Braves TBS Baseball

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Braves TBS Baseball or Braves Baseball on TBS is a Major League Baseball broadcast on the TBS (Turner Broadcasting System) television network, featuring Atlanta Braves regular season games. The program made its debut in 1977 and is expected to end in 2007.

Contents 1 New Era for Viewers 2 Anouncers 2.1 Play-by-Play 2.2 Analysts 2.3 Studio Personnel 3 History 3.1 2003 3.2 Braves TBS Xtra 3.3 Chip Caray Comes to TBS 3.4 2006 Season 3.5 2007 and Beyond 4 Blackouts 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] New Era for Viewers

See also: Major League Baseball on TBS

TBS is currently phasing out its national coverage of Braves baseball after striking a contract to broadcast other regular season and playoff MLB games. Many Braves games will in the future only be broadcast regionally on SportSouth, Fox Sports Net South, and WTBS.

[edit] Anouncers

[edit] Play-by-Play

1. Skip Caray (1975-present)
2. Pete Van Wieren (1975-present)
3. Ernie Johnson Sr. (1977-1999)
4. John Sterling (1982-1987)
5. Dave O'Brien (1990-1991)
6. Chip Caray (2005-present)

[edit] Analysts

1. Don Sutton (1989-2006)
2. Joe Simpson (1992-present)
3. Ron Gant (guest analyst for Braves TBS Xtra)

[edit] Studio Personnel

1. Erin Andrews (2001-2003)
2. Marc Fein (2004-present)
3. Ernie Johnson Jr. (1993-present)

[edit] History

[edit] 2003

In 2003, Braves games on TBS became unfamilar. For one they let Don Sutton and Joe Simpson be the lead commentators while on Turner South, Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren covered the games. The other thing became known was that the slogan Braves Baseball on TBS was replaced by Major League Baseball on TBS. After the All-Star Break, TBS brought back Skip and Pete while in the following year, they said Braves baseball on TBS.

[edit] Braves TBS Xtra

Starting in 2004, some TBS telecasts (mostly Fridays or Saturdays) became more enhanced. The network decided to call it Braves TBS Xtra. Enhancements included catcher cam, Xtra Motion, which featured the type of pitch and movement. It would also show features with inside access to players.

[edit] Chip Caray Comes to TBS

In 2005, Chip Caray joined the broadcast team after he and Chicago Cubs broadcast partner Steve Stone were dismissed from WGN-TV for on-air criticism of the team during the 2004 season (Stone moved to ESPN beginning with the 2005 season). Chip had worked previously with Turner Sports in the early 1990s, while working for SportSouth.

[edit] 2006 Season

While just carrying 70 Braves games on TBS, TBS sold Turner South to Fox Sports. After that, the FSN South broadcasters did all Turner South Telecasts, which was renamed SportSouth later in the year to distinguish it from FSN South. In contrast to SportSouth, FSN South covers more of the Southeast beyond Georgia. With the decision to allow FSN to broadcast over 85 games, TBS was no longer the Braves' primary broadcaster. Coupled with the impending sale of the team, Pete Van Wieren said, "It's like a end of an era." At the end of the 2006 season, Turner Sports decided not to renew analysistDon Sutton's contract with the network.

[edit] 2007 and Beyond

2007, will mark the last year of Braves baseball on TBS in a national feed, covering only 70 Braves games. Instead, from 2008 until 2013, the Southeast will get 45 Braves games on WTBS' over-the-air Channel 17 (unclear is whether TBS Superstation will carry the Braves throughout the region, or if other over-the-air stations will partner with WTBS). The remaining games will air on FSN South or SportSouth, meaning the Braves will now revert to only regional coverage, as most other teams have done since recent expansions gave MLB a virtually nationwide footprint.

Previously, TBS had announced a deal to air those same 45 games nationally, not expecting to end up with its eventual Sunday afternoon and playoffs contract, Major League Baseball on TBS.

[edit] Blackouts

Due to MLB's restriction, most Braves games are blacked out on TBS at the game's opposing team's area, meaning games available on local television (except for the Atlanta area, where TBS is the exclusive channel for Atlanta Braves games when not airing on FSN South or SportSouth) cannot be seen on TBS. Examples of blackout areas are: New York area when either New York Yankees or New York Mets are playing against Atlanta Braves at either New York or Atlanta, New England area when Boston Red Sox are playing against Atlanta Braves at either Boston or Atlanta, and Mid-Atlantic Area, where Washington Nationals or Baltimore Orioles are playing against Atlanta Braves at Washington DC, Baltimore, or Atlanta.

[edit] See also

• Major League Baseball on TBS
• Major League Baseball on FOX
• ESPN Major League Baseball

[edit] External links

• AtlantaBraves.com