When FOX Sports starts up a brand new season of its "Saturday Baseball Game of the Week" next month, the network will be presenting a new-look pregame show utilizing the resources of one of their broadcast partners.

FOX Sports' Co-President Eric Shanks & MLB Network President/CEO Tony Petitti have announced that the "MLB on FOX" pregame show, which had been trimmed to just 10 minutes from the ballpark last season due to budget cuts by parent company News Corporation, will now be a full half hour this season. The pregame show will originate from MLB Network's state-of-the-art facility in Secaucus, NJ, but that's not the only change viewers will notice.

Chris Rose, who had hosted "MLB on FOX" pregame the last 3 years and currently hosts MLBN's daily "Intentional Talk" with Kevin Millar, will devote full time to MLB's 24/7 channel this season. Matt Vasgersian, one of the faces of MLB Network and an occasional "MLB on FOX" play-by-play voice, will replace Rose on the new look pregame show next month. Matt will be joined on the New Jersey-based set by a rotating lineup of MLBN analysts such as Millar, Harold Reynolds, Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams & former Diamonbacks' LF Eric Byrnes 30 minutes before first pitch on most Saturday afternoons this season. Ken Rosenthal, who splits duties with both FOX & MLBN and is a regular columnist for FOXSports.com, will continue his duties on the new-look pregame. It's the latest collaboration between the two networks since MLBN launched in 2009.

The new look "MLB on FOX" pregame premieres at 2:30p (CT) Saturday, April 7th, followed by a lineup of the following regional games. As always, check local listings for games & times in your area.

BOSTON/DETROIT: Joe Buck & Tim McCarver
ST.LOUIS/MILWAUKEE: Thom Brennaman & Eric Karros
SAN FRANCISCO/ARIZONA: Daron Sutton & Eric Byrnes
KANSAS CITY/ANAHEIM: Kenny Albert & Mark Gubicza

MLB Network has a good staff, so pregame will be done well, but the whole production feels unnecessary to me, y'know? I would really be fine with just one Game of the Week and no pregame show, because that makes the Saturday afternoon national game more special, and it means fewer games for Fox to crap all over with its subpar, perfunctory approach to baseball coverage. It doesn't have to be and shouldn't be football for the summer, with a big dumb loud pregame show and regional action coming your way at the top of the hour. Just produce one baseball game well, for once.

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Yes, it does and should be.

Especially since its only once a week. Once a week showcase for your sport is fine.


The NBA should be doing this on Sunday's as well.

MLB Network has come a long way. They seem to have borrowed a page from NFL Network this month with actual exhibition games, both live & on tape delay, in addition to their original shows.

SHARK, what do you know about this little number Dionne Miller?

Coming to Fox Sports News Chicago.

MLB Network is miles ahead of the NFL Network SHARK

NFL network should be taking notes.

I know nothing about her, Beni. No sooner did CBS2 pull the plug on "Monsters & Money in the Morning", Dan Jiggetts has been doing weekend sports on FOX32's Saturday & Sunday night newscasts anchored solo by Larry Yellen with Tammie Souza doing the weather.

Yes.

And its even sillier that the NBA doesnt do this seeing as they could perfectly weave it in after the Super Bowl.

The only problem with this is the ESPN pregame crew is god awful. Wilbon is alright and Magic doesn't really bug me but Jon Barry sucks and Chris Broussard is worse than cancer.

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Guys, ESPN/ABC's new look NBA pregame show from Los Angeles this year is a train wreck. Chris Broussard is like nails through a chalkboard.

Yeah, their current half assed attempt is terrible. It would need to be a whole new thing.

Have games every week at 12, 230, and 5

As much as I can't stand Stuart "Booyah Boy" Scott & Hannah Storm, those two guided ESPN/ABC's "NBA Countdown". The current foursome in Los Angeles...Not good.

NBA on ESPN had good pre/half/post when they did it out of Times Square. It wasn't as good as Inside the NBA, nothing is, but when they moved it back to Bristol, it was just soulless and annoying like everything else ESPN does. The LA guys are bad as well, yes.

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I know what you're referring, CH. I don't know why ESPN/ABC moved its NBA pregame from New York to Bristol, CT and now out to Los Angeles.

Probably a matter of exercising more control. I think the New York crew really pissed off the mothership when they defended the players in the Pacers-Pistons brawl and called the fans punks. (They were mostly right!) Didn't that whole panel get retooled? Who was it that year? John Saunders, Greg Anthony, Tim Legler, Bill Laimbeer, I want to say?

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John Saunders was definitely the ringmaster of that ESPN/ABC panel, CH, when the pregame originated in New York, and I think the others seem about right to me.

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