Brent Musburger: "Decision time in the Great Northwest. ABC Sports welcomes you to Game 5 of the Division Series between the Western Division Champion Seattle Mariners and the American League Wild Card the New York Yankees."
The Baseball Network was flawed from the start because its format was way too rigid and short-sighted. "Baseball Night in America" was an intriguing concept in theory. Major League Baseball creating essentially its own version of "Hockey Night in Canada" by having multiple games on prime time network TV at going on at the same time. Where The Baseball Network dropped the ball was its insistence on aggressively monopolizing the regular season dates and timeslots. Why this didn't work was two-fold. First, in the case of markets with two teams (i.e. New York, Los Angeles/Anaheim, San Francisco/Oakland, Chicago, and even in Texas with the Rangers and Astros), your affiliate could only show a single game involving said teams at a time. Secondly, if your team played in a different time zone, then you were out of luck. Let's say, that you're a Tigers fan living in Detroit. If the Tigers were playing on the West Coast in Seattle and the game started at 8 PM Pacific Time, then you couldn't see the game on The Baseball Network.
Fans of the Braves and Cubs were REALLY miffed on the afternoon of August 25, 1995. They played a matinee game at Wrigley Field that, on any other day, would have been all over superstation heavyweights TBS and WGN. But there was NO LIVE TV COVERAGE AT ALL, just radio, save for a local camera crew filming footage for inclusion on the evening news. And, since there was an ordinance in place that prevented Friday games at the Friendly Confines from being staged at night, there was no choice but to uphold the 2:20 PM start time without the usual benefit of TV. Due to the dual policy, TBN screwed the millions of Atlanta and Chicago followers throughout North America (both TBS and WGN were available in Canada as well as the U.S.). That right there is what I hated about the format. Not only that. WGN was deprived of three other Cubs games: September 8 vs. San Francisco, September 22 vs. Pittsburgh and September 29 vs. Houston. No doubt North Side Nation was among the many who were all too glad to see TBN disband after the season.
The Baseball Network came in with the belief that people no longer wanted to so "national" games on network television because of declining ratings. Hence, why "Baseball Night in America" aimed with a decidedly more regional slant and why the Saturday afternoon "game of the week" was eliminated. What brain-children behind The Baseball Network seemed to forget is that CBS, when they held the contract systematically watered down the "Game of the Week" by not broadcasting every single week. CBS only aired about 16 weeks out of a 26 week season. It was normal of them to go an entire month (let alone weeks a time) without broadcasting baseball at all. Because of this, "Sunday Night Baseball" on ESPN for all intents and purposes, became new marquee national TV baseball broadcast by default.
"Back to Georgia!" - That was Al Michaels very last call after Game 5 of the 1995 World Series on ABC that was say goodbye and It was time to Fox and say hello to Joe Buck for the year 1996..
@@beyoncebillings6625 CBS was meh, and NBC only had 2 good themes: 1983-89 and the 1999 World Series suite. This was a beautiful theme to a format which was no different to today's local black-out sports coverage.
Since postseason baseball is coming back to ABC for the first time in 25 years this year with the expanded playoffs, ESPN should use this theme instead of their regular MLB theme
By 1996, ABC was no longer broadcast of baseball while because a new TV contract would go to FOX (instead of ABC) with a new theme music of "Fox MLB" since a year 1996 (until 2007 and returned since 2020)...
If ABC took over MLB coverage from NBC in 1996 with Fox, do you think ABC would have continued to use this theme for it's broadcasts? Also who would have been Al Michaels' partners since Tim McCarver left for Fox? Jim Palmer and who else? Gary Thorne would be the #2 play-by-play man with Jim Kaat? Do you think ABC would have continued MLB coverage until ESPN basically took over them? And would ABC get Monday Night and/or Thursday Night games? These are questions I would like to know? Personally, ABC should have bought MLB rights instead of NBC. They would've been better at covering it. Had this been the case, ABC would have broadcast the 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005 World Series. They would have broadcast the NLCS in these years, and the ALCS in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, and possibly 2006.
I would assume that ABC would have used a new theme had they kept broadcasting MLB post-1995. NBC had to use a new theme (since the broadcasts were now officially, full NBC Sports productions instead of MLB producing the broadcasts and then brokering them to NBC) when they signed a new contract with MLB for the 1996 season.
@@TMC1982Part2 I really liked the 1996-2000 era MLB TV contract with Fox being the main right holder showing Saturday Afternoon games from say Memorial Day weekend until the end of the regular season, 1/2 of the LCS round and the world series every other year. While either ABC or NBC(which did get it)rotate the world series with Fox every other year. Plus NBC showing a select number of playoff aka LDS and 1/2 of the LCS and a handful of regular season games as well. With ESPN having most of the Divisional playoffs (with the games simulcast in the home teams local stations at that time.) In 2019 terms, 1)Fox gets Saturday Night games (starting Memorial Weekend until Labor Day weekend)then Thursday Night games for rest of the season. Plus the world series and LCS rounds every other year. 2)NBC shows Friday Night games from All Star Break until end of the regular season. World Series every other years. 3)ESPN gets Opening Day, Memorial and July 4th games, Plus all of the Sunday Night Baseball and select Wild Card and Divsional round games. TBS/TNT Monday Night games and 1/2 of the Divisional playoffs. Too bad the MLB Bosses care only about the dollar but it' a shame a few more regular season games (Plus more Playoff games)are not shown on Free TV. Just heard here in 2019, that Fox TV extended their TV contract to show at least the world series all the way until the year 2028 I think.
Agreed. Also, from 2019 onwards there are select games being aired on RUclips (and also air internationally) through MLB Network on select days, which, per your suggestions, would be produced either by FOX or NBC Sports since they air during the regular season
John Saunders probably would have stayed as studio host for one. Had ABC continued broadcasting MLB games in 1996, their talent would likely have worked in concert with talent from ESPN (e.g., Jon Miller and Joe Morgan working some games, probably the B team.) Al Michaels would _definitely_ have remained as the top play-by-play man.
I think that The Baseball Network didn't work in part because it was trying to be too ambitious for the time. The strike didn't help but they tried too hard to pander to what they perceived to be of regional/local interests ("Baseball Night in America" was basically a glorified RSN telecast that just so happened to be in prime time on network television) at the expense of underexposing their product.
Terrence Clay Just look at MLB network. they have an amazing theme just as good as this one by Helmut Vonlitchen and Franz Vonlitchen of e. s. posthumus. also i can relate to that problem. The baseball Network couldve done more on the long end but the ratings were all going to network broadcasts instead.
The Baseball Network was supposed to run through the 1999 season, with ABC and NBC each getting three World Series (ABC in even numbered years and NBC having the All-Star game and League Championship Series in non-odd numbered years). Had the '94 strike not happened, and The Baseball Network was able to fulfill its initial contract, would Fox had still inevitably gotten a hold of the MLB TV package (which they did when The Baseball Network crumbled)?
they also aired the clinch game for the Indians in the AL central on "Baseball Night in America" on NBC which was part of the baseball network, remember long time Indians announcer Tom Hamilton did a special TV broadcast as part of the game on NBC when the Indians played host to the Baltimore Orioles and won 3 to 2 to clinch the AL central, it was the first time Hamilton exclaimed "And the season of dreams has become a reality, Cleveland you will have an October to remember!" *That was on September 8th 1995
It sure was right alongside Fox's US Open golf deal, CBS's MLB deal before the Baseball Network and Turner's UEFA Champions League deal as one of the worst sports TV contracts of the last 30 years.
I remember it on NBC better, I don't even remember if they had a second broadcast team on ABC, but remember Bob Costas on NBC with this theme very nostalgic.
B.M.:Line Drive We Are Tied! Griffey Is Comin' Around, In The Corner Is Bernie, Here's The Division Championship, MARINERS WIN IT! 2X B.C. The Team Of The 90's Has It's World Championship.
@@nochey78 They wanted to unify their music across all sports is why, every other sport trashed theirs too. Which is stupid, boring and doesn't really fit given the differences in sports logically, but branding wise I guess has merit.
ajk and it has failed.... when folks think the current fox theme, they don’t think baseball....they think football. Shit’s stupid. That would be like TNT using the “NBA on TNT” music for their baseball broadcasts.. As long as you’re using your network’s logo, and themes that are exclusive to that network, branding shouldnt be an issue...
Brent Musburger: "Decision time in the Great Northwest. ABC Sports welcomes you to Game 5 of the Division Series between the Western Division Champion Seattle Mariners and the American League Wild Card the New York Yankees."
I remember the opening vividly. Longtime Mariners fan. The game that saved the franchise in Seattle. Thank you for posting
Whoever jammed this sucker, know you did a lifetime solid for baseball fans. This is the sound of winning.
“So one more time in this GREAT series, the Kingdome is ready to rock!” -Brent Musburger
And rock it would! The game that saved baseball in Seattle, ALDS Yankees vs Mariners 1995 Game 5
@toddcouture4001 Yes it did. Watching all the way across from the country, that was a GLORIOUS series.
One of the greatest sports theme songs ever, almost making up for how poor The Baseball Network format was.
The Baseball Network was flawed from the start because its format was way too rigid and short-sighted. "Baseball Night in America" was an intriguing concept in theory. Major League Baseball creating essentially its own version of "Hockey Night in Canada" by having multiple games on prime time network TV at going on at the same time. Where The Baseball Network dropped the ball was its insistence on aggressively monopolizing the regular season dates and timeslots. Why this didn't work was two-fold. First, in the case of markets with two teams (i.e. New York, Los Angeles/Anaheim, San Francisco/Oakland, Chicago, and even in Texas with the Rangers and Astros), your affiliate could only show a single game involving said teams at a time. Secondly, if your team played in a different time zone, then you were out of luck. Let's say, that you're a Tigers fan living in Detroit. If the Tigers were playing on the West Coast in Seattle and the game started at 8 PM Pacific Time, then you couldn't see the game on The Baseball Network.
Fans of the Braves and Cubs were REALLY miffed on the afternoon of August 25, 1995. They played a matinee game at Wrigley Field that, on any other day, would have been all over superstation heavyweights TBS and WGN. But there was NO LIVE TV COVERAGE AT ALL, just radio, save for a local camera crew filming footage for inclusion on the evening news. And, since there was an ordinance in place that prevented Friday games at the Friendly Confines from being staged at night, there was no choice but to uphold the 2:20 PM start time without the usual benefit of TV. Due to the dual policy, TBN screwed the millions of Atlanta and Chicago followers throughout North America (both TBS and WGN were available in Canada as well as the U.S.). That right there is what I hated about the format. Not only that. WGN was deprived of three other Cubs games: September 8 vs. San Francisco, September 22 vs. Pittsburgh and September 29 vs. Houston. No doubt North Side Nation was among the many who were all too glad to see TBN disband after the season.
The Baseball Network came in with the belief that people no longer wanted to so "national" games on network television because of declining ratings. Hence, why "Baseball Night in America" aimed with a decidedly more regional slant and why the Saturday afternoon "game of the week" was eliminated. What brain-children behind The Baseball Network seemed to forget is that CBS, when they held the contract systematically watered down the "Game of the Week" by not broadcasting every single week. CBS only aired about 16 weeks out of a 26 week season. It was normal of them to go an entire month (let alone weeks a time) without broadcasting baseball at all. Because of this, "Sunday Night Baseball" on ESPN for all intents and purposes, became new marquee national TV baseball broadcast by default.
@M soccer doesn't have the most viewed thing ever.
This sucks NBC and CBS had the best theme song
Finally I found this theme. Best part is from 0:56-1:10
"Back to Georgia!"
- That was Al Michaels very last call after Game 5 of the 1995 World Series on ABC that was say goodbye and It was time to Fox and say hello to Joe Buck for the year 1996..
One of the best themes ever for baseball this was the first baseball theme I remember hearing as a kid in the mid 90s
This sucks NBC and CBS was the best
@@beyoncebillings6625 CBS was meh, and NBC only had 2 good themes: 1983-89 and the 1999 World Series suite. This was a beautiful theme to a format which was no different to today's local black-out sports coverage.
This short lived mlb theme song I missed those days that happened in my childhood real talk 123
Since postseason baseball is coming back to ABC for the first time in 25 years this year with the expanded playoffs, ESPN should use this theme instead of their regular MLB theme
Atlanta Braves, the team of the 90s has its World Championship.
Bob Costas NBC Sports.
By 1996, ABC was no longer broadcast of baseball while because a new TV contract would go to FOX (instead of ABC) with a new theme music of "Fox MLB" since a year 1996 (until 2007 and returned since 2020)...
From Al Michaels of ABC Sports to Joe Buck of Fox Sports (for the 1996 Baseball season)...
I play the this During mlb the Show
CBS and NBC had The Best Baseball theme
Happy October everyone!
Baseball that matters is back!
#GoCrew
Reminds me a little of the Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas music
If ABC took over MLB coverage from NBC in 1996 with Fox, do you think ABC would have continued to use this theme for it's broadcasts? Also who would have been Al Michaels' partners since Tim McCarver left for Fox? Jim Palmer and who else? Gary Thorne would be the #2 play-by-play man with Jim Kaat? Do you think ABC would have continued MLB coverage until ESPN basically took over them? And would ABC get Monday Night and/or Thursday Night games? These are questions I would like to know? Personally, ABC should have bought MLB rights instead of NBC. They would've been better at covering it. Had this been the case, ABC would have broadcast the 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005 World Series. They would have broadcast the NLCS in these years, and the ALCS in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, and possibly 2006.
I would assume that ABC would have used a new theme had they kept broadcasting MLB post-1995. NBC had to use a new theme (since the broadcasts were now officially, full NBC Sports productions instead of MLB producing the broadcasts and then brokering them to NBC) when they signed a new contract with MLB for the 1996 season.
@@TMC1982Part2 I really liked the 1996-2000 era MLB TV contract with Fox being the main right holder showing Saturday Afternoon games from say Memorial Day weekend until the end of the regular season, 1/2 of the LCS round and the world series every other year. While either ABC or NBC(which did get it)rotate the world series with Fox every other year. Plus NBC showing a select number of playoff aka LDS and 1/2 of the LCS and a handful of regular season games as well. With ESPN having most of the Divisional playoffs (with the games simulcast in the home teams local stations at that time.)
In 2019 terms,
1)Fox gets Saturday Night games (starting Memorial Weekend until Labor Day weekend)then Thursday Night games for rest of the season. Plus the world series and LCS rounds every other year. 2)NBC shows Friday Night games from All Star Break until end of the regular season. World Series every other years. 3)ESPN gets Opening Day, Memorial and July 4th games, Plus all of the Sunday Night Baseball and select Wild Card and Divsional round games. TBS/TNT Monday Night games and 1/2 of the Divisional playoffs.
Too bad the MLB Bosses care only about the dollar but it' a shame a few more regular season games (Plus more Playoff games)are not shown on Free TV. Just heard here in 2019, that Fox TV extended their TV contract to show at least the world series all the way until the year 2028 I think.
Agreed. Also, from 2019 onwards there are select games being aired on RUclips (and also air internationally) through MLB Network on select days, which, per your suggestions, would be produced either by FOX or NBC Sports since they air during the regular season
John Saunders probably would have stayed as studio host for one. Had ABC continued broadcasting MLB games in 1996, their talent would likely have worked in concert with talent from ESPN (e.g., Jon Miller and Joe Morgan working some games, probably the B team.) Al Michaels would _definitely_ have remained as the top play-by-play man.
Not a bad theme song, but the "Baseball Network" idea was probly the worst sports broadcasting contract of all time
amlnet49 to me it could work if FOX had not bid for 1996
+amlnet49 Theme made by Scott Schreer.
I think that The Baseball Network didn't work in part because it was trying to be too ambitious for the time. The strike didn't help but they tried too hard to pander to what they perceived to be of regional/local interests ("Baseball Night in America" was basically a glorified RSN telecast that just so happened to be in prime time on network television) at the expense of underexposing their product.
Terrence Clay Just look at MLB network. they have an amazing theme just as good as this one by Helmut Vonlitchen and Franz Vonlitchen of e. s. posthumus. also i can relate to that problem. The baseball Network couldve done more on the long end but the ratings were all going to network broadcasts instead.
The Baseball Network was supposed to run through the 1999 season, with ABC and NBC each getting three World Series (ABC in even numbered years and NBC having the All-Star game and League Championship Series in non-odd numbered years). Had the '94 strike not happened, and The Baseball Network was able to fulfill its initial contract, would Fox had still inevitably gotten a hold of the MLB TV package (which they did when The Baseball Network crumbled)?
NBC/ABC Major League Baseball theme (1994-1995).
Reminds the 1995 World Series between the Atlanta Braves vs. Cleveland Indians...
they also aired the clinch game for the Indians in the AL central on "Baseball Night in America" on NBC which was part of the baseball network, remember long time Indians announcer Tom Hamilton did a special TV broadcast as part of the game on NBC when the Indians played host to the Baltimore Orioles and won 3 to 2 to clinch the AL central, it was the first time Hamilton exclaimed "And the season of dreams has become a reality, Cleveland you will have an October to remember!" *That was on September 8th 1995
The Indians won 100 games in a shortened season. They blew it in the World Series and still haven't won one since 1948.
This would be good game of the week Music
1995 World Series anyone?
Too bad this theme was short lived, But the baseball TV package on ABC & NBC was a bad deal!!
It sure was right alongside Fox's US Open golf deal, CBS's MLB deal before the Baseball Network and Turner's UEFA Champions League deal as one of the worst sports TV contracts of the last 30 years.
@@chrisguardiano6143 Don't forget the National Hockey League's deal with SportsChannel America from 1988-92.
@@TMC1982Part2 MLB's CBS theme from 1990-1993 was INFERIOR compared to their radio counterpart.
Which network would have this theme been better suited with? ABC or NBC? Personally, I'm going to go with ABC.
NBC, just for it being debuted on there at the 94 All-Star and how it stuck with me and so many people - ruclips.net/video/2v3pmoh8fLY/видео.html
I remember it on NBC better, I don't even remember if they had a second broadcast team on ABC, but remember Bob Costas on NBC with this theme very nostalgic.
Bob Costas had his nose in everything at NBC good riddance Bob I'm glad they kicked him to the curb
@@timothyparryjropen The 2nd broadcast team ABC had was Brent Musburger and Jim Kaat
@@chrisguardiano6143 that makes sense, thanks for helping me remember
B.M.:Line Drive We Are Tied! Griffey Is Comin' Around, In The Corner Is Bernie, Here's The Division Championship, MARINERS WIN IT! 2X
B.C. The Team Of The 90's Has It's World Championship.
Excellent
the mariners should have won at least one series in the 90s.
@@blobulous3500he Indians should have. IDK about the Mariners. The Mariners should have won in 2001, though.
The only problem had with the network is during the 95 playoffs were played at the same time
MLB ON ABC/NBC | NBA ON CBS/TBS | NHL ON ESPN/ABC
WTF?
Reminds me of a more uptempo version of the horrendous 1990-93 MLB CBS theme.
Montana Roots I have no idea why FUX got rid of their MLB theme..
@@nochey78 They wanted to unify their music across all sports is why, every other sport trashed theirs too. Which is stupid, boring and doesn't really fit given the differences in sports logically, but branding wise I guess has merit.
ajk and it has failed.... when folks think the current fox theme, they don’t think baseball....they think football. Shit’s stupid.
That would be like TNT using the “NBA on TNT” music for their baseball broadcasts..
As long as you’re using your network’s logo, and themes that are exclusive to that network, branding shouldnt be an issue...
@@nochey78 well, Fox since 2020 has the old 1996 MLB Saturday theme back. And I believe it's here to stay.
@@shaneharrisnj3484 and I love it.