Major_League_Baseball_on_CBS_Radio
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports (now Westwood One), the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the World Series from 1976-1997.
Contracts
CBS had previously covered Major League Baseball in the early days of radio, sharing World Series coverage with NBC beginning in 1927 and All-Star Game coverage beginning in 1933. Mutual joined them in ; the three networks continued to share coverage of baseball's "jewel" events through , with Mutual gaining exclusive rights the following year.From -, CBS Radio paid $75,000 per year for rights to the postseason games. Prior to 1976, NBC Radio handled World Series broadcasts dating back to 1956.
By , CBS-Television would get into the Major League Baseball broadcasting business. This particular partnership would last through the season. Meanwhile, CBS Radio would pay Major League Baseball $50 million for 1990-1993 radio rights to a Game of the Week plus the All-Star Game, League Championship Series and World Series.
Following the season, CBS Radio signed a six year contract worth $50.5 million. Following the 1994 strike and the dissolving of "The Baseball Network" (a planned six year long television joint venture involving ABC, NBC and Major League Baseball), the television contracts had to be realigned. Ultimately, Major League Baseball on CBS Radio would last through the season before being succeeded by Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio.
The Game of the Week
In , CBS Radio started broadcasting a weekly Game of the Week. CBS Radio usually did two games each Saturday, one on the afternoons and another during the evenings. Typically, CBS' markets only aired the afternoon broadcasts. The games covered varied from the ones NBC-TV were offering at the time to games outside of NBC's sight. One notable exception was KCBS in San Francisco, who almost always did the evening games. In , just before the strike, KNBR carried the broadcasts in San Francisco and finally aired some of CBS' afternoon games. However, following the strike, KNBR dropped CBS' regular season broadcasts, and with the exception of , when all playoff games were played at the same time, they usually only carried one or two Division Series games on days when there were three games played.CBS Radio would also eventually follow ESPN-Television's suit, and broadcast Sunday night games (something ESPN started in ). John Rooney and Jerry Coleman usually called this games while Jim Hunter hosted the pregame show entitled Inside Pitch.
Commentators
The Game of the Week
From -, the two announcers calling the games at hand split play-by-play duties (CBS Radio didn't use a traditional color commentator). There were also, guest announcers, usually one from each participating team in the fifth inning. This particular segment was called The Home Team Inning. From until the end of their coverage in , CBS Radio used Jeff Torborg and Al Downing as well as Rick Cerone for the 1997 season as anaylsts.The Home Team Inning
The Home Team Inning, traditionally featured a visiting team announcer calling the top of the fifth while the home team announcer would call the bottom of the fifth. CBS first only used this practice on postseason games from -. From -, only CBS' broadcasters were heard on postseason broadcasts.Full list of commentators
Play-by-play commentators included:- Johnny Bench (-)
- Joe Buck (-)
- Steve Busby (-)
- Gary Cohen (-)
- Jerry Coleman (-)
- Gene Elston (-)
- Curt Gowdy (-)
- Steve Garvey (-)
- Hank Greenwald ()
- Ernie Harwell (-)
- Jim Hunter (-)
- Frank Messer (-)
- Bob Murphy (-; )
- John Rooney (-)
- Lindsey Nelson (-)
- Bill White (-)
Other commentators (roughly in order of first appearance) included:
- Brent Musburger
- Dick Stockton
- Howard David
- Ted Robinson
- Charlie Slowes
- Tom Kelly
- Joel Meyers
- Tommy Hutton
- Ron Fairly
- Joe Torre
- Lee Mazzilli
- George Grande
- Jerry Trupiano
- Joe Magrane
- Billy Sample
- Spencer Ross
- Steve Mason
All-Star Game commentators
1990s
1980s
1970s
Division Series (-) and League Championship Series commentators
- Johnny Bench (-)
- Jack Buck (-)
- Gary Cohen (League Championship Series: -; 1995-; 1996 American League Division Series (Yankees-Rangers))
- Jerry Coleman (-; , -; -)
- Gene Elston (-)
- Curt Gowdy (-; ; -)
- Ernie Harwell (-; -; -; )
- Ralph Kiner (-)
- Hank Greenwald ()
- Harry Kalas ()
- Ned Martin (-; )
- Denny Matthews ()
- Brent Musburger ()
- John Rooney (League Championship Series: -; -; Division Series: -)
- Ross Porter ()
- Jeff Torborg (League Championship Series: -; Division Series: -)
- Bill White (-; -; -)
Jim Hunter called the American League Championship Series alongside with Johnny Bench from 1990-1992. In , Hunter teamed Ernie Harwell to call the ALCS. And in and , Hunter called the National League Division Series and National League Championship Series alongside with Jerry Coleman. In , Hunter called the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers with Gary Cohen.
One-game playoffs
On October 2, , the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played in a one-game playoff at Boston's Fenway Park with the American League East title at stake. Ernie Harwell and Win Elliot called the game nationally for the CBS Radio Network.
World Series commentators
1990s
1980s
1970s
| Year | Play-by-play | Color commentator |
| 1979 | Vin Scully | Sparky Anderson |
| 1978 | Bill White | Ross Porter |
| 1977 | Bill White | Ross Porter |
| 1976 | Bill White | Marty Brennaman and Bill Sorrell |
In 1977, Bill White did play-by-play for the games in Los Angeles on CBS Radio while Ross Porter handled the play-by-play for CBS in in New York. Thus, when White was doing stuff on ABC-TV during the 1977 World Series, it was during the home games in a pre/postgame role (White would eventually cover the trophy presentation ceremony for ABC). Likewise, Rose Porter handled White's TV role while in Los Angeles. From 1976-1978, Win Elliot was always in the booth either as a host or color man but never he did play-by-play for CBS Radio's World Series coverage.
When CBS Radio got the contract from NBC Radio in , they continued the old practice of having the local team announcers do the play-by-play for the games in the road market of that home team's broadcasters through 1978. Thus, Bill White got to do all three World Series involving the Yankees on CBS Radio from 1976-1978 and Ross Porter with the Dodgers in 1977-1978. In addition, CBS Radio used Marty Brennaman in 1976, when his Cincinnati Reds played against Bill White's New York Yankees. Marty Brennaman also covered the 1976 World Series for NBC-TV, while Phil Rizzuto did the two games in New York. 1976 by the way, was the last year NBC employed locals on play-by-play for World Series games.
In 1979, CBS Radio, following the lead begun by ABC's television coverage in 1977, dropped the usage of the local broadcasters on play-by-play. They stopped using local announcers altogether when Vin Scully began doing the World Series as a CBS employee through 1982. After the season, Scully left CBS altogether to do baseball play-by-play for NBC-TV (a role that he had through the end of the season). In Vin Scully's absence, came Jack Buck, who would call the World Series for CBS Radio from 1983 through 1989.
In 1985, KMOX, the St. Louis Cardinals' flagship station at the time, simulcasted with CBS Radio's World Series coverage involving the Cardinals. That was mainly because Jack Buck had a lengthy career calling Cardinals games for KMOX to go along with his national work for CBS Radio.
In 1990, Buck would move over to CBS-TV to call the World Series and was replaced by his predecessor, Vin Scully. Scully would continue to call the World Series on through 1997 (CBS' last before the contract moved to ESPN Radio).
World Series moments
1986 World Series
The following is a word-for-word transcript of Jack Buck and Sparky Anderson's commentatary during the final moments of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series:- J = Jack Buck
- S = Sparky Anderson
J: Mookie Wilson is the batter...he has a hit...one out of three...a switch hitter, he'll bat left. Moments ago, the Red Sox were one strike away. Now they're one out away. Here's the pitch...and a foul strike one...back into the seats and Wilson wasn't taking. Howard Johnson is on deck, we mentioned earlier he stayed in the game.
S: Mookie's not bashful, he's not afraid to swing this bat. He's not concerned right now...he wants a base hit.
J: Next pitch from Stanley is a ball and it's one and one...they hold against Ray Knight, he is not a threat to steal. The batter is Mookie Wilson, one ball one strike, two on, two out...way high ball two, as Stanley slipped coming of the pitching rubber. The on deck batter is Howard Johnson and this thing, this game has been at the finish line three or four times. 5-4 Boston, bottom half of the tenth inning, 5-4, first and third two out, and a foul puts Boston within a strike of the title again. It evens the count to Mookie Wilson, that ball in on him, two and two.
S: Don't be surprised if you see his palmball right here.
J: First and third. Tying run at third, winning run at first, two out, the pitch! a swing and a...foul tip, he just got a piece of it and that's how close Boston was to nailing it down. A foul by Mookie Wilson keeps him up there. two balls two strikes. The Mets have scored here in the tenth, they trail 5-4 trying to send us into tomorrow night. Here's the pitch! Swing and a foul, back and out of play and Wilson hammered at one outside, in the strike zone I think, stays 2-2. Mitchell the tying run at third, a base hit ties it for New York, a long one could win it, a home run would win it, the pitch! Ball three! Wild pitch! We're gonna be tied! The ball went off the glove of the catcher. We're 5-5 in the bottom of the tenth. Unbelievable it's 5-5 and now the winning run is at second with two out. A breaking ball handcuffed Gedman, a breaking ball handcuffed the catcher and Mitchell raced home with the tying run and Mookie Wilson could win it here. They have a base open and Howard Johnson up next. That run charged to Schiraldi. The 3-2 pitch on the way, swing and a high pop foul going out of play. And it gives everybody a chance to collect their collective breath as the Mets have scored two here in the tenth after scoring a run in the eighth to pull it out of the bag again.
S: Boy if this don't remind you of that California Angels-Boston series, nothing will...
J: And a full count on Mookie Wilson, he can win it with a hit. Ray Knight is at second base. Here's the pitch! Swing and a foul out of play, and I'll tell you this folks. If the Mets win this tonight, man, there will be no holding them tomorrow, Dennis Boyd or no Dennis Boyd.
S: They'll come out here looking like they're on stilts.
J: It stays three and two, let's look ahead to the Boston eleventh inning. Evans will lead it off. Isn't tis unbelievable. A couple of times Boston was a strike away from winning. You remember that little foul tip just before? What did they call it? Wild pitch or passed ball?
S: I think they called it a wild pitch.
J: Wild pitch. Here's the pitch to Mookie Wilson. Winning run at second. Ground ball to first, it is a run...an error! An error by Buckner! The winning run scores! The Mets win it 6 to 5 with three in the tenth! The ball went right through the legs of Buckner and the Mets with two men out and nobody on have scored three times to bring about a seventh game, which will be played here tomorrow night. Folks it was unbelievable. An error, right through the legs of Buckner. There were two on, nobody out, a single by Carter, a single by Mitchell, a single by Ray Knight, a wild pitch, an error by Buckner. Three in the ninth for the Mets. They've won the game 6-5 and we shall play here... tomorrow night! Well, open up the history book folks, we've got an entry for you...Waddays think Sparky?
S: I never seen nothing like it. Here you got two out, two run lead, you figure Carter up, he can't even hurt you. He gets a base hit, another base hit, another base hit...wild pitches, ball rolls through the guys legs. I've never seen nothing like it Jack.
J: It will be Boyd against Darling tomorrow night.
S: Yogi Berra is the greatest human being who ever lived. He said, it's not over till it's over.
J: This game is now history and it deserves its own page...
1988 World Series
For CBS Radio's coverage of the 1988 World Series, Jack Buck provided play-by-play while Bill White served as the analyst. This was Buck's call of the final moments of Game 1. It begins here with Buck speculating on what might happen if Kirk Gibson manages to reach base:... then you would run for Gibson and have Sax batting. But, we have a big 3-2 pitch coming here from Eckersley. Gibson swings, and a fly ball to deep right field! This is gonna be a home run! Unbelievable! A home run for Gibson! And the Dodgers have won the game, 5 to 4; I don't believe what I just saw!
The last sentence is often remembered and quoted by fans. Buck followed it with,
I don't believe what I just saw! Is this really happening, Bill?
Moments after Kirk Gibson's home run, Jack Buck had this to say
I've seen a lot of dramatic finishes, in a lot of sports, but this one, might top almost every other one
1989 World Series
On October 17, , commentators Jack Buck, Johnny Bench and John Rooney, were on hand at San Francisco's Candlestick Park for Game 3 of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics. At 5:04 p.m. local time, the Loma Prieta earthquake hit (and subsequently caused a ten day delay for the World Series). Unlike ABC-Television (with Al Michaels, Jim Palmer and Tim McCarver calling the action on the TV side), CBS Radio was in a commercial break when the earthquake struck. After the earthquake hit, Jack Buck told the listening audienceI must say about Johnny Bench, folks, if he moved that fast when he played, he would have never hit into a double play. I never saw anybody move that fast in my life.
1991 World Series
On October 27, , Vin Scully, along with Johnny Bench and John Rooney, was on hand for a game considered by fans to be one of the most intense in the sport's history. Game 7 of the already exciting World Series (between the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves) was scoreless going into the ninth inning, and an emotionally drained Scully said,after eight full innings of play, Atlanta nothing, Minnesota nothing... I think we'll be back in just a moment.In the bottom of the tenth inning, Gene Larkin won the game for the Twins with a high fly-ball into left field (which allowed Dan Gladden to score) off Alejandro Peña.
1996 World Series
During his CBS Radio broadcast in 1996, Vin Scully made another memorable call in the third inning of Game 1, when 19-year-old rookie outfielder Andruw Jones became the first National League player to hit two home runs in his first two at-bats in a World Series.Jones hits this one to left field, wa-a-ay back, the kid has hit another one!
References
External links
- Summer 1997: 75 Years of National Baseball Broadcasts
- Major League Baseball on CBS Radio History
- MLB Baseball - CBS Sportsline.com
- Voices of The Game
- Sportscasting History
- shop.mlb.com > Classic Radio Broadcast
- shop.mlb.com > Classic Radio Broadcast > Special Events
- CBS RADIO 1986 WS G6 10th inning
- Audio Recordings - Historic Broadcasts (1960 - Today)
- 1976-1984 MLB postseason TV schedule/announcers - As an addendum, here's the CBS Radio crews for this era:
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Last updated on Wednesday September 24, 2008 at 21:33:21 PDT (GMT -0700)
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