2001 American TV series or program
Major League Baseball (MLB) games aired on thepredecessor networks for the Americanpay television channelFreeform that aired from April 5, 2001 to October 6, 2002. These began in 2000, when the channel was known as Fox Family Channel, co-owned byNews Corporation andHaim Saban , as a replacement forThursday night games that had aired onFox Sports Net in prior seasons. The package also included some games in the postseasonDivision Series . AfterThe Walt Disney Company bought Fox Family in 2001, renaming it to ABC Family, the games were moved to the Disney-ownedESPN channels, although the 2002 Division Series games that had been acquired as part of the purchase remained on ABC Family because of existing contractual obligations. Those games moved to ESPN the following year as well.
In 1997, as part of its contract with Major League Baseball,Fox Sports began to show games on its national network ofregional sports networks ,Fox Sports Net (FSN), which was given rights to two Thursday night games per week, one for the Eastern and Central time zones and one for the Mountain and Pacific time zones, though these games were often preempted in markets where they conflicted with the FSN affiliate's coverage of a local team.
[ edit ] In 2000, the former FSN coverage passed to Fox Family Channel on an alternating basis with then-sister networkFX and was reduced to one game per week.[ 6] [ 7]
Starting with the 2001 season, Fox Family also carried games from the Division Series that did not air on the Fox broadcast network.[ 8] [ 9] [ 10] San Francisco Giants and theHouston Astros on October 4, 2001, in whichBarry Bonds hit his 70th home run of the season, tying theall-time single season record thatMark McGwire had set onlythree years earlier .[ 11]
Play-by-play announcers for the FSN/Fox Family coverage includedKenny Albert ,[ 12] Thom Brennaman ,Chip Caray ,Josh Lewin ,[ 13] Steve Physioc . Color analysts includedBob Brenly ,Kevin Kennedy ,Steve Lyons ,[ 14] Jeff Torborg .[ 15]
Other commentators included:
[ edit ] NOTE: The Thursday night telecasts on Fox Family were subject toblackout in the local markets of participating teams.
After Disney bought Fox Family in 2001 and renamed it ABC Family,[ 35] ESPN Major League Baseball "DayGame" broadcasts). However, the Division Series games aired on ABC Family (with ESPN's announcers, graphics, and music) for 2002 because of inherited contractual obligations.[ 36] [ 37] [ 38] bug " was for a ten-second period when returning from a commercial break in the lower right corner of the screen.[ 39]
Game 2 (played on October 2) of theMinnesota Twins –Oakland Athletics playoff series in 2002 started onESPN2 because theSan Francisco Giants –Atlanta Braves 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.[ 40]
^ "List of every TV series aired on Fox Family Channel" .nickandmore.com . November 26, 2019.^ Mushnick, Phil (October 15, 2001)."MLB, FOX FAMILY LEAVE FANS OUT" .The New York Post . ^ Haisten, Bill (October 4, 2002)."King, Plank removed from telecasts" .Tulsa World . ^ "2018 FORD C. FRICK AWARD BALLOT" .baseballhall.org . October 23, 2017.^ "WEEKEND ON THE AIR" .The Washington Post . October 12, 2001.^ Bernstein, Paula (January 21, 2001)."Fox Family to play ball, 'Rock' .Variety . ^ Brockinton, Langdon (July 30, 2001)."MLB package to Disney with Fox Family sale" .Sports Business Journal . ^ Umstead, R. Thomas (October 14, 2001)."Baseball's a Hit for Fox Family" .Multichannel News . ^ "BASEBALL FANS, REJOICE" .Orlando Sentinel . October 8, 2001. Archived fromthe original on July 21, 2021.^ Sandomir, Richard (October 16, 2001)."TV SPORTS; The Baseball Playoffs: All in the Fox Family" .The New York Times . ^ Ginn, Sharon (October 9, 2001)."On the hunt for Fox Family" .Tampa Bay Times . ^ Ginn, Sharon (April 1, 2001)."Magrane gets into spirit" .Tampa Bay Times . ^ Sandomir, Richard (October 9, 2001)."TV SPORTS; Home Run Calls Have a Hollow Ring" .The New York Times . ^ "Many Viewers Shut Out Of Fox Family Channel's MLB Games" .Sports Business Journal . October 10, 2001.^ "Memories of Jeff Torborg" .Ultimate Mets Database . November 20, 2020.^ Czerwinski, Matt (October 14, 2001)."Media Beat: Braves enjoy national attention for sweep" .mlbfancave.mlb.com . [permanent dead link ^ Maffei, John (October 26, 2001)."Fox places packaging over game" .The San Diego Union-Tribune . ^ Kroner, Steve (October 5, 2001)."MLB's playoff coverage is all in the Fox family" .SF Gate . ^ Haisten, Bill (October 12, 2001)."Wedel, more sports to fill morning air" .Tulsa World . ^ "A's-Yankees Game One Earns Solid Overnight Rating On Fox" .Sports Business Journal . October 11, 2001.^ "Sunday Free Lance-Star - Page 10" .Sunday Free Lance-Star . April 5, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2025 .^ "An Advertising Stunt. - Page 18" .The Victoria Advocate . April 12, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2025 .^ "Sat April 2 1st. - Page 13" .Gettysburg Times . April 19, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2025 .^ "100 Caroline Fredericksburg Fredericksburg. - Page 45" .Sunday Free Lance-Star . April 22, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2025 .^ "100 Caroline Street Fredericksburg 373-4. - Page 45" .The Free Lance-Star . May 20, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2025 .^ "Cable Cast. - Page 14" .The Tuscaloosa News . May 31, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2025 .^ "Softball - Page 39" .Bangor Daily News . June 7, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2025 .^ "Deals On Wheels. - Page 35" .The Victoria Advocate . June 6, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2025 .^ "Eugene Register-Guard - Page 22" .Eugene Register-Guard . June 14, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2025 .^ "The Free Lance-Star - Page 10" .The Free Lance-Star . June 28, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2025 .^ "Gettysburg Times - Page 13" .Gettysburg Times . July 12, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2025 .^ "The Day - Page 13" .The Day . July 19, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2025 .^ "Lakeland Ledger - Page 15" .Lakeland Ledger . August 2, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2025 .^ "Lakeland Ledger - Page 15" .Lakeland Ledger . September 6, 2001. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2025 .^ "Disney buys Fox family, expects ratings boost" .nwitimes.com . July 24, 2001.^ Stewart, Larry (October 4, 2002)."Clearing Air Not an Easy Task" .Los Angeles Times . ^ Jackson, Steve (October 6, 2002)."Playoff games lost amid Power Rangers marathon" .The Michigan Daily . ^ Umstead, R. Thomas (October 13, 2002)."ABC Family Unsure of Its Baseball Future" .Multichannel News . ^ Sherman, Ed (October 3, 2002)."Late night with . . . baseball" .Chicago Tribune . [permanent dead link ^ Kissell, Rick (October 3, 2002)."Playoffs bring auds to plate" .Variety . ^ Sandomir, Richard (October 4, 2002)."TV SPORTS; ABC Family Offers Familiar ESPN Look" .The New York Times . ^ "Sans Yankees, Fox Sees First Decrease In MLB Playoff Ratings" .Sports Business Journal . October 4, 2002.^ "Closing Bell, March 20, 2002" .Sports Business Journal . March 20, 2002.^ Sarni, Jim (September 27, 2002)."O'BRIEN A HIT WITH ESPN" .Sun Sentinel . Archived fromthe original on June 30, 2021. ^ "ESPN to Debut New Monday and Wednesday Night Baseball Commentator Teams" .ESPN Pressroom . January 28, 2011.^ "These playoffs are really a Family affair" .The Washington Times . October 5, 2002.
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