Fox's Saturday MLB Game Of The Week premieres tomorrow
with four games slated for regional coverage. The 18-week
schedule includes nine appearances by the Cardinals and
Dodgers, and eight by the Yankees, Mets, Braves, Mariners,
Orioles and Cubs (Fox). In Baltimore, Milton Kent writes
that "things seem to be turning around for the game and for
Fox," as network officials say that the "cooperation level
between themselves and baseball has never been better." Fox
Sports Senior Coordinating Producer John Filipelli:
"Whatever damage was done by the labor scenario a couple of
years ago, baseball is more than on its way back. The game
is in for a huge renaissance" (Baltimore SUN, 5/29). In
Toronto, Rob Longley writes that, since Fox began carrying
MLB with its "beefed-up graphics," the sport's TV "picture
started to look a little better." Longley notes that MLB
COO Paul Beeston "has been a TV friendly voice" for the net.
Fox Sports Exec Producer Ed Goren: "(Beeston) cares enough
and knows the game of the week on Fox is baseball's national
format. He wanted to know what we needed to bring ratings
to another level" (TORONTO SUN, 5/29). In Houston, David
Barron writes that Fox "has a number of intriguing stories
to follow" this season, with Mark McGwire's chase for the HR
record "[f]oremost" among them (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 5/29).
But in Miami, Barry Jackson writes that Fox's decision not
to begin its game of the week in April "should tell you a
lot about the state of baseball on television," and adds
that the net "will be hard-pressed to top" its 2.7 rating
from each of the past two years, which were "easily record
lows for Saturday regular-season baseball on a major
network." Goren: "In today's environment, any year your
ratings stay flat, you've had a good year. At the very
least, we will hold our own" (MIAMI HERALD, 5/29).
JUNIOR! Mariners CF Ken Griffey Jr. will be a "regular"
on Fox's "In The Zone" kids show that precedes each Saturday
broadcast, giving tips and insights in a segment called
"Junior's Jargon" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 5/29).
