MLB Media: Rocket-Mets Showdown Could Bring Fox Big Numbers

Over 102 million viewers watched national MLB telecasts on ESPN, ESPN2 and TBS in April and May, a 25% increase from the same period in '01 (MLB).

ANTICIPATION: In N.Y., Bob Raissman predicts that with Roger Clemens starting Saturday in the Yankees-Mets series at Shea Stadium, Fox' Saturday telecast "will eclipse" the 4.0/12 Fox earned on July 8, 2000, the highest nationally rated game for a "Game of the Week" on Fox. Also, "it probably will surpass" Fox' highest-rated regular season game in N.Y., a 12.0/31 for the July 10, 1999, Yankees-Mets game. Fox will "try to get Mike Piazza and Al Leiter to wear microphones on Saturday. Getting their consent is probably a longshot" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/14).

NOTES: The 44 Twins telecasts on FSN North have earned a combined 5.62/ (88,234 HHs) cable rating, up 18% from last season's 4.77/ (74,889 HHs) through the same number of games. The nine Twins games on KSTC-Ind are averaging a 6.6, down from the 8.8 through nine games on KMSP-UPN last season (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/14)....WGN will televise Sunday's White Sox-Cubs game in HDTV, the second Cubs game broadcast in the format (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/14).