Costas to do Yankees home opener on MLB Network
by: Jim Williams
The Examiner
The last time Bob Costas called a baseball game was from old Yankee Stadium for NBC on October 17, 2000, where the Yankees closed out the ALCS with a win in Game Six over the Seattle Mariners.
He will be back in the booth as part of the MLB Network’s new Thursday Night Baseball from the new Yankee Stadium on April 16, which will also mark Costas’ play-by-play debut for MLB Network.The Yankee will open at 1p.m. against the Indians.
(The first regular season game will air on MLBN April 9 with the Milwaukee Brewers at the San Francisco Giants).
Jim Kaat will make his MLB Network debut on April 16, joining Costas and Harold Reynolds in the booth for the Yankees home opener. In addition to that game, Costas will also call the May 7 game between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets at CitiField. Broadcast teams for the additional Thursday Night Baseball games on MLB Network in April and May will include play by play by Matt Vasgersian and Victor Rojas, with analysis by Al Leiter, Joe Magrane, and Dan Plesac.
Other highlights of the April and May game schedule include matchups of division rivals such as the Boston Red Sox at the Tampa Bay Rays (April 30), the Philadelphia Phillies at the New York Mets (May 7) and the Chicago Cubs at the St. Louis Cardinals (May 21). The Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals will also be featured. MLB Network will announce future Thursday Night Baseball games coinciding with its selection windows. Games will be blacked out in each team’s home television territory. Viewers in areas subject to blackouts will be provided with an alternate game telecast or other programming.
