[Ken H]

For the first time anywhere, FOX is pleased to announce they will offer Major League Baseball's 2004 American League & National League Championship Series, and the World Series, in HDTV 720p & Dolby Digital 5.1.


Coverage can be found on local FOX digital TV affiliates with HD capability. Also available to select DirecTV subscribers, see this topic for details.


All Times ET


The World Series

American League Champion Boston Red Sox vs. National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals

Red Sox finally end the curse with an 8 game winning streak. Good for them.

Game 1 St. Louis Cardinals 9, Boston Red Sox 11

Game 2 St. Louis Cardinals 2, Boston Red Sox 6

Game 3 Boston Red Sox 4, St. Louis Cardinals 1

Game 4 Boston Red Sox 3, St. Louis Cardinals 0

Game 5* Boston Red Sox @ St. Louis Cardinals Thursday Oct. 28 8:00 p.m.

Game 6* St. Louis Cardinals @ Boston Red Sox Saturday Oct. 30 7:30 p.m.

Game 7* St. Louis Cardinals @ Boston Red Sox Sunday Oct. 31 7:30 p.m.


* If necessary

 

[Johnny5.1]

Should we expect Buck/McCarver/Leiter to call the action for the 7 game series?


Can't wait to see Jeanie Zerlasko in HD!

 

[Joseph S]

Based on the programming advertised it looks like Fox is happy being a below tier network. That said, if they intend to get any respect in sports broadcasting they should listen to their viewers.


1) We know the issues at Fenway. Fox knows the issues at Fenway. Find a solution by Saturday. There is zero need for super-slow mo whatsoever behind home plate under any circumstances. This is something for football, but has no use in baseball.


2) If you care about the product you're showing, then don't insult the viewers with the "obnoxious" ads that are literally blurring out left handed batters' body parts in St. Louis and pitchers' bodies at nearly every park. If you can't fit the ads then don't show them in HD. You're currently driving viewers from your HD product because they cannot watch the game because they can't see the players in HD. Amazing to say it, but when you're drawing over them there's nothing for us to see!!


3) The Diamond cam is inferior and not beneficial to the viewer by any means.


4) The announcers for the World Series will include Tim McCarver. He's not even close to being in the same league as the second team on the NLCS. It's tough to be worse than Steve Lyons, but clearly McCarver is.


5) The pitches are important. The games rest on them. Yet, Fox misses the first pitch on a regular basis. We miss the flow of the game that isn't being sacrificed on the Red Sox radio broadcast at least which provides enough time for an intro to the matchup compared to a ball already in the catcher's mitt on Fox.


6) The replays and production crap are interfering with the game. Learn to show a replay like a normal sporting broadcast. You shouldn't have to miss the key hit to show a flurry of foul balls.


7) Scooter is worthless, especially, in light of the fact that no children are watching games when shown, due to the usual late starts for the east coast and midwest.


8) The score graphic is too low and cuts off players heads. It needs to be raised and adjusted so as not to cover the entire width of the screen.


(Crossposted after WS thread created to which this is most relevant presently)

 

[ilpostini2]

Joseph S

Well put!

 

[sangs]

Quote:

Originally posted by Joseph S 4) The announcers for the World Series will include Tim McCarver. He's not even close to being in the same league as the second team on the NLCS. It's tough to be worse than Steve Lyons, but clearly McCarver is.

You must be related to Lyons, because to say McCarver is worse than that idiot is one of the dumbest things I've ever read. I keep wondering what kind of pictures Psycho possesses of a FOX exec in a compromising position, because how he keeps his job is anybody's guess. McCarver is a little chatty and tries to be too cute at times (which is more the fault of Joe Buck), but his first guesses - not second guessing - are easily the most accurate of any analyst in the game today. He sheds light on the nuances of the game that 99 percent of the other "analysts" miss. Now, granted, I've been listening to him since I was a kid when he did Mets games, so I've heard a lot of his stuff before, but give me him over Morgan, Lyons or any of the other third, fourth and fifth tier analysts in baseball.


Your other points, well said, especially Scooter. How I wish somebody would knock him out of the park for good. Oh and I really hope they bounce Leiter from the booth as well. He's not terrible, but after the way he and his friends sabotaged the Mets this year, I don't want to see his face or hear his voice anymore.

 

[bdfox18doe]

WOW!

FOX must be very dismayed to know that they are doing such a poor job

with baseball. I'm sure if the right people see this, heads will roll!

 

[dweebe]

Hopefully Fox will bring in one of "their" HD production trucks to St. Louis instead of the non-Fox ones used at Busch Stadium for the NLCS.


Yes I know Fox doesn't own the trucks but they've got Fox-HD labeling. The Cards/Astros series looked a step or two worse than the Yanks/Sox LCS games.


BTW: GO CARDS!!!!!!!!!

 

[Larry Geller]

Quote:

Originally posted by sangs You must be related to Lyons, because to say McCarver is worse than that idiot is one of the dumbest things I've ever read. I keep wondering what kind of pictures Psycho possesses of a FOX exec in a compromising position, because how he keeps his job is anybody's guess. McCarver is a little chatty and tries to be too cute at times (which is more the fault of Joe Buck), but his first guesses - not second guessing - are easily the most accurate of any analyst in the game today. He sheds light on the nuances of the game that 99 percent of the other "analysts" miss. Now, granted, I've been listening to him since I was a kid when he did Mets games, so I've heard a lot of his stuff before, but give me him over Morgan, Lyons or any of the other third, fourth and fifth tier analysts in baseball. Your other points, well said, especially Scooter. How I wish somebody would knock him out of the park for good. Oh and I really hope they bounce Leiter from the booth as well. He's not terrible, but after the way he and his friends sabotaged the Mets this year, I don't want to see his face or hear his voice anymore.

How true. Lyons is the COMPLETE moron. He defines the term. I have NEVER heard him say anything remotely intelligent. McCarver is far and away the best that Fox has. And there is a special place in Hell for Joe Morgan, the most biased announcer ever. How I wish NBC still had the games, so the Fox pinball machine that they think is sports coverage would end!

 

[tcotter]

Quote:

Originally posted by Joseph S Based on the programming advertised it looks like Fox is happy being a below tier network. That said, if they intend to get any respect in sports broadcasting they should listen to their viewers. 1) We know the issues at Fenway. Fox knows the issues at Fenway. Find a solution by Saturday. There is zero need for super-slow mo whatsoever behind home plate under any circumstances. This is something for football, but has no use in baseball. 2) If you care about the product you're showing, then don't insult the viewers with the "obnoxious" ads that are literally blurring out left handed batters' body parts in St. Louis and pitchers' bodies at nearly every park. If you can't fit the ads then don't show them in HD. You're currently driving viewers from your HD product because they cannot watch the game because they can't see the players in HD. Amazing to say it, but when you're drawing over them there's nothing for us to see!! 3) The Diamond cam is inferior and not beneficial to the viewer by any means. 4) The announcers for the World Series will include Tim McCarver. He's not even close to being in the same league as the second team on the NLCS. It's tough to be worse than Steve Lyons, but clearly McCarver is. 5) The pitches are important. The games rest on them. Yet, Fox misses the first pitch on a regular basis. We miss the flow of the game that isn't being sacrificed on the Red Sox radio broadcast at least which provides enough time for an intro to the matchup compared to a ball already in the catcher's mitt on Fox. 6) The replays and production crap are interfering with the game. Learn to show a replay like a normal sporting broadcast. You shouldn't have to miss the key hit to show a flurry of foul balls. 7) Scooter is worthless, especially, in light of the fact that no children are watching games when shown, due to the usual late starts for the east coast and midwest. 8) The score graphic is too low and cuts off players heads. It needs to be raised and adjusted so as not to cover the entire width of the screen. (Crossposted after WS thread created to which this is most relevant presently)

I'm in total agreement with every point you make except for McCarver. I happen to like him - especially if you compare in to Steve Lyons. At times McCarver does tend to be overdramatic, but, in general, he does know baseball.


Hopefully, FOX will make some improvements as both Fenway and Busch Stadium broadcasts have been disappointing.

 

[timmy1376]

Quote:

Originally posted by bdfox18doe WOW! FOX must be very dismayed to know that they are doing such a poor job with baseball. I'm sure if the right people see this, heads will roll!

Let me say I have enjoyed thoroughly both of the LCS series. But I guess I focus too much on the baseball.

 

[tcotter]

Quote:

Originally posted by timmy1376 Let me say I have enjoyed thoroughly both of the LCS series. But I guess I focus too much on the baseball.

You're right - ultimately, the game itself is the most important and both LCS's series have been the best I can ever remember. However, IMO all of us here are pretty obsessed with HDTV and we wouldn't be posting on this forum if we didn't like giving the network some constructive criticism.

 

[leesweet]

Ken, you said:
Quote:

Originally posted by Ken H ... Coverage can be found on local FOX digital TV affiliates with HD capability.

We are expecting D* 88/89 broadcasts, right? I thought we were, but you don't mention it. (Of course, WTTW is a Fox local affil, but... )


If so, I hope progress has been made on the "who's O&O and entitled..." saga.


Edit: Whoops, never mind.... I think the title of the ALCS/NLCS/D* thread was changed to include the WS?

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by leesweet Ken, you said: We are expecting D* 88/89 broadcasts, right?

Yes, see the D* / FOX / MLB topic for that discussion.

 

[leesweet]

Saw that change at the same second you were posting, sorry...

 

[mx6bfast]

No we just need to hope that most of the cameras are HD. Take all the real HD cameras from 4 stadiums and consolidate them into 2.

 

[CPanther95]

Does anyone in Boston really want the SOX to win? What will they do when they don't have the curse anymore? I think they'd be like the natives in King Kong - they'll have nothing left to believe in and it will lead to the collapse of the whole fanbase.

 

[jckessler]

I'll be estastic if they win. The so-called curse is a media creation.

 

[JOtteman]

Curse ? What curse are you talking about?

 

[mx6bfast]

I hope tha Cards win, just so my Cubs won't be the only team with a curse.

 

[jckessler]

Why are the Red Sox considered "cursed" but the White Sox not?