.

[edit] 2005

[edit] 2004

[edit] 2003

[edit] 2002

[edit] Notes

• ABC Family's coverage of the 2002 Division Series was produced by ESPN. The reason that games were on ABC Family instead of ESPN was because The Walt Disney Company (ESPN's parent company) bought Fox Family from the Fox Broadcasting Company/News Corporation. The ABC Family/ESPN inherited Division Series package included in Fox's then exclusive television contract with Major League Baseball (initiated in 2001). ABC Family had no other choice but to fulfill the contract handed to them. The only use of the ABC Family "bug" was for a ten second period when returning from a commercial break (in the lower right corner of the screen). Game 2 (played on October 2) of the Minnesota/Oakland series in 2002 started on ESPN2 because the San Francisco-Atlanta game (which started at 1 p.m. Eastern Time) ran over the three hour time window. The game was eventually switched back to ABC Family once the early game ended.

[edit] 2001

[edit] 2000

[edit] Notes

• In 2000, NBC was caught in the dilemma of having to televise a first round playoff game between the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics over the first presidential debate between George W. Bush and Al Gore. NBC decided to give its local stations the option of carrying the debate or the baseball game. If the NBC affiliate decided to carry the debate, then local Pax affiliate could carry the game. However, if there was no Pax availability and the local NBC affiliate aired the debate (which actually occurred in most NBC affiliates), then that market was shut out of the baseball telecast. Skip Caray filled-in for Bob Costas on NBC's coverage of the 2000 New York-Oakland Division Series because Costas had just finished anchoring NBC's prime time coverage of the Summer Olympic Games from Sydney, Australia. Meanwhile, NBC used Bob Wischusen as a field reporter (filling-in for Jim Gray, who like Bob Costas, was covering the Sydney Olympics) for Game 1 of the ALDS.

[edit] 1990s

[edit] 1999

[edit] 1998

[edit] 1997

[edit] 1996

[edit] Notes

• From 1996-2000, NBC aired LDS games on Tuesday/Friday/Saturday nights. FOX aired LDS games on Wednesday/Thursday nights, Saturdays in the late afternoon, plus Sunday/Monday nights (if necessary). Meanwhile, ESPN carried many afternoon LDS contests. At this point, all playoff games were nationally televised (mostly in unopposed timeslots).

[edit] 1995

[edit] Notes

• 1995 marked the only year of postseason coverage provided by "The Baseball Network." "The Baseball Network" was also scheduled to cover the Division Series in 1994, but plans were scrapped when a strike caused the postseason to be cancelled. All games in the first two rounds (including the League Championship Series) were scheduled in the same time slot for regional telecasts. Initially, under the alternating six year plan, ABC would cover the Division Series in even numbered years (as well as the World Series in even numbered years) while NBC would cover the Division Series in odd numbered years (in even numbered years, they would get the rights to the All-Star Game and League Championship Series).

[edit] 1980s

[edit] 1981

[edit] Notes

• In 1981, as means to recoup revenue lost during a players strike, Major League Baseball set up a special additional playoff round (as a prelude to the League Championship Series). ABC televised the American League Division Series while NBC televised the National League Division Series. The Division Series round wouldn't be officially instituted until 14 years later. Games 3 of the Brewers/Yankees series and Royals/Athletics series were aired regionally. On October 10, Keith Jackson called an Oklahoma-Texas college football game for ABC and missed Game 4 of the Milwaukee-New York series. In Jackson's absence, Don Drysdale filled-in for him on play-by-play alongside Howard Cosell.

[edit] References

[edit] Sources

• 1969-1975 MLB postseason TV schedule/announcers

[edit] External links

• Division Series Video