TBS will offer extensive coverage of the 2012 MLB Postseason beginning with the exclusive presentation of the first-ever Wild Card presented by Budweiser on Friday, October 5. The network, in its sixth consecutive year televising the Division Series and one League Championship Series, will also be the exclusive home of up to 18 Division Series games and the entire American League Championship Series coverage on TBS presented by the Capital One Cash Card.
TBS' coverage of the Wild Card, LDS and ALCS will be handled by a deep roster of veteran commentators:
· Ernie Johnson will handle play-by-play alongside analysts John Smoltz and
Ron Darling for the network's exclusive coverage of the ALCS.
· For the network's coverage of the Wild Card and Division Series, TBS will feature a pair of three-man commentator teams: play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson, who called
Roy Halladay's historic no-hitter on TBS during the 2010 NLDS, will be joined by veteran analysts Darling and
Joe Simpson; and Johnson will mark his return to the TBS postseason broadcast booth, handling play-by-play alongside Hall of Famer
Cal Ripken and Smoltz.
· Division Series announce teams will also include veteran play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton, joined in the booth once again by former MLB manager and long-time TV analyst Bob Brenly; and Don Orsillo (play-by-play) and Buck Martinez (analyst) will return for their sixth and fifth postseasons, respectively, with TBS.
· Reporters for the LDS will include MLB insider and Sports Illustrated/SI.com senior baseball writer Tom Verducci, who will also provide reports from the National League Championship Series (NLCS). Craig Sager will return to the MLB Postseason on TBS for his sixth year as a reporter and will work the ALCS for the network. Turner Sports veteran David Aldridge, who covered the MLB Postseason on TBS from 2007-2010, will return as a reporter during the LDS. Jaime Maggio, who has served as a reporter for the 2011 MLB Postseason on TBS, NBA Playoffs on TNT and Turner Sports' presentation of the NCAA Tournament, will contribute to the network's LDS coverage.
The MLB On-Deck presented by Dodge Dart pre-game show and Inside MLB presented by Captain Morgan post-game show will have in-depth game reports and post-game interviews from every LDS game, as well as the ALCS and NLCS. Matt Winer will once again serve as studio host alongside returning veteran analysts: Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley and two-time World Champion David Wells during the LDS.
In the first year of the new postseason format, two Wild Card teams in each league will play a single-elimination game with each winner advancing to compete with the three division championship from its respective leagues in the Division Series.
The network's production plans will utilize state-of-the-art technology to bring fans unique insights into each game:
· 3D Hologram Imagery: Innovative 3D imagery will illustrate detailed examples of pitch grips while demonstrating the pressure points, release points and rotation. Analysts will use the tool to explain how pitches work and how the hitter approaches each type of pitch.
· Super Slo-Mo: TBS will triple the amount of Super Slow-Motion cameras utilized throughout the network's postseason coverage.
· Bloomberg Stats: TBS will once again utilize Bloomberg Sports' vast resources as they integrate comprehensive statistical information into each telecast. The service allows game and studio analysts to examine every pitch of each game to find patterns and pick out tendencies.
· Pitch Trax: The in-game technology which illustrates pitch location throughout the game will return to TBS for the postseason.
Additionally, Turner Sports will encourage fans interaction across social media platforms:
· Twitter: @MLB_TBS, @PostseasonPete and @TurnerSportsPR will provide game alerts, programming information and key statistical information throughout the postseason. Also, TBS MLB broadcasters will periodically answer questions from fans via Twitter chats. Fans can use #Postseason to join the conversation throughout the Wild Card games, LDS, ALCS and NLCS.
· Facebook: Fans can also check out the MLB on TBS Facebook page to find the latest schedule information, behind-the-scenes photos and other special features.
Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is an industry leader in televised and online sports programming, airing championship-level sporting events on TBS, TNT and truTV, and managing some of the most popular sports sites on the Internet. Turner Sports' television lineup includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, NASCAR and professional golf.
The company's digital portfolio includes Bleacher Report, NASCAR.COM, NCAA.com and March Madness Live, PGATOUR.COM and PGA.com, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile websites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA Mobile, the NBA Game Time App, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.
TBS is basic cable's #1 network among young adults in prime time. Available in 100 million households, TBS features the Emmy-nominated late-night series CONAN, starring
Conan O'Brien; and original primetime comedy series like Men at Work, Sullivan & Son, Cougar Town,
Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse, Wedding Band, King of the Nerds, Who Gets the Last Laugh? (
Working Title) and Deon Cole's Black Box (
Working Title). TBS also features an outstanding slate of contemporary comedies, such as The Big Bang Theory and Family Guy, along with blockbuster movies and championship sports. In addition, TBS produces special live comedy events, like the star-studded comedy festival held each year in Chicago.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., CNN International, CNN.com and HLN; TBS, TNT, truTV and Turner Classic Movies; Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Adult Swim; and Turner Sports.
