The following is a list of national Americantelevision andradio networks andannouncers that have broadcastWorld Series games over the years, as well as localflagship radio stations that have aired them since 1982.
Television coverage of the World Series began in1947, but with TV broadcasting still in its infancy and the limited number ofcoaxial inter-connected stations, telecasts during the first four years were open to any channel with a network affiliation in selected markets.1951 marked the first time that the World Series aired on one network,NBC, as well as the first to be seen from coast to coast. NBC continued to televise the World Series until new broadcast rights deals began in1976 that had NBC televise in even years andABC in odd years.CBS then had the series from1990 to1993. Following aplayers' strike that canceled the1994 World Series, games of the1995 World Series were split between ABC and NBC as part ofThe Baseball Network, a revenue-sharing joint venture between the two networks andMajor League Baseball. Under the rights from1996 to2000,Fox televised in even years and NBC in odd years. Since2001, Fox has been the exclusive broadcaster of the World Series.
Beginning with the 2022 postseason, MLB allowedSportsnet, the home network of theToronto Blue Jays, to produce their own broadcasts of the team's games inCanada rather than a mere simulcast of the American network feed or anMLB International-produced broadcast.[13] For World Series broadcasts, Sportsnet simulcasts the American broadcast feed on its sister over-the-air stationCitytv, which has in the past carried U.S. network coverage of major events being aired on Sportsnet to avail ofsimultaneous substitution rules, whereby the American network feed is substituted with a Canadian broadcast channel on cable providers.[14][15][16][17]
2010 – For the second consecutive year, World Series games had earlier start times in hopes of attracting younger viewers. The first pitch was just before 8 p.m.EDT for Games 1–2, and 5, while Game 3 started at 7 p.m.EDT. Game 4, however, started at 8:22 p.m.EDT to accommodate Fox's coverage of anNFL game between theTampa Bay Buccaneers and theArizona Cardinals.[27] Many viewers in the New York City andPhiladelphia markets were unable to see Games 1 and 2 becauseNews Corporation, Fox's parent company, pulledWNYW andWTXF from cable providerCablevision on October 16 because of a carriage dispute.[28] An agreement was reached just before Game 3.[29][30]
The2011 World Series was televised in the United States and Canada by Fox.Joe Buck called play-byplay on his 14th World Series for the network, dating back to1996, while color commentatorTim McCarver handled his 22nd World Series since1985.Ken Rosenthal served as field reporter for the games, whileChris Rose hosted the pregame and postgame coverage with analystsA. J. Pierzynski andEric Karros.[35]
In the United States, Fox televised the2012 World Series, withJoe Buck calling play-by-play in his 15th World Series, andTim McCarver handling color commentary for his 23rd World Series.Ken Rosenthal also appeared on the Fox telecasts as a field reporter, withErin Andrews andChris Myers joining him for select games.
On August 24,Tribune removed affiliateWTIC fromCablevision systems in Connecticut, causing viewers to miss Games 1 and 2 of the series. An agreement between Cablevision and Tribune was reached on October 26, the day before Game 3.
According toNielsen Media Research, the four-game series on Fox averaged a record-low 7.6rating and 12share. The previous low was an 8.4 rating for both the2008 and the2010 World Series, which each went five games. The 6.1 rating in Game 3 matched the lowest rating for any World Series game with Game 3 in 2008; that year, arain delay moved the start of the game to after 10 p.m. on the East Coast with the game not ending until 1:47 a.m.[38]
The2013 World Series wasTim McCarver's final World Series as a broadcaster, as he announced that he would retire from national broadcasting after the season.[39][40] He continued calling select localSt. Louis Cardinals games until 2022.[41][42] A partnership withFox Sports featuredPearl Jam as the November artist of the month for all entities within the Fox Sports domain and license 48 songsfrom their catalog to play during the 2013 World Series. Their music was included in anything from "opening teases and commercial bumpers to montages, as well as additional promotional inventory across Fox prime-time and cable."[43]
The World Series started on a Tuesday for the first time since 1990, instead of a Wednesday as in previous years.[45] The change also meant that the series only had to compete with theNational Football League on one night (Sunday) instead of three (Thursday, Sunday, andMonday).[46]
The 2014 World Series averaged an 8.3/14 rating, making it the second-worst-rated World Series in Major League Baseball history.[47] Through six games, the series was averaging 7.4, which would have made it the worst-rated World Series, but Game 7 produced a respectable 13.7 to bolster the series average enough to avoid the notorious distinction. The 2014 World Series set records for lowest-rated Games 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in World Series history. The previous Game 7 in World Series history occurred in 2011, when theSt. Louis Cardinals andTexas Rangers produced a 14.7 rating, a full 1.0 over 2014's Game 7. 2014 is the 5th consecutive year in which the World Series rating was under 10.0 and the 6th in the last 7th.
2015 – Fox suffered an outage during their broadcast of Game 1, resulting in a loss of coverage for 15 minutes, followed a 5-minute delay in-game while officials addressed the availability of video review due to the loss of Fox's feed. The teams agreed to allow the use of footage fromMLB International's world feed of the game for video review, while Fox also temporarily switched to the MLB International feed withMatt Vasgersian andJohn Smoltz, later replaced byJoe Buck,Harold Reynolds, andTom Verducci before the main Fox Sports production was restored.[48][49]
Initial reports often utilize "fast national" ratings, which are subject to revision.[54] Game 7 had over 40 million viewers, the largest audience for a baseball game since Game 7 of the1991 World Series, while the series as a whole was the first to average double-digit ratings nationally since2009.[55][56]
The2000 World Series telecast on Fox was the first year of their exclusive coverage of the World Series (although the new contract technically began the next year). As in previous World Series televised by the network,Joe Buck called the play-by-play, withTim McCarver (himself aYankees broadcaster and a formerMets broadcaster) andBob Brenly (who was an on-field analyst) serving as color commentators. This World Series was Brenly's last broadcast for Fox, as he left to become manager of theArizona Diamondbacks and, incidentally, go on to defeat theNew York Yankees in theWorld Series the following year. Brenly returned to broadcasting in 2005 as part of theChicago Cubs broadcasts onNBC Sports Chicago andWGN, and also has called postseason games forTBS.
2001 – For the second consecutive year, Fox carried the World Series over its network with its top broadcast team,Joe Buck andTim McCarver (himself a formerNew York Yankees broadcaster). This was the first year of Fox's exclusive rights to the World Series (in the previous contract, Fox only broadcast the World Series in even-numbered years whileNBC broadcast it in odd-numbered years), which it has held ever since (this particular contract also had given Fox exclusive rights to the entire baseball postseason, which aired over its family of networks; the contract was modified followingDisney's purchase ofFox Family Channel shortly after the World Series ended, as ESPN regained their postseason rights following a year of postseason games on ABC Family, Fox Family's successor).
An average of 23.1 million people watched Game 1. These were the highest television ratings for the opening game of a World Series in five years and had the highest average number of viewers since 1996. It was also the highest-rated broadcast on any network in the past ten months. The ratings for the first two games were also the highest average since 1996,[57] and the average for the first three games was the highest since 1999.[58] Game 3 had the highest average number of viewers with 24.4 million, since 1996 when 28.7 million watched theAtlanta Braves andNew York Yankees. It was also theFox network's highest rating for a Game 3 of a World Series ever.[59] Game 4 posted an 18.2 national rating giving the series an overall average of 15.8. This was the highest average in five years, and the average number of viewers of 25.4 million, was the highest since 1995.[60]
2006 – Games 1, 3 and 4 set all-time lows for television ratings, with Game 4 falling 20% from the previous year's Game 4.[61] The Series as a whole was also the lowest-rated ever, with the four games averaging aNielsen rating of only 10.0 and a share of 17. By contrast, the six games of the1980 Series—in the pre-cable television era—garnered a record-high rating of 32.8 and a share of 56.
The starting time for each television broadcast was 8 pm EDT/6 pm MDT.
2007 – The starting time for each television broadcast was 8 pm EDT (6 pm MDT). The series broke with the recent tradition of starting the World Series on a Saturday, as Major League Baseball had become convinced that weekend games drew lower television ratings. Prior to this season, every World Series since1985 had opened on a Saturday, with the exception of the1990 World Series.Rogers Sportsnet (RSN) in Canada used theMLB International feed withDave O'Brien andRick Sutcliffe as booth announcers.NASN showed the games live to most of Europe, while in theUnited Kingdom, all games were shownterrestrially onFive.NHK aired the Series in Japan.
During Fox's broadcast of Game 3 of the 2007 World Series between theColorado Rockies andBoston Red Sox, ablackout occurred during the top half of the seventh inning, resulting in the disruption of a key moment in the game.
For international viewers, MLB International televised the game with commentatorsRick Sutcliffe andDave O'Brien. This feed was also carried to U.S. service personnel stationed around the globe via theAmerican Forces Network.
Game 1 of the2008 World Series was watched by 10.1 million viewers in the United States; CommissionerBud Selig stated he was satisfied with the ratings.[63] Overall viewership was 25% lower than the previous World Series.[64]
Game 5 on October 27 was postponed after the top of the sixth inning due to rain. When the game finally resumed on October 29, the start of the game was delayed by 15 minutes so that a 30-minute paid advertisement for U.S.DemocraticPresidential candidateBarack Obama could be aired onFox,CBS, andNBC.[65][66]
Game 1 of the2009 World Series was watched by 19.5 million viewers, second only to the opening of the2004 World Series in viewership for a series opener since 2000.[67] The viewership for the opening game resulted in a ratings percentage of 11.9% of households in the United States.[68] Game 4 produced the highest ratings of the series with 22.8 million viewers, the highest for any World Series game since 2004 and the highest for a "non-decisive Game 4" since 2003.
Fox Deportes also broadcast the Series for the US Spanish-speaking audience.[69]
The1990 postseason started on a Thursday,[71] whileWorld Series started on a Tuesday due to the brieflockout.
This was the first of four consecutive World Series to be televised onCBS. From1976 to1989, World Series telecasts alternated betweenABC (in odd-numbered years) andNBC (in even-numbered years). For CBS' coverage of the1990,1991, and1992 World Series,Jim Kaat provided periodic commentary on the field during the telecasts, but he was not in the booth withJack Buck (for 1990 and 1991),Sean McDonough (for 1992), andTim McCarver.
In 1990, CBS field reporterLesley Visser became the first female sportscaster to cover a World Series.
All World Series games from 1981 to 1996 were televised in Canada onCTV, using the feed from the US network broadcaster. This includes games involving theToronto Blue Jays, which at the time were not allowed to produce their own broadcasts in the postseason.[72]
The World Series telecast drew an overall nationalNielsen rating of 24.0 and a 39 share forCBS. Game 7 drew a 32.2 rating and 49 shares; as of 2012, no subsequent World Series game has approached either number in national TV ratings.
In1992, at 30 years of age,CBS'Sean McDonough became the youngest man to call all nine innings and games of a World Series while serving as a full network television employee. AlthoughVin Scully andAl Michaels were several years younger when they called their first World Series, they were products of the then-broadcasting policy of announcers representing the participating teams (a process that ended following the1976 World Series). McDonough's record was subsequently broken by Fox'sJoe Buck, who at 27 years of age, called the1996 World Series. Coincidentally, McDonough replaced Joe Buck's father,Jack, as CBS' lead play-by-play man.
The1995 World Series was broadcast on two networks[73][74][75] (ABC andNBC) so that they could recoup losses in the aftermath of the1994–95 strike. The arrangement was a compromise from both networks, which chose to opt out of a six-year revenue-sharing deal with Major League Baseball called "The Baseball Network." Prior to the strike, ABC was scheduled to broadcast the1994 World Series and NBC was scheduled to televise the 1995 World Series. For 1995, ABC and NBC alternated games; ABC covered Games 1, 4, and 5 (and would have aired Game 7 if it was needed due to them winning the coin toss), while NBC covered Games 2, 3, and 6.[76][77] Game 5 was also, to date, the last World Series game broadcast on ABC.
Also during the1995 World Series, NBC'sHannah Storm was the first woman to serve as solo host of a World Series, and the first to preside over a World Series trophy presentation.
1997 – This marked the first time since1988 thatNBC televised a World Series in its entirety. In1995, NBC televised Games 2, 3, and 6, while rivalABC televised Games 1, 4, and 5, having split that series since ABC was promised thestrike-cancelled1994 World Series. Both networks had announced prior to the 1995 season, that they were bailing out what was initially, a six-year-longrevenue sharingjoint venture with Major League Baseball called "The Baseball Network". NBC'sWest Coast presidentDon Ohlmeyer disturbed Major League Baseball when he publicly wished the World Series to end in a four-game sweep so that it wouldn't derail NBC's fall entertainment schedule. (Game 5 fell on a Thursday, which had long been the highest ratednight on NBC's schedule, if not on all of television.)
The1999 World Series wasNBC's 39th and, to date, final World Series telecast. Fox aired the nextWorld Series as part of the contract in place, and Fox acquired the exclusive broadcast rights of Major League Baseball beginning in2001. With theKnicks having played in theNBA Finals in June, this was the second championship series in 1999 thatNBC broadcast involving teams from New York.Bob Costas,Jim Gray, andHannah Storm were involved both times. Costas with play-by-play, Gray as a reporter, and Storm as pre-game host. Prior to Cleveland in 2016, this was the most recent year of the same city hosting both the NBA Finals and World Series in the same year.
1980 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Philadelphia byWPHL-TV, the Phillies' flagship TV station, andKYW-TV, the Philadelphia NBC station; and in Kansas City byWDAF-TV, the Royals' flagship TV station as well as the Kansas City NBC station.
This series is tied with the1978 World Series for the highest overall television ratings to date, with the six games averaging aNielsen rating of 32.8 and a share of 56.[100]
AlthoughBryant Gumbel anchored NBC's pregame coverage for Game 5 of the series, he was not present atKansas City'sRoyals Stadium. Game 5 landed on a Sunday, which created conflict with Gumbel'sNFL '80 hosting duties. As a result, Gumbel had to anchor the World Series coverage from NBC's studios in New York City. Gumbel however, would be present inPhiladelphia'sVeterans Stadium for Game 6, which turned out to be the clincher for thePhillies.
1981 – Locally, the ABC feed was carried in Los Angeles byKTTV, the Dodgers' flagship TV station, andKABC-TV, the Los Angeles ABC station; and in New York byWPIX, the Yankees' flagship TV station, andWABC-TV, the New York City ABC station.
1982 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in St. Louis byKSDK, the Cardinals' flagship station as well as the St. Louis NBC station; and in Milwaukee byWVTV, the Brewers' flagship TV station, andWTMJ-TV, the Milwaukee NBC station.
Dick Enberg andJoe Garagiola traded off play-by-play duties (just as Garagiola andTony Kubek had done for NBC's previous two World Series broadcasts). Garagiola called the first three and last three innings of each game. Enberg, meanwhile, hosted the pregame show and then called the middle innings.
1983 – Locally, the ABC feed was carried in Baltimore byWMAR-TV, the Orioles' flagship TV station, andWJZ-TV, the Baltimore ABC station; and in Philadelphia byWTAF-TV, the Phillies' flagship TV station, andWPVI-TV, the Philadelphia ABC station. (This was the last year in which the participating teams' regular-season flagship TV stations were permitted to simulcast the World Series network feed even if they were not affiliated with that network. Beginning in 1984 the network affiliates would have Series exclusivity in every city.)
This was the last World Series aired on ABC before the network was taken over byCapital Cities Communications (coincidentally, that company's flagship station was Philadelphia's ABC affiliate,WPVI-TV—also the network's first affiliate).
Earl Weaver was ABC's lead baseball analyst in1983, but was also employed by theBaltimore Orioles as a consultant. At the time, ABC had a policy preventing an announcer who was employed by a team from working games involving that team. So whenever the Orioles were on the primary ABC game (ABC during this period, broadcastMonday night games), Weaver worked the backup game. This policy forced Weaver to resign from the Orioles' consulting position in October in order to be able to work the Series telecasts for ABC.[101][102]
The1984 World Series was scheduled to start in theNational League park. But Major League Baseball actually had a contingency plan to instead start the World Series in theAmerican League park in the event that theChicago Cubs won theNational League Championship Series against theSan Diego Padres. This would have allowed theWrigley Field-hosted (i.e. daytime) games[103][104][105][106][107] to be held over the weekend. In return, only oneprime time game (Game 3 on Friday) would have been lost. Wrigley Field wouldn't have lights installed untilfour years later. In other words, had the Cubs advanced to the Series instead of the Padres, theDetroit Tigers would have hosted Games 1–2, and 6–7 (on Tuesday and Wednesday nights), while the Cubs would have hosted Games 3–5 (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday), with all three games in Chicago starting no later than 1:30 p.m.Central Time.
1985 marked the first time that all World Series games were aired inprime time. Since 1985 marked the first year of the League Championship Series having a best-of-seven format, Game 1 started on a Saturday.Tim McCarver (who was originally slated to be a roving World Series reporter[108]) was practically a last minute replacement forHoward Cosell[109] onABC's coverage. Cosell was removed from the telecasts on the eve of the World Series (October 18), by order of Jim Spence andRoone Arledge (the then Vice President and President of ABC Sports respectively) after the excerpts from Cosell's book (I Never Played the Game), which criticized colleagues at ABC, first appeared inTV Guide.
1986 –NBC preceded its broadcast of Game 5 by airing an episode ofThe Cosby Show (at the time the network's top-rated prime time series) in lieu of a pregame show.[110]
Vin Scully's call of the final play in Game 6 would quickly become an iconic one to baseball fans, with the normally calm Scully growing increasingly excited:
So the winning run is at second base, with two outs, three and two toMookie Wilson. [A] little roller up along first... behind the bag! It gets throughBuckner! Here comesKnight, and theMets win it![111]
Scully then remained silent for more than three minutes, letting the pictures and the crowd noise tell the story. Scully resumed with:
If one picture is worth a thousand words, you have seen about a million words, but more than that, you have seen an absolutely bizarre finish to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets are not only alive, they are well, and they will play theRed Sox in Game 7 tomorrow![112]
Game 6 caused the first-ever preemption ofSaturday Night Live, due to extra innings.Ron Darling explained that when the Mets entered the locker room, they were informed to their dismay that they'd inadvertently caused the first delay inSNL's (then) 11-year history; the delayed episode was aired two weeks later on November 8.
NBC's broadcast of Game 7 (which went up against aMonday Night Football game between theWashington Redskins andNew York Giants onABC) garnered aNielsen rating of 38.9 and a 55 share, making it the highest-rated single World Series game to date. Game 7 was scheduled for Sunday, but a rain-out forced the game to Monday.
Game 6 of the1987 World Series (played on Saturday, October 24) was the last World Series game to not be played inprime time (ironically, the game was played in theMetrodome even though it took place under artificial illumination all the same).[113] The game started at 4 p.m.Eastern Time. Another weekend afternoon, the sixth game was planned for1988, but since the World Series ended in five games, it was unnecessary.
Game 7 of the1987 World Series (which was also broadcast byABC), which featured theMinnesota Twins, had to play at theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome caused a scheduledDenver Broncos-Minnesota game, originally scheduled on October 26, to be postponed toMonday night, October 27. Consequently, it was seen on ABC only in the Colorado and Minnesota areas as part of ABC's Monday Night Football package. Meanwhile, the rest of the United States saw the previously scheduled game: Los Angeles Rams at Cleveland.[114]
The1988 World Series marked the last time thatNBC[115] would televise a World Series for seven years. Beginning in1990, NBC was shut out ofMajor League Baseball coverage completely, afterCBS signed a four-year, exclusive television contract. After splitting coverage of the1995 World Series withABC, NBC would next cover a World Series exclusively in1997.
Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers' broadcasterVin Scully called the 1988 World Series for a national television audience onNBC withJoe Garagiola. Unknown to the fans and the media at the time,Kirk Gibson was watching the game on television while undergoing physical therapy in theDodgers' clubhouse.[116] At some point during the game, television cameras scanned the Dodgersdugout and Scully, observed that Gibson was nowhere to be found.[116] This spurred Gibson to tell DodgersmanagerTommy Lasorda that he was available topinch hit.[116] Gibson immediately returned to thebatting cage in the clubhouse to take practice swings.[116]Bob Costas, who along withMarv Albert, hosted NBC's World Series pregame coverage and handled postgame interviews made on-air statements that enraged many in the Dodgers' clubhouse (especially managerTommy Lasorda). After the Dodgers won Game 4, Lasorda (during a postgame interview with Marv Albert) sarcastically said that the MVP of the World Series should be Bob Costas. While Kirk Gibson was taking practice swings in the Dodgers' clubhouse during Game 1,Orel Hershiser set up the hitting tee for his teammate. Along the way, Costas could hear Gibson's agonized-sounding grunts after every hit.[117] Costas said that the1988 Dodgers possibly had the weakest hitting line-up in World Series history.
Allyear long, they looked to him to light the fire, and all year long, he answered the demands, until he was physically unable to start tonight–with two bad legs: The bad left hamstring, and the swollen right knee. And, with two out, you talk about a roll of the dice... this is it.
Scully made repeated references to Gibson's legs, noting at one point that the batter was"shaking his left leg, making it quiver, like a horse trying to get rid of a troublesome fly." Gibson worked the count to 3–2 asMike Davis stole second base; the camera turned at that point toSteve Sax getting ready for his turn at the plate, and Scully reminded the viewers that Sax waiting on deck but the game right now is at the plate. He then said:
High fly ball into right field, she i-i-i-is... GONE!!!
Scully said nothing for over a minute, allowing the pictures to tell the story. Finally, he said:
In a year that has been so improbable... the impossible has happened!
Returning to the subject of Gibson's banged-up legs during a replay, Scully joked,
And, now, the only question was, could he make it around the base paths unassisted?! You know, I said it once before, a few days ago, that Kirk Gibson was not the Most Valuable Player; that the Most Valuable Player for the Dodgers wasTinkerbell. But, tonight, I think Tinkerbell backed off for Kirk Gibson. And, look atEckersley – shocked to his toes! They are going wild at Dodger Stadium – no one wants to leave!
As NBC showed a replay of Gibson rounding second base in his home run trot, Scully then made a point to note Eckersley's pitching performance throughout the1988 season, to put things in perspective.
Dennis Eckersley allowed five home runs all year. And we'll be back.
Game 1 of the 1988 World Series was also notable for an unexpected hijack atMacon, Georgia's NBC stationWMGT-TV when the video portion of the second inning was hijacked with a black-and-white adult movie for ten seconds while the audio portion of the game was still in play.[118] The station's manager reported the sudden hijack to theFederal Communications Commission who later reported a few days after the hijack that a former technician, who was fired from the station a short time after, accidentally flipped the wrong switch in the station's master control panel which send the video portion directly from NBC'sKU-Band signal to one of the station'sC-Bandsatellite dish.[119]
This was the last World Series thatABC televised from start to finish (and also the last they would produce themselves) and the last MLB game on ABC, period, until July 1994. Thetelevision rights would move exclusively (ABC had shared coverage withNBC since1976 up until the end of the1989 season) toCBS the following year. ABC would next televise a World Series in1995, but only broadcast Games 1, 4, and 5 (the other games were covered by NBC, who had a joint venture with ABC and MLB calledThe Baseball Network). Due in part to the earthquake and subsequent interruption of play, combined with the four-game sweep by theA's, ABC only drew an overallNielsen rating of 16.4 for the Series. This was the first World Series since the introduction of prime-time games in1971 to draw a rating of less than 20.[122]
1970 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Baltimore byWJZ-TV, the Orioles' flagship TV station, andWBAL-TV, the Baltimore NBC station; and in Cincinnati byWLWT, the Reds' flagship TV station as well as the Cincinnati NBC station.
1971 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Pittsburgh byKDKA-TV, the Pirates' flagship TV station, andWIIC, the Pittsburgh NBC station; and in Baltimore byWJZ-TV, the Orioles' flagship TV station, andWBAL-TV, the Baltimore NBC station.
1972 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Oakland byKBHK-TV, the Athletics' flagship TV station, andKRON-TV, the Bay Area NBC station; and in Cincinnati byWLWT, the Reds' flagship TV station as well as the Cincinnati NBC station.
After having been used as an in-the-stands reporter forNBC's Series coverage since1968,Tony Kubek was promoted to the booth as a color commentator for the telecasts, becoming the first former player to serve in this capacity sinceJoe Garagiola in1961.
NBC aired the soap operaReturn to Peyton Place prior to game 5, the first time that NBC had skipped the pregame show before a Series game (a move the network would not repeat until 1986 withThe Cosby Show). This move was necessitated by the fact that Game 3 was rained out, forcing Game 5 to be played on a Friday, originally scheduled as a travel day.
1973 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in New York byWOR-TV, the Mets' flagship TV station, andWNBC-TV, the New York City NBC station; and in Oakland byKTVU, the Athletics' flagship TV station, andKRON-TV, the Bay Area NBC station.
1974 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Oakland byKTVU, the Athletics' flagship TV station, andKRON-TV, the Bay Area NBC station; and in Los Angeles byKTTV, the Dodgers' flagship TV station, andKNBC-TV, the Los Angeles NBC station.
1975 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Cincinnati byWLWT, the Reds' flagship TV station as well as the Cincinnati NBC station; and in Boston byWSBK-TV, the Red Sox' flagship TV station, andWBZ-TV, the Boston NBC station.
1976 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in New York byWPIX, the Yankees' flagship TV station, andWNBC-TV, the New York City NBC station; and in Cincinnati byWLWT, the Reds' flagship TV station as well as the Cincinnati NBC station.
1977 – Locally, the ABC feed was carried in Los Angeles byKTTV, the Dodgers' flagship TV station, andKABC-TV, the Los Angeles ABC station; and in New York byWPIX, the Yankees' flagship TV station, andWABC-TV, the New York City ABC station.
Beginning in1977 the participating teams' local announcers were no longer featured as booth announcers[131] on the network telecast of a World Series.
Also in 1977, Yankees announcerBill White and Dodgers announcerRoss Porter split pre-game and post-game duties onABC, with White working the telecasts for the games in New York (including the clubhousetrophy presentation ceremony after Game 6) and Porter doing likewise for the games in Los Angeles. (The pair also worked onCBS Radio's coverage of the Series, with Porter doing play-by-play of the games in New York and White the games in Los Angeles.)
1978 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in New York byWPIX, the Yankees' flagship TV station, andWNBC-TV, the New York City NBC station; and in Los Angeles byKTTV, the Dodgers' flagship TV station, andKNBC-TV, the Los Angeles NBC station.
1979 – Locally, the ABC feed was carried in Pittsburgh byKDKA-TV, the Pirates' flagship TV station, andWTAE-TV, the Pittsburgh ABC station; and in Baltimore byWMAR-TV, the Orioles' flagship TV station, andWJZ-TV, the Baltimore ABC station.
During ABC's coverage in1979 and1981,Keith Jackson[132] andAl Michaels alternated the play-by-play, Jackson calling the games at theAmerican League park and Michaels working those at theNational League park. This arrangement was made in large part to work around Jackson's already-busy schedule (which included being ABC's leadcollege football announcer). By1983, Michaels was promoted to the full-time play-by-play role.[127]
1960 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in New York byWPIX, the Yankees' flagship TV station, andWNBC-TV, the New York City NBC affiliate; and in Pittsburgh byWIIC, the Pittsburgh NBC affiliate.
As mentioned several times here, prior to the mid-1970s, television networks and stations generally didn't preserve their telecasts of sporting events, choosing instead to tape over them. As a result, the broadcasts of six of the seven 1960 games are no longer known to exist. The lone exception is ablack-and-whitekinescope of the entire telecast of Game 7, which was discovered in awine cellar inBing Crosby's home inHillsborough, California in December 2009.[138] A part-owner of thePittsburgh Pirates, who was too superstitious to watch the Series live, Crosby listened to the decisive contest with his wifeKathryn and two friends on ashortwave radio in Paris, France. Wanting to watch the game at a later date only if the Pirates won, he arranged for a company to record it. After viewing the kinescope, he placed it in his wine cellar, where it went untouched for 49 years. It was finally found by Robert Bader,vice president ofmarketing and production for Bing Crosby Enterprises, while looking throughvideotapes of Crosby's television specials which were to be transferred toDVD. The five-reel set is the only known complete copy of the historic match, which was originally broadcast incolor.[138] TheNBC television announcers for the Series wereBob Prince andMel Allen, the primary play-by-play voices for the Pirates andNew York Yankees respectively. Prince called the first half of Game 7, while Allen did the rest of the game.[138]
1961 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Cincinnati byWLWT, the Reds' flagship TV station as well as the Cincinnati NBC affiliate; and in New York byWPIX, the Yankees' flagship TV station, andWNBC-TV, the New York City NBC affiliate.
In contrast to preceding years, in which NBC's World Series telecasts featured two announcers (usually one from each participating team) who split the play-by-play, each working his portion of the game by himself, in 1961 NBC had Yankees announcerMel Allen handle all of the play-by-play on television (with Reds announcerWaite Hoyt confined to radio) whileJoe Garagiola provided color commentary. This format eventually became the standard form of presentation on World Series telecasts.[139] Garagiola did call play-by-play of the ninth inning in Game 5, however, as Allen went to the victorious Yankees' clubhouse to conduct postgame interviews.[140]
1962 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in New York byWPIX, the Yankees' flagship TV station, andWNBC-TV, the New York City NBC affiliate; and in San Francisco byKTVU-TV, the Giants' flagship TV station, andKRON-TV, the San Francisco NBC affiliate.
1963 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Los Angeles byKTTV, the Dodgers' flagship TV station, andKNBC, the Los Angeles NBC affiliate; and in New York byWPIX, the Yankees' flagship TV station, andWNBC-TV, the New York City NBC affiliate.
During the fourth and final game of the series, Yankees announcerMel Allen was calling the top of the ninth inning for NBC when his voice gave out due to a bout of severelaryngitis, forcing Dodgers announcerVin Scully (who had called the first four-and-a-half innings of the game per the network's usual setup) to resume play-by-play duties for the remainder of the game. After the SeriesNew York Daily News sportswriterDick Young opined that Allen, the voice of the Yankees, had been stricken by "psychosomatic laryngitis" caused by his team being swept.[141]
1964 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in New York byWPIX, the Yankees' flagship TV station, andWNBC-TV, the New York City NBC affiliate; and in St. Louis byKSD-TV, the Cardinals' flagship TV station as well as the St. Louis NBC affiliate.
In 1964, the Yankees made the World Series for the 15th time in 19 years—butMel Allen wasn't there. Back in September, before the end of the season, the Yankees informed Allen that his contract with the team would not be renewed. In those days, the main announcers for the series participants were always called the World Series on NBC. Although Allen was thus technically eligible to call the Series, Baseball CommissionerFord Frick honored the Yankees' request to havePhil Rizzuto join the Series crew instead.[142] It was the first time Allen had missed a World Series for which the Yankees were eligible since 1943, and only the second World Series (not counting those missed during World War II) that he'd missed since he began calling baseball games in 1938. On December 17, after much media speculation and many letters to the Yankees from fans disgruntled at Allen's absence from the Series, the Yankees issued a terse press release announcing Allen's firing; he was replaced byJoe Garagiola, who'd teamed with Rizzuto on the Series. NBC and Movietone dropped him soon afterward. To this day, the Yankees have never given an explanation for Allen's sudden firing, and rumors abounded. Depending on the rumor, Allen was eitherhomosexual, analcoholic, adrug addict, or had suffered anervous breakdown.[143] Allen's sexuality was sometimes a target in those more conservative days because he hadn't married (and never did). Years later, Allen told authorCurt Smith that the Yankees had fired him under pressure from the team's longtime sponsor,Ballantine Beer. According to Allen, he was fired as a cost-cutting move by Ballantine, which had been experiencing poor sales for years[143] (it would eventually be sold in 1969). Smith, in his bookVoices of Summer, also indicated that the medications Allen took in order to maintain his busy schedule may have affected his on-air performance. (Stephen Borelli, another biographer, has also pointed out that Allen's heavy workload didn't allow him time to take care of his health.)
1965 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Los Angeles byKTTV, the Dodgers' flagship TV station, andKNBC, the Los Angeles NBC affiliate; and in Minnesota byWTCN-TV, the Twins' flagship TV station, andKSTP-TV, the Twin Cities NBC affiliate.
1966 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Baltimore byWJZ-TV, the Orioles' flagship TV station, andWBAL-TV, the Baltimore NBC affiliate; and in Los Angeles byKTTV, the Dodgers' flagship TV station, andKNBC, the Los Angeles NBC affiliate.
Prior to 1966, NBC typically paired the top announcers for the respective World Series teams to alternate play-by-play during each game's telecast. For example, if theYankees played theDodgers in the World Series,Mel Allen (representing the Yankees) would call half the game andVin Scully (representing the Dodgers) would call the rest of the game. However, in 1966, NBC wanted their regular network announcer,Curt Gowdy, to call most of the play-by-play at the expense of the top local announcers. So instead of calling half of every World Series game on television (as Vin Scully had done in1953,1955,1956,1959,1963, and1965), they only got to call half of all home games on TV, providing color commentary while Gowdy called play-by-play for the rest of each game. The visiting teams' announcers participated in theNBC Radio broadcasts. In broadcasts of Series-clinching (or potentially Series-clinching) games on both mediums, NBC sent the announcer for whichever team was ahead in the game to that team's clubhouse in the ninth inning in order to help cover the trophy presentation and conduct post-game interviews.
1967 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in St. Louis byKSD-TV, the Cardinals' flagship TV station as well as the St. Louis NBC affiliate; and in Boston byWHDH-TV, the Red Sox' flagship TV station, andWBZ-TV, the Boston NBC affiliate.
1968 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Detroit byWJBK, the Tigers' flagship TV station, andWWJ-TV, the Detroit NBC affiliate; and in St. Louis byKSD-TV, the Cardinals' flagship TV station as well as the St. Louis NBC affiliate.
1969 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in New York byWOR-TV, the Mets' flagship TV station, andWNBC-TV, the New York City NBC affiliate; and in Baltimore byWJZ-TV, the Orioles' flagship TV station, andWBAL-TV, the Baltimore NBC affiliate.
Games 3–5 of the 1969 World Series are believed to be the oldest survivingcolor television broadcasts of World Series games (even though World Series telecasts have aired in color since1955). However, they were "truck feeds" in that they do not contain original commercials, but showed a static image of theShea Stadium field between innings. Games 1 and 2 were only saved asblack and whitekinescopes provided by theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation, which also preserved all seven games of the1965 and1968 World Series (plus the1965 All-Star Game and1968 All-Star Game) in black and white kinescope.
By1950, World Series games could be seen in most of the country,[152][153][154] but not all. Also in1950, theMutual Broadcasting System acquired the exclusive television broadcast rights to the World Series and All-Star Game for the next six years. Mutual, which had no television network at the time (and indeed never developed one), may have been reindulging in TV network dreams or simply taking advantage of a long-standing business relationship; in any case, the network sold its TV rights toNBC in time for the following season's games at an enormous profit.
1951 marked the first time that the World Series was televised exclusively by one network (NBC), as well as the first time that it was televised fromcoast tocoast.[155][156][157][158]
1953 –Brooklyn Dodgers announcerRed Barber wanted a higher fee fromGillette, which sponsored the World Series telecasts onNBC, than was offered. When Dodgers ownerWalter O'Malley refused to back him, Barber declined Gillette's fee, and his then-assistantVin Scully (who at 25 years of age became the youngest announcer to call the play-by-play of a World Series, a distinction which still stands) was partnered with theNew York Yankees'Mel Allen during the series instead. In his 1968 autobiographyRhubarb in the Catbird Seat, Barber claims O'Malley's lack of support as his reason for subsequently resigning from the Dodgers' booth and joining the Yankees prior to the 1954 season.[159]
For the1957 and1958 Series, both of which featured theNew York Yankees andMilwaukee Braves, the games played in New York were televised in color while the games in Milwaukee were shown in black and white, due to the distance between the cities being too great forNBC's color equipment to be moved in time between games.[163][164]
1959 – Locally, the NBC feed was carried in Los Angeles byKTTV, the Dodgers' flagship TV station, andKRCA, the Los Angeles NBC station; and in Chicago byWGN-TV, the White Sox' flagship TV station, andWNBQ, the Chicago NBC station.
Chicago White Sox announcerBob Elson missed a chance to call the series – the team's first since 1919 and Elson's first since 1943 – to a national audience because then-head ofNBC SportsTom Gallery (who'd incidentally grown up on the same block as Elson) didn't like him.[165] Elson was permitted to call a re-creation of the series over White Sox radio flagshipWCFL.[166]
The October 1947Billboard reported over 3.9 million viewing the games, primarily on TV sets located in bars (5,400 tavern TV sets in NYC alone). The October 13, 1947 edition ofTime magazine reported that PresidentTruman, who had just made the firstOval Office TV appearance on October 5, 1947, and received the first TV for theWhite House, watched parts of the Series but "skipped the last innings".
All telecasts of World Series games starting with1975 (Reds–Red Sox) are accounted for and exist. This is a full record of World Series telecasts prior to 1975 that are known to exist in whole or part:
1955 (Yankees–Dodgers) – Sections of Game 5 exist and have been released on DVD.
1956 (Yankees–Dodgers) – The last three innings of Game 2 are known to exist. Game 3 is complete with original commercials, and pre and post-game shows except for innings 2 and 3, and is available on DVD. Game 5,Don Larsen'sperfect game, is complete except for the first inning. Game 5 was aired on the first night of theMLB Network on January 1, 2009, and is now available on DVD. Game 7 is complete except for the 2nd and 3rd innings and has also been released on DVD.
1957 (Yankees–Braves) – Games 1, 2 and 5 exist in their entirety and have been released on DVD. All of Game 3 (except for a snip ofTony Kubek's second home run in the top 7th inning) exists, as does the first six innings of Game 6 (both also released on DVD). Game 7 is believed to exist but has not been released.
1960 (Yankees–Pirates) – A complete kinescope of Game 7 was discovered in the former home ofBing Crosby in December 2009.[138] The game was rebroadcast byMLB Network in December 2010 and is now available on DVD.
1961 (Yankees–Reds) – Only half-hour segments of Game 3 (the final two innings), Game 4 (the 4th and 5th inning) and Game 5 (the opening and top of the 1st inning) are known to exist.
1963 (Yankees–Dodgers) – Only a brief section of Game 3 is known to exist. An excerpt appears in theYankeeography series (out on DVD).
1965 (Twins–Dodgers) – All seven games exist, preserved on kinescope by theCBC. It is the earliest World Series whose telecasts are known to survive in their entirety, for all seven games.
1968 (Tigers–Cardinals). All seven games exist, preserved on kinescope by the CBC.
1969 (Orioles–Mets). Games 1 and 2 have been preserved on kinescope by the CBC; Games 3–5 exist in their original color videotape quality from "truck feeds", including pregames withJim Simpson,Sandy Koufax andMickey Mantle.
1970 (Orioles–Reds). Games 1–4 have been preserved on kinescope by the CBC; Game 5 exists in its original color videotape quality from the "truck feed."
1971 (Orioles–Pirates). Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 exist in their complete forms. Games 3, 4, and 5 survive in partial form. These include pregame shows for six of the seven games, featuringJoe Garagiola andSandy Koufax.
1972 (A's–Reds) – Game 4 is the only complete game extant, along with most of Game 5, and some of Game 2. Only fragments remain from Games 1, 3, and 6; The complete pregame show and condensed action of the first three innings of Game 7 exist from a home recording.
1973 (A's–Mets) – Game 1 is the only complete game extant. Game 2 (which lasted four-plus hours) is missing various bits, including the last inning and a half (including both crucialMike Andrews misplays at second base). Game 3 is complete except for the last inning. Game 4 exists from just the pregame show to the top of the 4th inning. All that remains of Game 5 are the final two innings. Game 6 is entirely missing, and Game 7 cuts off with one out in the top of the 9th inning, missing the postgame celebrations. A 20-minute presentation tape of Series highlights, narrated byCurt Gowdy, was submitted to thePeabody Awards. The Peabody tape includes the two key Mike Andrews plays from Game 2, otherwise missing from the network archives.
1974 (A's–Dodgers) – Games 1–4 are complete, and Game 5 exists in partial form.
ESPN Radio broadcast the2010 World Series nationally, withJon Miller (who worked theSan Francisco Giants' local radio broadcasts during the regular season) calling his 13th consecutive World Series as the network's play-by-play announcer, andJoe Morgan providing commentary on his 11th World Series for ESPN Radio and his 14th overall (counting three Series telecasts forNBC). The games were the last that Miller and Morgan (who had also been callingSunday Night Baseball for ESPN television since 1990) would work together, as the network subsequently announced that their contracts would not be renewed for 2011.[183]ESPN Deportes Radio also aired the Series toSpanish language listeners, with Eduardo Ortega and former Giants pitcherJuan Marichal announcing.
Locally, the two teams'flagship stations broadcast the series with their respective announcing crews, with an additional requirement of acknowledgingAutoZone, ESPN Radio's baseball broadcasting sponsor. The Giants' English-language broadcasts aired onKNBR (withDave Flemming,Duane Kuiper, andMike Krukow announcing) with their Spanish-language broadcasts onKIQI-AM (with Erwin Higueros andTito Fuentes), whileKRLD-FM andAM carried the Rangers' English-language broadcasts (withEric Nadel andDave Barnett) andKFLC-AM had their Spanish-language broadcasts (with Eleno Ornelas and Jerry Romo). Due to contractual obligations, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts of the games, although the local broadcasts were also available onXM Satellite Radio and to Gameday Audio subscribers atMLB.com.
Locally, the two teams'flagship stations broadcast the series with their respective announcing crews. The Giants' English-language broadcasts aired onKNBR (withDave Flemming,Jon Miller,Mike Krukow, andDuane Kuiper announcing) with their Spanish-language broadcasts onKIQI-AM (with Erwin Higueros andTito Fuentes), whileWXYT-FM andAM carried the Tigers' English-language broadcasts (withDan Dickerson andJim Price). Due to contractual obligations, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts of the games, although the local broadcasts were also available onXM Satellite Radio and to Gameday Audio subscribers atMLB.com.
Locally, the series was broadcast on the teams'flagship radio stations with their respective announcing crews. In San Francisco,KNBR aired the games in English (withJon Miller,Duane Kuiper,Mike Krukow andDave Flemming announcing),[190] whileKTRB broadcast in Spanish (with Erwin Higueros andTito Fuentes announcing). In Kansas City,KCSP broadcast the games (withDenny Matthews andRyan Lefebvre announcing). Due to contractual obligations, the affiliate stations on the teams' radio networks had to carry the ESPN Radio feed of the games,[191] although the local broadcasts were also available onSirius andXM satellite radio and to Gameday Audio subscribers atMLB.com. In Kansas City,WHB carried the ESPN Radio feed in direct competition with KCSP's broadcast. This was the first World Series for which Jon Miller, who had been the Giants' primary radio announcer since1997, called the final (see Note below), championship-clinching out to a local San Francisco audience.[citation needed]
Locally, the series was broadcast on the teams'flagship radio stations with their respective announcing crews. In New York,WOR aired the games in English, withHowie Rose andJosh Lewin announcing, whileWEPN-AM aired the games in Spanish, with Juan Alicea and Max Pérez Jiménez announcing. In Kansas City,KCSP broadcast the games, withDenny Matthews,Ryan Lefebvre, Steve Stewart, andSteve Physioc announcing.[193]WEPN-FM andWHB, the ESPN Radio affiliates in New York and Kansas City respectively, aired the network's coverage of the series in those cities.[194][195]
Locally, the teams'flagship stations broadcast the series with their regular announcers. In Cleveland,WTAM (1100) andWMMS (100.7) carried the Indians' play-by-play withTom Hamilton andJim Rosenhaus, while in Chicago,WSCR (670) carried the Cubs' play-by-play withPat Hughes,Ron Coomer, andLen Kasper.[198] The affiliate stations of the teams' regional radio networks, however, were contractually obligated to carry the national ESPN Radio feed.[199]
Locally, both teams' flagship radio stations broadcast the series with their regular announcers. In Houston,KBME aired the series withRobert Ford andSteve Sparks announcing. In Washington,WJFK-FM aired the series withCharlie Slowes andDave Jageler calling the games. Per MLB rules, the teams' other radio affiliates were permitted to carry the series but were required to air the ESPN Radio broadcast.[201]
During Game 3 of the2000 World Series,ESPN Radio announcerJon Miller was forced to leave the booth after the top of the first inning due to an upper respiratory infection.Charley Steiner, who was serving as a pre-game host and field reporter for the network, filled in on play-by-play for the rest of the game; Miller resumed his duties in Game 4 of the Series.[211]
Locally, the Series was broadcast byKTAR-AM inPhoenix withThom Brennaman,Greg Schulte,Rod Allen andJim Traber, and byWABC-AM in New York City withJohn Sterling andMichael Kay. This would be Sterling and Kay's last World Series working together, and Game 7 would be the last Yankee broadcast on WABC. Kay moved to television and the newYES Network the following season andWCBS picked up radio rights to the Yankees. It was Kay who announcedDerek Jeter's game-winning home run in Game 4 of the series and subsequently anointed him as "Mr. November".
Jon Miller, who called the2002 World Series forESPN Radio, has been play-by-play man for the San Francisco Giants since1997. Coincidentally,KNBR, the Giants' longtime flagship station, was also San Francisco's ESPN Radio affiliate at the time.
Locally,KTRH-AM andWMVP were the primary carriers for the2005 World Series in the Houston and Chicago markets. For KTRH, long-time Astros voiceMilo Hamilton provided play-by-play whileJohn Rooney called the games for the White Sox. Game 4 was Rooney's last call after seventeen years as the radio voice of the White Sox, as he left to take the same position with theSt. Louis Cardinals.
2006 – Locally,Dan Dickerson andJim Price called the Series for the Tigers onWXYT-AM in Detroit (with retired, longtime Tiger announcerErnie Harwell returning to call the second inning of Game 1), whileMike Shannon andJohn Rooney called it for the Cardinals onKTRS-AM in St. Louis. Per contractual obligation, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts. John Rooney had broadcast the2005 Series for theChicago White Sox, and thus became the first announcer to call back-to-back World Series championships as an employee of different teams.
2007 – Locally,Joe Castiglione andGlenn Geffner called the Series for the Red Sox onWRKO in Boston, whileJack Corrigan and Jeff Kingery called it for the Rockies onKOA in Denver. Per contractual obligation, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts.
Locally,Dave Wills,Andy Freed,Dewayne Staats andJoe Magrane called the Series in English for the Rays onWHNZ-AM in Tampa, with Ricardo Tavaras and Enrique Oliu working the Spanish broadcast on St. Petersburg'sWGES-AM.Harry Kalas,Scott Franzke,Larry Andersen, andChris Wheeler called the Phillies' English broadcasts onWPHT-AM in Philadelphia, with Spanish announcers Danny Martinez, Bill Kulik and Juan Ramos onWUBA. Following their contractual obligations, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts. MLB.com also carried the local radio broadcasts for online streaming, whileXM Satellite Radio aired the local and national feeds to its subscribers. For Harry Kalas, this series brought together a father and son calling the series for different teams, with his son,Todd, calling the Series in English for the Rays.[213] This World Series win had significance forFox'sTim McCarver and Harry Kalas. Both were Phillies broadcasters in1980, but neither one could call the final out.[214] McCarver was a backup commentator forGame of the Week onNBC, but he was not part of the broadcast team that called the final out.[214] For Kalas, MLB radio-broadcasting regulations forbade local stations from producing live coverage of World Series games, instead forcing them to air the nationalCBS Radio feed of the games.[213] Philadelphia fans were so outraged about this afterward that they started a letter-writing campaign to theCommissioner's Office, demanding a change to the rule. Thefollowing year, MLB amended its broadcasting contracts to allow World Series teams' flagship radio stations to air the games with local announcers, due at least in part to this outcry from Philadelphia fans.[214] In 2008, both called the Phillies' World Series win.
The national radio broadcast of the1993 World Series was also provided byCBS, withVin Scully andJohnny Bench on the call. Game 6 marked Johnny Bench's final broadcast for CBS Radio after nine years.
Locally, the Series was called onWOGL-AM in Philadelphia byHarry Kalas,Richie Ashburn,Chris Wheeler andAndy Musser, and onCJCL-AM in Toronto byJerry Howarth andTom Cheek. Cheek's call of the Carter home run ("Touch 'em all Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life!") lives on in Blue Jays folklore. This was Richie Ashburn's last World Series as a Phillies broadcaster, as he died in1997. Andy Musser also called his last World Series as a member of the Phillies' broadcast team; he retired in2001 and died eleven years later. Tom Cheek never called another postseason game in his role as voice of the Blue Jays, from which he retired in2005 prior to his death frombrain cancer. Meanwhile, Harry Kalas would not call another World Series until2008. Kalas later died in2009 prior to a game atNationals Park in Washington, D.C.. Chris Wheeler continues to call games for the Phillies although in a limited capacity and Jerry Howarth has continued to call Blue Jays games, moving into the primary play-by-play position following the death of Cheek.
The1997 World Series is the last World Series to date to be broadcast by theCBS Radio Network, who had covered the World Series consecutively since1976.Vin Scully andJeff Torborg called the 1997 World Series for CBS Radio (the latter had once managed theCleveland Indians and would later manage theFlorida Marlins).ESPN Radio would take over the national radio contract for Major League Baseball. This was Scully's eleventh and final call for CBS Radio in the World Series, and seventh consecutive since he rejoined the network following NBC's 1989 loss of baseball. As of 2011, this is also the last World Series broadcast to date for Scully who, in addition to his eleven CBS Radio World Series calls has called fourteen others for NBC and theLos Angeles Dodgers.[221]). Torborg would continue to call games forFox television until the end of the2000 season, working alongsideJohn Rooney andChip Caray, when he elected to return to managing and was hired by theMontreal Expos.
Game 7 was the final Major League Baseball game called by longtime Indians radio announcerHerb Score, as he retired at season's end. Score's broadcast partner,Tom Hamilton, would take over as lead announcer the following year. It also marked the final game carried by Indians flagship stationWKNR; the broadcast rights would be moved toWTAM for the1998 season.
Rick Sutcliffe substituted for Joe Morgan on the ESPN Radio broadcast of the 1999 World Series due to Morgan's duties for NBC Sports, who had the rights to the series that year, taking priority.
In1985 and1987,KMOX, theSt. Louis Cardinals' flagship station at the time,simulcast with CBS Radio's World Series coverage involving the Cardinals. That was mainly becauseJack Buck had a lengthy career calling Cardinals games for KMOX (a station owned by CBS until 2018) to go along with his national work for CBS Radio.
In 1985 and1986, CBS Radio designated the fifth inning of each Series game as a "Home Team Inning."[227] A local announcer for the visiting team would appear on the network's broadcast in the top of the fifth, with the home team announcer doing so in the bottom of the fifth.
Jack Buck andBill White provided commentary for the1988 World Series for CBS Radio. It was White's last World Series as a broadcaster, as he left broadcasting to become President of the National League following the final game. This was Buck's call ofKirk Gibson'sgame-winning home run off ofDennis Eckersley in Game 1. It begins here with Buck speculating on what might happen if Gibson manages to reach base:
... then you would run for Gibson and haveSax batting. But, we have a big 3–2 pitch coming here from Eckersley. Gibsonswings, and a fly ball to deep right field!This is gonna be a home run! Unbelievable! A home run for Gibson! And theDodgers have won the game, five to four; I don't believe what I just saw! I don'tbelieve what I just saw! Is this really happening, Bill? One of the most remarkable finishes to any World Series Game...a one-handed home run by Kirk Gibson! And the Dodgers have won it...five to four; and I'm stunned, Bill. I have seen a lot of dramatic finishes in a lot of sports, but this one might top almost every other one.
This was Buck's seventh and last World Series call for CBS Radio, as he moved toCBS' television coverage of baseball the following year. Bench continued to call the World Series on radio through1993 asVin Scully's color man.
WhenCBS Radio got the contract fromNBC Radio in1976, they continued the practice of having the local announcers for the visiting teams do the play-by-play for each World Series game through1978. Thus,Bill White got to do all three World Series involving theNew York Yankees on CBS Radio from 1976 through 1978 andRoss Porter worked theLos Angeles Dodgers' appearances in1977 and 1978. In addition, the network usedMarty Brennaman in 1976, when hisCincinnati Reds played against White's Yankees.
Win Elliot served as acolor commentator on CBS Radio's coverage from 1976 to 1978, teaming with the respective local play-by-play announcers for each game's broadcast.
In1977,Bill White did play-by-play for the games inLos Angeles on CBS Radio whileRoss Porter handled the play-by-play for CBS inNew York. Conversely, when White appeared onABC-TV during the series, it was for the games played in New York in a pre/postgame role (White would eventually cover thetrophy presentation ceremony for ABC). Likewise, Porter handled the ABC pre/postgame while in Los Angeles.
1979 was the first year in which a single announcer (in this instance, CBS Radio'sVin Scully[239]) provided all of the play-by-play for a radio network's World Series broadcast. In prior years, multiple announcers split the play-by-play during each game or between games.
CBS Radio, following the lead begun by ABC's and NBC's television coverage in 1977 and 1978 respectively, dropped its use of local team announcers on World Series play-by-play when Vin Scully started calling the event as a CBS employee through1982. (Beginning in 1982, however, the participating teams'flagship radio stations were permitted to produce their own World Series broadcasts using local announcers and air them live. The affiliate stations in the teams' radio networks continued to be obligated to carry the CBS Radio broadcasts.)
Beginning in1966 and continuing through1975, a local announcer for the visiting team in each Series game would split play-by-play and color commentary with a neutralNBC Radio announcer. Prior to 1966 and going back to the dawn of the television era, Series radio broadcasts typically featured announcers from around the major leagues (generally pairing one announcer from an AL team and another from an NL team), with the regular announcers for both the home and visiting Series participants splitting play-by-play onNBC television. In broadcasts of Series-clinching (or potentially Series-clinching) games on both mediums, NBC sent the announcer for whichever team was ahead in the game to that team's clubhouse in the ninth inning in order to help cover the trophy presentation and conduct post-game interviews.
Fred Hoey was hired byCBS to call Games 1 and 5 of the1933 World Series after commissionerKenesaw Mountain Landis declared that CBS'Ted Husing andNBC'sGraham McNamee could not call World Series play-by-play because they hadn't called any regular season games.[275] Hoey was removed from the CBS broadcast during the fourth inning of Game 1 after his voice gave out on the air. Although he was subsequently reported as having suffered from a cold, Hoey's garbled and incoherent speech led many listeners to think he was drunk.[275][276] After this incident, Hoey never went into a broadcast booth without a tin ofthroat lozenges.[275]
The1934 World Series broadcasts were the first to be sponsored, withFord giving US$50,000 each toCBS andNBC.Commissioner Landis barredDetroit Tigers announcerTy Tyson from appearing on network radio, citing the risk of partiality in his commentary; however, after Tigers fans sent in more than 600,000 letters of protest, Landis agreed to let Tyson call the Series locally on Detroit stationWWJ.[277][278][279]
In1939,Mutual andGillette signed an agreement purchasing exclusive broadcast and sponsorship rights to the World Series for US$100,000.[280] A special promotion of Gillette razors and blue blades sold four times better than preliminary estimates, leading the company to secure additional sports sponsorships. The Gillette stable of sports broadcasts, which aired under the umbrella titleGillette Cavalcade of Sports, spanned several different networks (includingNBC,CBS, and Mutual radio) and grew to include not only ongoing sponsorship of baseball's World Series andAll-Star Game but also the annualKentucky Derby in horseracing, theRose Bowl Game and other college football games, and professionalboxing. Mutual continued as the exclusive World Series radio network until 1957, while Gillette's exclusive sponsorship of the event extended into the early television era and continued until the late 1950s.
Note on1922 through1926: World Series coverage carried byWestinghouse Broadcasting was available to any commercially operated radio station.
The1923 World Series featured the first true, stadium-originated radio broadcast of World Series games.Bill McGeehan did the play-by-play honors at first. However, when McGeehan reportedly tired of the chore, he quit in the middle of Game 3.[290] Shortly thereafter,Graham McNamee took over play-by-play duties.
AT&T fed the 1923 World Series coverage by New York'sWEAF[291] via their long-distance lines to stations as far north asMassachusetts and as far south as Washington, D.C.
The1927 World Series was the first to be broadcast from coast to coast over a full radio network.
Since 1982, the participating teams'flagship radio stations are permitted to air their own World Series broadcasts with their regular announcing crews, and their audio is made available as usual through MLB's digital presences andSirius XM. However, the teams' other radio network affiliates are contractually obligated to carry the national radio feeds. The flagship stations also mention the coverage as being presented by the same sponsor as the ESPN Radio broadcasts.
Ryan Lefebvre (innings 3–4, 6–7, and even extra innings [Game 1 went 14 innings and Game 5 went 12 innings]) Josh Lewin (innings 3–4, 7, and even extra innings [Game 1 went 14 innings and Game 5 went 12 innings])
Jon Sciambi (innings 3–4, 7–8, and even extra innings [Game 4 went 12 innings]) Charley Steiner (innings 5–7, and even extra innings [Game 4 went 12 innings])
1982 marked the first time that teams'flagship radio stations were permitted to produce their own local World Series broadcasts and air them live. In prior years, these stations were contractually required to carry the national radio networks' broadcasts (although they could produce re-created games with local announcers and air them after the Series had ended). The affiliate stations in the teams' radio networks continued to be obligated to carry the national broadcasts.
After thousands of Phillies fans—outraged over being unable to hear local team announcersHarry Kalas andRichie Ashburn call the games during the1980 World Series—deluged the team, the networks, and the Commissioner's office with angry letters and petitions, Major League Baseball changed its broadcast contract to allow theflagship radio stations for participating World Series teams to produce and air their own local Series broadcasts beginning in 1982.[293][294] When the Phillies next won a World Series, in2008, Kalas was able to make the call of the final out.
In1985 and1987,KMOX, theSt. Louis Cardinals' flagship station at the time,simulcast withCBS Radio's World Series coverage involving the Cardinals. That was mainly becauseJack Buck had a lengthy career calling Cardinals games for KMOX to go along with his national work for CBS Radio.
