List of American League Division Series broadcasters

Last updated

The following is a list of the national television and radio networks and announcers who have covered the American League Division Series throughout the years. It does include any announcers who may have appeared on local radio broadcasts produced by the participating teams.

Contents

Television

2020s

YearSeriesNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Field reporter(s)
2023 Baltimore Orioles/Texas Rangers FS1 (Games 1–2) Joe Davis John Smoltz Ken Rosenthal
Fox (Game 3)
Houston Astros/Minnesota Twins FS1 (Games 1–2, 4) Adam Amin A. J. Pierzynski and Adam Wainwright Tom Verducci
Fox (Game 3)
2022 Houston Astros/Seattle Mariners TBS Brian Anderson Jeff Francoeur Matt Winer
New York Yankees/Cleveland Guardians Bob Costas [1] Ron Darling Lauren Shehadi (Games 1–4)
Matt Winer (Game 5)
2021 Tampa Bay Rays/Boston Red Sox FS1 (Games 1–2, 4) Joe Davis [2] John Smoltz Ken Rosenthal
MLB Network (Game 3) Matt Vasgersian
Houston Astros/Chicago White Sox FS1 (Games 1, 3–4) Adam Amin A. J. Pierzynski and Adam Wainwright (in Chicago) Tom Verducci
MLB Network (Game 2) Bob Costas Jim Kaat and Buck Showalter
2020 Tampa Bay Rays/New York Yankees TBS Brian Anderson Ron Darling Lauren Shehadi
Oakland Athletics/Houston Astros Don Orsillo Jeff Francoeur Matt Winer

2010s

YearSeriesNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Field reporter(s)
2019 Houston Astros/Tampa Bay Rays FS1 (Games 1–2, 4–5) Kenny Albert Joe Girardi and A. J. Pierzynski Jon Paul Morosi
MLB Network (Game 3) Bob Costas Joe Girardi and Jim Kaat
New York Yankees/Minnesota Twins MLB Network (Game 1) Bob Costas John Smoltz Tom Verducci
FS1 (Games 2–3) Joe Davis Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci
2018 Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees TBS Brian Anderson Ron Darling Lauren Shehadi
Houston Astros/Cleveland Indians Don Orsillo Dennis Eckersley Hazel Mae
2017 Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees FS1 (Games 1, 3–5) Matt Vasgersian John Smoltz Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci
MLB Network (Game 2)
Houston Astros/Boston Red Sox MLB Network (Game 1) Bob Costas Jim Kaat Jon Paul Morosi
FS1 (Games 2–4) Joe Davis David Cone and A. J. Pierzynski
2016 Texas Rangers/Toronto Blue Jays TBS Brian Anderson Dennis Eckersley and Joe Simpson Matt Winer
Cleveland Indians/Boston Red Sox Ernie Johnson Ron Darling and Cal Ripken Sam Ryan
2015 Kansas City Royals/Houston Astros FS1 (Games 1–2, 4–5) Matt Vasgersian John Smoltz and A. J. Pierzynski Jon Paul Morosi
MLB Network (Game 3) John Smoltz
Toronto Blue Jays/Texas Rangers FS1 (Games 1, 3–5) Kenny Albert Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci Ken Rosenthal
MLB Network (Game 2) Bob Costas Jim Kaat
2014 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Kansas City Royals TBS [3] Ernie Johnson Ron Darling and Cal Ripken Matt Winer
Baltimore Orioles/Detroit Tigers Brian Anderson Dennis Eckersley and Joe Simpson Jaime Maggio
2013 [4] Detroit Tigers/Oakland Athletics TBS (Games 1–2, 4–5) Don Orsillo Dennis Eckersley and Buck Martinez David Aldridge
MLB Network (Game 3) Matt Vasgersian Jim Kaat Sam Ryan
Boston Red Sox/Tampa Bay Rays TBS Brian Anderson John Smoltz and Joe Simpson Rachel Nichols
2012 Baltimore Orioles/New York Yankees TBS Ernie Johnson John Smoltz and Cal Ripken Craig Sager
Detroit Tigers/Oakland Athletics TBS (Games 1, 3) Don Orsillo [5] Buck Martinez Jaime Maggio
TNT (Games 4–5)
MLB Network (Game 2) [6] Matt Vasgersian Jim Kaat Sam Ryan
2011 [7] New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers TNT (Games 1–2) Brian Anderson Ron Darling and John Smoltz Tom Verducci
TBS (Games 3–5)
Texas Rangers/Tampa Bay Rays TBS (Game 1, 3–4) Don Orsillo Buck Martinez Jaime Maggio
TNT (Game 2) [8]
2010 [9] Tampa Bay Rays/Texas Rangers TBS Don Orsillo Buck Martinez
Ron Darling (Game 5)
Marc Fein
Minnesota Twins/New York Yankees Ernie Johnson Ron Darling and John Smoltz Craig Sager

Notes

  • TNT was scheduled to air three entire Division Series games in 2011 due to conflicts with TBS. On October 1, it aired Game 2 of the Tampa Bay Rays vs. the Texas Rangers at 7 p.m. ET, which overlapped with the end of Game 1 of the St. Louis Cardinals vs. the Philadelphia Phillies and the continuation of Game 1 of the Detroit Tigers vs. the New York Yankees on TBS. (The latter was also to have been Game 2, but Game 1 was suspended after 1+12 innings due to rain.) On October 2, it aired the rescheduled Game 2 between the Tigers and the Yankees at 3 p.m. ET, two hours before Game 2 of the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. the Milwaukee Brewers on TBS. On October 4, it aired Game 3 of the Diamondbacks vs. the Brewers at 9:30 p.m. ET, one hour after Game 3 of the Tigers vs. the Yankees started on TBS.
  • For the 2012 and 2013 seasons, TBS has been awarded the rights to televise both Wild Card Playoff games that occur on the day before the Division Series games. In exchange, MLB Network has been awarded the rights to televise two of the Division Series games that previously belonged to TBS. [10]
  • Beginning in 2014, when Fox Sports began a new television contract with Major League Baseball, FS1 airs 40 regular season MLB games (mostly on Saturdays), along with up to 15 post-season games (eight Divisional Series games and one best-of-7 League Championship Series). The deal resulted in a reduction of MLB coverage on the Fox network, which will air 12 regular season games, the All-Star Game, and the World Series. [11]
  • Don Orsillo replaced Ernie Johnson on TBS' 2018 ALDS coverage after Johnson announced [12] that he would not cover the Major League Baseball playoffs as a result of his treatment for the blood clots in both of his legs.

2000s

YearSeriesNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Field reporter(s)
2009 New York Yankees/Minnesota Twins TBS Chip Caray Ron Darling Craig Sager
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Boston Red Sox Don Orsillo Buck Martinez Marc Fein
2008 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Boston Red Sox TBS Chip Caray Buck Martinez and Ron Darling (Game 4) Craig Sager
Chicago White Sox/Tampa Bay Rays Don Orsillo Harold Reynolds Marc Fein
2007 Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees TBS Chip Caray Tony Gwynn and Bob Brenly Craig Sager
Boston Red Sox/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Ted Robinson Steve Stone José Mota
2006 New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers Fox (Games 1, 4) Joe Buck (Game 1)
Josh Lewin (Game 4)
Tim McCarver (Game 1)
Steve Lyons (Game 4)
ESPN (Games 2–3) Jon Miller Joe Morgan
Ernie Harwell (Game 3)
Minnesota Twins/Oakland Athletics ESPN Jon Miller (Game 1)
Dave O'Brien (Games 2–3)
Joe Morgan (Game 1)
Rick Sutcliffe and Eric Karros (Games 2–3)
2005 Chicago White Sox/Boston Red Sox ESPN (in Chicago) Chris Berman Rick Sutcliffe and Mike Piazza
ESPN2 (in Boston)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/New York Yankees Fox (Games 1, 4–5) Joe Buck (Games 1, 5)
Thom Brennaman (Game 4)
Tim McCarver
ESPN (Games 2–3) Jon Miller Joe Morgan
2004 Anaheim Angels/Boston Red Sox ESPN Chris Berman Rick Sutcliffe and Tony Gwynn
New York Yankees/Minnesota Twins Fox (Games 1, 4) Joe Buck (Game 1)
Josh Lewin (Game 4)
Tim McCarver (Game 1)
Steve Lyons (Game 4)
ESPN (Games 2–3) Jon Miller Joe Morgan
2003 New York Yankees/Minnesota Twins ESPN (Games 1, 3–4) Jon Miller (Game 1)
Gary Thorne (in Minnesota)
Joe Morgan (Game 1)
Jeff Brantley and David Justice (in Minnesota)
Fox (Game 2) Joe Buck Tim McCarver
Oakland Athletics/Boston Red Sox ESPN (Games 1, 4) Dave O'Brien (Game 1)
Jon Miller (Games 2–4)
Jeff Brantley and David Justice (Game 1)
Joe Morgan (Games 2–4)
ESPN2 (Games 2–3)
Fox (Game 5) Thom Brennaman Steve Lyons
2002 New York Yankees/Anaheim Angels Fox (Games 1–2, 4) Joe Buck (Games 1–2)
Thom Brennaman (Game 4)
Tim McCarver
ABC Family (Game 3) Jon Miller Joe Morgan
Oakland Athletics/Minnesota Twins ABC Family Jon Miller (in Oakland)
Dave O'Brien (in Minnesota)
Joe Morgan (in Oakland)
Tony Gwynn and Rick Sutcliffe (in Minnesota)
ESPN2 (Game 2)
2001 New York Yankees/Oakland Athletics Fox Joe Buck (Games 1–2)
Thom Brennaman (Games 3 [13] –5)
Tim McCarver (Games 1–2)
Steve Lyons (Games 3–5)
Seattle Mariners/Cleveland Indians Fox (Games 1, 3, 5) Josh Lewin Rex Hudler
Fox Family (Games 2, 4)
2000 Oakland Athletics/New York Yankees NBC (Games 1, 3–4)/Pax (Game 1) Skip Caray Joe Morgan Bob Wischusen (Game 1)
Jim Gray (in New York)
Fox (Games 2, 5) Joe Buck (Game 2)
Thom Brennaman (Game 5)
Tim McCarver (Game 2)
Bob Brenly (Game 5)
Chicago White Sox/Seattle Mariners ESPN Chris Berman Rick Sutcliffe

Notes

  • In 2000, NBC was caught in the dilemma of having to televise a first round playoff game between the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics over the first presidential debate between George W. Bush and Al Gore. NBC decided to give its local stations the option of carrying the debate or the baseball game. If the NBC affiliate decided to carry the debate, then local Pax affiliate could carry the game. However, if there was no Pax availability and the local NBC affiliate aired the debate (which actually occurred in most NBC affiliates), then that market was shut out of the baseball telecast.
  • ABC Family's coverage of the Division Series was produced by ESPN. The reason that games were on ABC Family instead of ESPN was because The Walt Disney Company (ESPN's parent company) bought Fox Family from News Corporation. The ABC Family/ESPN inherited Division Series package was included in Fox's then exclusive television contract with Major League Baseball (initiated in 2001). ABC Family had no other choice but to fulfill the contract handed to them. The only usage of the ABC Family "bug" was for a ten-second period when returning from a commercial break (in the lower right corner of the screen).
    • Game 2 (played on October 2) of the Minnesota/Oakland series in 2002 started on ESPN2 because the San Francisco-Atlanta game (which started at 1 p.m. Eastern Time) ran over the three-hour time window. The game was eventually switched back to ABC Family once the early game ended.
  • Former longtime Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell served as a special guest commentator for two innings in Game 3 of the 2006 Tigers-Yankees series.
  • Turner Sports provided a provisional plan in which if a League Division Series game televised on TBS ran into the start of the next LDS game scheduled to air on TBS, then TNT would provide supplementary coverage of the latter games' early moments. To be more specific, all games in the Division Series round were presented back-to-back, with each game scheduled for a 3+12-hour window. If a game exceeded this window, the first pitch of the next game would be switched to TNT. If a game ended within 3+12 hours, the studio team would return for interstitial programming.
    • In 2007, TBS switched the starts of four games to TNT in the Division Series round because the previous games exceeded the time limit. TNT was also scheduled to air Game 4 of the Diamondbacks-Cubs series, which overlapped with Game 3 of the Red Sox-Angels series, but the former game was not played; the night before, the D-Backs completed a three-game sweep of the Cubs.

1990s

YearSeriesNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Field reporter(s)
1999 New York Yankees/Texas Rangers NBC (Games 1, 3 [14] ) Bob Costas Joe Morgan
Fox (Game 2) Thom Brennaman Bob Brenly
Cleveland Indians/Boston Red Sox Fox (Games 1, 3–5 [15] ) Joe Buck (Games 1, 5)
Thom Brennaman (in Boston)
Tim McCarver (Games 1, 5)
Bob Brenly (Games 3–5)
ESPN (Game 2) Jon Miller Joe Morgan
1998 New York Yankees/Texas Rangers Fox (Game 1) Joe Buck Tim McCarver
NBC (Games 2–3) Bob Costas Joe Morgan
Cleveland Indians/Boston Red Sox ESPN (Games 1–3) Chris Berman Ray Knight
Fox (Game 4) Joe Buck Tim McCarver
1997 Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees Fox (Games 1–2, 4–5) Joe Buck Tim McCarver and Bob Brenly
NBC (Game 3) Bob Costas Joe Morgan and Bob Uecker
Baltimore Orioles/Seattle Mariners NBC (Game 1) Bob Costas Joe Morgan and Bob Uecker
ESPN (Games 2, 4) Jon Miller Joe Morgan
Fox (Game 3) Thom Brennaman Bob Brenly
1996 Texas Rangers/New York Yankees NBC (Games 1, [16] 3) Bob Costas Joe Morgan and Bob Uecker Jim Gray (Game 1)
Fox (Game 2 [17] ) Thom Brennaman Bob Brenly
ESPN (Game 4) Chris Berman Dave Campbell
Cleveland Indians/Baltimore Orioles ESPN (Games 1–3) Jon Miller Dave Campbell and Kirby Puckett (Game 1)
Joe Morgan (Game 2)
Buck Martinez (in Cleveland)
ESPN2 (Game 4)
1995 Seattle Mariners/New York Yankees NBC (in New York [18] ) Gary Thorne Tommy Hutton
ABC (in Seattle [19] ) Brent Musburger Jim Kaat Jack Arute (Game 5)
Cleveland Indians/Boston Red Sox NBC (in Cleveland [20] ) Bob Costas Bob Uecker
ABC (in Boston) Steve Zabriskie Tommy Hutton Bob Stevens (Game 3)

Notes

  • 1995 marked the only year of postseason coverage provided by "The Baseball Network", which was a revenue sharing joint venture between Major League Baseball, ABC and NBC. "The Baseball Network" was also scheduled to cover the Division Series in 1994, but plans were scrapped when a strike caused the postseason to be canceled. All games in the first two rounds (including the League Championship Series) were scheduled in the same time slot for regional telecasts. Initially, under the alternating six-year plan, ABC would've covered the Division Series in even numbered years (as well as the World Series in even numbered years) while NBC would've covered the Division Series in odd numbered years (in even numbered years, they would've gotten the rights to the All-Star Game and League Championship Series).
  • From 19962000, NBC aired LDS games on Tuesday/Friday/Saturday nights. Fox aired LDS games on Wednesday/Thursday nights, Saturdays in the late afternoon, plus Sunday/Monday nights (if necessary). Meanwhile, ESPN carried many afternoon LDS contests. At this point, all playoff games were nationally televised (mostly in unopposed timeslots).

1981

YearSeriesNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator
1981 Oakland Athletics/Kansas City Royals ABC Al Michaels [21] Jim Palmer [22] [23]
New York Yankees/Milwaukee Brewers Keith Jackson [24] (Games 1–3, 5)
Don Drysdale (Game 4)
Don Drysdale and Howard Cosell

Notes

Radio

National

2020s

YearSeriesNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator(s)
2023 Baltimore Orioles/Texas Rangers ESPN Karl Ravech Tim Kurkjian
Houston Astros/Minnesota Twins Dave O'Brien (Games 1–3)
Mike Couzens (Game 4)
Eduardo Pérez
2022 Seattle Mariners/Houston Astros ESPN Dave O'Brien Marly Rivera
Cleveland Guardians/New York Yankees Dan Shulman Eduardo Pérez
2021 Tampa Bay Rays/Boston Red Sox ESPN Dan Shulman Xavier Scruggs
Houston Astros/Chicago White Sox Kevin Brown Chris Burke
2020 Tampa Bay Rays/New York Yankees ESPN Dan Shulman Chris Singleton
Oakland Athletics/Houston Astros Dave O’Brien Jim Bowden (Games 1, 3–4)
Kyle Peterson (Game 2)
Notes
  • Due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of ESPN Radio's commentators for the 2020 postseason called the games off of monitors at the ESPN studios in Bristol, Connecticut. [25]

2010s

YearSeriesNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator
2019 Houston Astros/Tampa Bay Rays ESPN Dave Flemming Jim Bowden
New York Yankees/Minnesota Twins Dan Shulman Chris Singleton
2018 Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees ESPN Jon Sciambi Jessica Mendoza
Houston Astros/Cleveland Indians Dave Flemming Jim Bowden
2017 Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees ESPN Jon Sciambi Chris Singleton
Houston Astros/Boston Red Sox Chris Berman Rick Sutcliffe
2016 Texas Rangers/Toronto Blue Jays ESPN Chris Berman (in Arlington)
Michael Kay (in Toronto)
Rick Sutcliffe
Cleveland Indians/Boston Red Sox Jon Sciambi Chris Singleton
2015 Kansas City Royals/Houston Astros ESPN Dave O’Brien John Kruk
Toronto Blue Jays/Texas Rangers Chris Berman (Games 1–2)
Dave Flemming (in Arlington)
Dan Shulman (Game 5)
Rick Sutcliffe
2014 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Kansas City Royals ESPN Jon Sciambi Chris Singleton
Baltimore Orioles/Detroit Tigers Chris Berman (in Baltimore)
Dave Flemming (in Toronto)
Rick Sutcliffe
2013 Oakland Athletics/Detroit Tigers ESPN Michael Kay Aaron Boone
Boston Red Sox/Tampa Bay Rays Jon Sciambi Chris Singleton
2012 New York Yankees/Baltimore Orioles ESPN Dan Shulman Orel Hershiser
Oakland Athletics/Detroit Tigers Dave O’Brien Aaron Boone
2011 [26] New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers ESPN Dan Shulman Orel Hershiser
Texas Rangers/Tampa Bay Rays Gary Cohen Aaron Boone
2010 Tampa Bay Rays/Texas Rangers ESPN Dan Shulman Bobby Valentine
Minnesota Twins/New York Yankees Jon Miller Orel Hershiser

2000s

YearSeriesNetwork(s) Play-by-play Color commentator
2009 New York Yankees/Minnesota Twins ESPN Jon Miller Steve Phillips
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Boston Red Sox Dan Shulman Dave Campbell
2008 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Boston Red Sox ESPN Dan Shulman Dave Campbell
Chicago White Sox/Tampa Bay Rays Gary Thorne Chris Singleton
2007 Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees ESPN Jon Miller Dusty Baker
Boston Red Sox/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Dan Shulman Dave Campbell
2006 New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers ESPN Jon Sciambi Buck Martinez
Minnesota Twins/Oakland Athletics Gary Thorne Steve Stone
2005 Chicago White Sox/Boston Red Sox ESPN Jon Sciambi Buck Martinez
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/New York Yankees Dan Shulman Dave Campbell
2004 Anaheim Angels/Boston Red Sox ESPN John Rooney Buck Martinez
New York Yankees/Minnesota Twins Dan Shulman Dave Campbell
2003 New York Yankees/Minnesota Twins ESPN Dan Shulman Dave Campbell
Oakland Athletics/Boston Red Sox John Rooney Buck Martinez
2002 New York Yankees/Anaheim Angels ESPN Dan Shulman Dave Campbell
Oakland Athletics/Minnesota Twins John Rooney Buck Martinez
2001 New York Yankees/Oakland Athletics ESPN Dan Shulman Rob Dibble
Seattle Mariners/Cleveland Indians Ernie Harwell Buck Martinez
2000 Oakland Athletics/New York Yankees ESPN Dan Shulman Buck Martinez
Chicago White Sox/Seattle Mariners Ernie Harwell Dave Campbell

1990s

YearSeriesNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator
1999 New York Yankees/Texas Rangers ESPN Dan Shulman Buck Martinez
Cleveland Indians/Boston Red Sox Ernie Harwell Dave Campbell
1998 New York Yankees/Texas Rangers ESPN Dan Shulman Buck Martinez
Cleveland Indians/Boston Red Sox Ernie Harwell Dave Campbell
1997 Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees CBS Ernie Harwell Jeff Torborg
Baltimore Orioles/Seattle Mariners John Rooney Al Downing
1996 Texas Rangers/New York Yankees CBS Gary Cohen Jim Hunter
Cleveland Indians/Baltimore Orioles Ernie Harwell Rick Cerone
1995 Seattle Mariners/New York Yankees CBS Ernie Harwell Al Downing
Cleveland Indians/Boston Red Sox John Rooney Jeff Torborg

1981

YearSeriesNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator
1981 Oakland Athletics/Kansas City Royals CBS Ned Martin Bill White
New York Yankees/Milwaukee Brewers Ernie Harwell Curt Gowdy

Local

2000s

YearSeriesFlagship station Play-by-play #1 Play-by-play #2 Color commentator(s)
2002 Anaheim New York (AL) KLAC (Anaheim)
WCBSAM (New York (AL))
Rory Markas
John Sterling
Terry Smith
Charley Steiner
Minnesota Oakland

1990s

YearSeriesFlagship station Play-by-play #1 Play-by-play #2 Color commentator(s)
1997 Cleveland-New York (AL) WKNR-AM (Cleveland)
WABC-AM (New York (AL))
Herb Score

Tom Hamilton

Baltimore-Seattle
1995 Cleveland-Boston WKNR-AM (Cleveland)
WEEI-AM (Boston)
Herb Score

Tom Hamilton

Seattle-New York (AL)

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