Bosox, Angels Face Off July 7th On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Presented By Taco Bell

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN has announced the latest addition to its Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell schedule.  On Sunday, July 7^th, ESPN will broadcast a matchup between “Big Papi” David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox and Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels live.  The game will be broadcast live at 8pm EDT.  Dan Shulman will be joined by analysts Orel Hershiser and John Kruk.  Reporter Buster Olney will be on hand to provide commentary.

Along with its primary broadcast on ESPN, the gam will also be broadcast on ESPN Deportes with Ernesto Jerez, Luis Alfredo Alvarez, Guillermo Celis, and Ozzie Guillen.  It will also be broadcast on ESPN Radio affiliates across the country with Jon Schiambi and analyst Chris Singleton.  Fans can also see the game on with WatchESPN.

Each week’s game is preceded by Baseball Tonight at 7pm EDT.  Tonight’s game sees the San Francisco Giants on the road against the Atlanta Braves.  The current schedule of games on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell is available below.  Additional July games are announced three weeks prior to their broadcast while August and September games will be announced two weeks in advance to their broadcast.

Upcoming Sunday Night Baseball schedule:

Date	Game
June 16	San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves
June 23	Texas Rangers at St. Louis Cardinals
June 30	New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
July 7	Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Angels
July 14	St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
July 21	New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

For all the latest Sunday Night Baseball news, go online to http://espn.go.com/mlb/baseballtonight and https://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight.

To keep up with all of the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry Returning To ESPN, Angels & White Sox Face Off Tonight On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball

Courtesy: ESPN

One of the biggest rivalries in sports re-ignites in its latest round Sunday, June 2^nd.  David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox will take on Robinson Cano and the New York Yankees will face off at 8pm that evening.  Dan Shulman will host the evening’s broadcast.  He will be joined by analysts Orel Hershiser and John Kruk.  Buster Olney will be on hand with commentary.

Tonight’s matchup pits the Los Angeles Angels against the Chicago White Sox in the “Windy City.”  Dan Shulman will host the evening’s broadcast along with his colleagues, Orel Hershiser, John Kruk and Buster Olney.  The game will be available across all ESPN platforms including:  ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app for mobile media.  Pre-game starts at 7pm tonight.  The ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Crew offered its thoughts on tonight’s games, which can be viewed right here.

Baseball Tonight analyst Aaron Boone on the C.J. Wilson- Chris Sale matchup:
With Jered Weaver down, C.J. Wilson needs to assume the head of this rotation. They need to be able to hang their hat on his starts and count on him to be close to an ace. Sale needs to get his slider down. While he’s been pretty good, he hasn’t quite been the dominant ace. I’ve seen a little bit of slider elevation from him. If he can get that pitch down, he’s an ace.

Baseball Tonight analyst Alex Cora on Wilson:
I think that the key storyline is C.J. Wilson. We’ve been talking about the Angels being a contender and Weaver being hurt. Here’s a guy that they signed last year to either be their ace or their number two and he hasn’t done it. For them to turn this around, they need him to pitch the way he’s capable of pitching.

MLB Insider Buster Olney on the Angels’ struggles this season:
Early in every season, there are a handful of teams that quickly move into desperation mode, and little more than a month into the 2013 season, that’s where the Angels stand. They cannot afford to lose more ground, and even though it’s May, this team of great stars will be playing with a sense of urgency. The Angels can turn it around, but because of the lack of depth in the pitching staff, the impetus for a comeback has to come from their offensive stars: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo.

MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian on the Angels facing Sale:
This is a big weekend series, especially for the Angels. They are in danger of falling out of the race in the West unless they start winning immediately. Their come-from-behind win Thursday night might be the spark that finally gets this team going but they are up against Chris Sale on Sunday night. I don’t know how anyone gets a hit off of that guy.

Olney on Sale’s delivery and repertoire:
Chris Sale is a one-of-a-kind pitcher, with an unusual delivery, and a nasty slider.  I think  Orel made a fascinating comparison: Sale reminds you a lot of the former Yankees Cy Young winner Ron Guidry, because of the quality of his slider and his angular build.

ESPN MLB Insider Pedro Gomez on the Angels’ struggles:
The Angels cannot afford to continue to spin their wheels and expect to remain in the AL West race. They need pitching to really start to shine and they absolutely need more production from their two cogs in the middle of their order, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.

Cora on Hamilton’s plate discipline:
He needs to take a step back. We get it, he’s an aggressive hitter. But right now, he’s getting 0-2 pitches in the first pitch of the at-bat. They know he’s swinging. They aren’t even trying to get ahead of him. They are going to the put-out pitch on pitch one because he’s swinging. He needs to be more patient. He has two home runs in last few days but still he needs to take some pitches. The whole league knows that he’s been very aggressive and chasing a lot. He must take a step back and see some good pitches.

ESPN MLB Insider Jim Bowden on keys for the Angels to improve:
The Angels can turn it around but they have to stay healthy. There is not enough depth to withstand injuries, as we’ve seen to date. Hamilton and Pujols must get back to MVP form. The key to the team will be the starting rotation. Blanton and Hanson have to be good enough to win 12 games and pitch 180 innings. A trade for more pitching is a must. Hamilton’s not loading and his timing is not in sync. If he corrects those two flaws he will hit. His bat speed is still there. He also must improve his strike zone awareness and cut down at swinging at balls out of the zone which is at a poor rate of 49%.

Boone on the struggling power hitters in both lineups:
If these teams are going to live up to expectations, their big guys in the middle have to get it going. We need to see production from Konerko and Dunn for the White Sox and Hamilton and Pujols with the Angels.

Cora on White Sox Manager Robin Ventura:
It’s Robin’s second year, so right now it’s his team. Obviously last year he had a great season. They made some changes and lost A.J. So, I think now he’s settled in. It has been a tough month for them, so let’s see what kind of manager he is. Last year, they kind of lost it at the end in September and they seem to be in the same pattern now. We need to see what kind of manager he will be.

Next Sunday on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, the Tigers head to the Lone Star State to take on the Rangers.  The latest Sunday Night Baseball schedule is available below.

Upcoming Sunday Night Baseball schedule:

Date	Game
May 12	Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox
May 19	Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers
May 26	Atlanta Braves at New York Mets
June 2	Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
July 14	St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
July 21	New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

*Additional games for June and July will be announced three weeks in advance, while games for August and September will be made two weeks in advance.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Fenway Park Documentary A Good History Piece For All Baseball Fans

Courtesy: MLB Productions/A&E Home Video

October is one of the greatest months of the year.  The weather is beginning to change.  Football is just getting into its best moments.  And of course, America’s great past time, baseball garners some of its greatest moments as it hits its stride in the playoffs.  Not only do Major League Baseball’s teams show their best.  But so do the stadiums in which they play.  These bastions of baseball develop a whole new life as fans flock to the seats to see their favorite teams face off.  There’s a certain magic about baseball stadiums especially during the post season.  Every stadium offers its own magic in a different way.  If there is one stadium that has developed a reputation for its magic, it’s the one and only Fenway Park.

Fenway Park has seen countless magical moments in its now one hundred year history.  This legendary park has seen the game’s greatest player ever, Babe Ruth hit home runs.  It’s even seen football games by the then Boston Patriots (now the New England Patriots).  It’s seen some of the biggest concerts of which anyone could ever dream.  Fenway has seen all of that and more.  And now in celebration of all of those memories, baseball fans of all ages get to re-live them in the new DVD, Fenway Park:  100 Years as the Heart of Red Sox Nation.  This new DVD tells the storied history of what is one of Major League Baseball’s greatest ballparks.  One doesn’t have to be a Red Sox fan to appreciate Fenway’s history.  From rivalries with the Yankees to championship matches against the likes of the Mets and Cardinals, it’s all here.  It especially focuses on the late great Ted Williams.  Narrator Don Orsillo (who also does play-by play for the Red Sox) tells of Williams’ greatness.  He tells of how Williams once hit a ball so far into the seats that it actually went through a man’s hat.  Williams had hit the ball over five hundred feet to go through the man’s hat.  There is even a seat specially marked at Fenway noting where the feat happened.  And of course, there’s even a brief mention of the famed “Williamsburg.”

The memories of Ted Williams and Babe Ruth are just a tiny piece of the larger puzzle that is Fenway Park:  100 Years as the Heart of Red Sox Nation.  Orsillo takes viewers on a journey through the team’s history hosting the World Series in its inaugural season, losing Babe Ruth to the Yankees, being rebuilt after a massive fire, and so much more.  These are all wonderful pieces of baseball history.  But perhaps even more interesting than all of those moments combined is the love for and dedication to the Red Sox that its legion of fans has had throughout its history.  Through thick and thin, the Red Sox nation has never wavered.  And it paid off, too.  As the documentary shows, the team and the fans were both rewarded as the team finally broke the infamous “Curse of the Bambino” in 2004 after going nearly ninety years without a title.  And then three years later, the Red Sox would bring home the team’s seventh world title.  Both of these magical moments are recorded here, too, for the “Red Sox Nation” as are so many others.  And fans can relive those moments any time they want as the DVD is available now.  It can be ordered online at the MLB Productions shop site, http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13156464.

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Baseball’s Greatest Games Collector’s Edition is a Grand Slam

Courtesy: A&E Entertainment/MLB Productions

Major League Baseball is almost to its halfway point for the 2012 season.  The annual All Star Game, which marks the halfway point of the season, is only two weeks from today.  So what better way to get excited about the big game than with a collection of some of the greatest games in the history of baseball? 

Baseball’s Greatest Games:  Collector’s Edition is the ultimate archive for hardcore baseball fans and sports historians.  This set includes ten of the greatest games in the history of America’s past time.  It takes viewers on a ride from the Pittsburgh Pirates’ miracle win in game Seven of the 1960 World Series to the now legendary Game Six of the 1975 World Series between the Red Sox and Reds, and all the way to the epic comeback of the Red Sox as they faced the New York Yankees in Game Four of the 2004 ALCS and broke the “Curse of The Bambino.”  There are other stops along the way, too, including the now infamous Game Six from the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and Mets that made Bill Buckner one of baseball’s most wanted among fans.

The whole collection kicks off with Game Seven in the 1960 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees.  What makes this such a legendary game was that the Pirates had managed to tie the series up at three games each after struggling at first.  Everybody thought the Pirates were done early on in that series.  But Game Seven changed sports history forever when Bill Mazeroski took to the plate and nailed one over the head of Yogi Berra to bring the Pirates one of the team’s biggest ever wins.  Fans will revel in the extra commentary on the game included on the bonus eleventh disc.  Mazeroksi and his friends discuss the game winning homer, and why it was so special coming from “Maz” as he was nicknamed.  His friends discuss how humble Mazeroski was throughout his career and how he was more well known for his fielding than for his batting.  Those factors, combined with the fact that the Pirates came from behind in the series overall to win it all makes this truly one of the greatest games of all time.

Game Seven of the 1960 World Series is just one of the amazing moments in baseball history included in this mega grand slam of a set.  Another of the really amazing moments included in the set is the win by the Boston Red Sox over the Cincinnati Reds in Game Six of the 1975 World Series.  There were a lot of factors that made this such an amazing game, regardless of which team fans support.  As Pete Rose himself notes in the interviews on the bonus disc, a big part of what made this a legendary game was that it had a “Superbowl Flavor.”  His comparison makes sense.  Both teams had superstar lineups.  And that the series had to be held back a few days because of rain only served to make the stories that much more plentiful.  Both he and former Red Sox star Fred Lynn note that this was really the game that skyrocketed baseball to the upper echelons of sports at the time.

The all star lineup and weather issues weren’t all that made Game Six of the 1975 World Series the mega game that it still is today.  The two teams fought a tough battle for twelve innings before Carlton Fisk came up in the 12th inning and slammed the game winning homer to lift the Red Sox over the Reds 7-6.  Of course, the Reds still went on to win the series and the MLB championship that year.  That’s a whole other story in itself.  But hearing Fisk himself talk about his realization that he didn’t really appreciate the magnitude of what he’d done at the time adds another dimension to the enjoyment of the game.  As with other interviews, this is included on the set’s bonus eleventh disc.

The Red Sox make more than one appearance in this collector’s set.  Actually they have more appearances in the set than any other team.  New York comes in second with three games listed.  And speaking of New York, the whole set closes out with the now historic 2004 ALCS matchup between the Red Sox and Yankees in which the Red Sox finally broke the “Curse of The Bambino.”  The Yankees were leading the ALCS series three games to none against the Red Sox.  But Game Four changed everything.  Just as the Red Sox ’75 matchup against the Reds went twelve innings, so did this matchup.  The difference is that thanks to a huge blast from David Ortiz in the 12th inning, the Red Sox began a turnaround that would eventually result in the Red Sox winning the series and then going on to take down the Cardinals in the World Series.  What makes this game even more amazing is that it was the first time in the history of Major League Baseball that any team had come from a three games to none deficit to eventually win the series.  Red Sox fans will revel in re-living every hit and every out right to the last as they watch this game any time they want in its entirety, sans commercials.

The history of Major League Baseball is loaded with moments that are favorites for fans of all ages.  And the games listed here are without a doubt some of those unforgettable moments in time.  And as already ntoed, they are only a small portion of what makes this set a must have for any true baseball fan and sports historian.  There are seven other equally momentous games that fill out the set.  And as the ones listed here, they are ones that will live on forever for many more generations to come, thanks now to A&E TV and MLB Productions.  Fans can get this set for their favorite sports fan online now at amazon.com or via MLB.com at http://shop.mlb.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=706121&cp=2366583.

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141.  Fans can also keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Baseball’s Greatest Games Collector’s Edition is a grand slam

Courtesy: A&E Entertainment/MLB Productions

Major League Baseball is almost to its halfway point for the 2012 season.  The annual All Star Game, which marks the halfway point of the season, is only two weeks from today.  So what better way to get excited about the big game than with a collection of some of the greatest games in the history of baseball? 

Baseball’s Greatest Games:  Collector’s Edition is the ultimate archive for hardcore baseball fans and sports historians.  This set includes ten of the greatest games in the history of America’s past time.  It takes viewers on a ride from the Pittsburgh Pirates’ miracle win in game Seven of the 1960 World Series to the now legendary Game Six of the 1975 World Series between the Red Sox and Reds, and all the way to the epic comeback of the Red Sox as they faced the New York Yankees in Game Four of the 2004 ALCS and broke the “Curse of The Bambino.”  There are other stops along the way, too, including the now infamous Game Six from the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and Mets that made Bill Buckner one of baseball’s most wanted among fans.

The whole collection kicks off with Game Seven in the 1960 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees.  What makes this such a legendary game was that the Pirates had managed to tie the series up at three games each after struggling at first.  Everybody thought the Pirates were done early on in that series.  But Game Seven changed sports history forever when Bill Mazeroski took to the plate and nailed one over the head of Yogi Berra to bring the Pirates one of the team’s biggest ever wins.  Fans will revel in the extra commentary on the game included on the bonus eleventh disc.  Mazeroksi and his friends discuss the game winning homer, and why it was so special coming from “Maz” as he was nicknamed.  His friends discuss how humble Mazeroski was throughout his career and how he was more well known for his fielding than for his batting.  Those factors, combined with the fact that the Pirates came from behind in the series overall to win it all makes this truly one of the greatest games of all time.

Game Seven of the 1960 World Series is just one of the amazing moments in baseball history included in this mega grand slam of a set.  Another of the really amazing moments included in the set is the win by the Boston Red Sox over the Cincinnati Reds in Game Six of the 1975 World Series.  There were a lot of factors that made this such an amazing game, regardless of which team fans support.  As Pete Rose himself notes in the interviews on the bonus disc, a big part of what made this a legendary game was that it had a “Superbowl Flavor.”  His comparison makes sense.  Both teams had superstar lineups.  And that the series had to be held back a few days because of rain only served to make the stories that much more plentiful.  Both he and former Red Sox star Fred Lynn note that this was really the game that skyrocketed baseball to the upper echelons of sports at the time.

The all star lineup and weather issues weren’t all that made Game Six of the 1975 World Series the mega game that it still is today.  The two teams fought a tough battle for twelve innings before Carlton Fisk came up in the 12th inning and slammed the game winning homer to lift the Red Sox over the Reds 7-6.  Of course, the Reds still went on to win the series and the MLB championship that year.  That’s a whole other story in itself.  But hearing Fisk himself talk about his realization that he didn’t really appreciate the magnitude of what he’d done at the time adds another dimension to the enjoyment of the game.  As with other interviews, this is included on the set’s bonus eleventh disc.

The Red Sox make more than one appearance in this collector’s set.  Actually they have more appearances in the set than any other team.  New York comes in second with three games listed.  And speaking of New York, the whole set closes out with the now historic 2004 ALCS matchup between the Red Sox and Yankees in which the Red Sox finally broke the “Curse of The Bambino.”  The Yankees were leading the ALCS series three games to none against the Red Sox.  But Game Four changed everything.  Just as the Red Sox ’75 matchup against the Reds went twelve innings, so did this matchup.  The difference is that thanks to a huge blast from David Ortiz in the 12th inning, the Red Sox began a turnaround that would eventually result in the Red Sox winning the series and then going on to take down the Cardinals in the World Series.  What makes this game even more amazing is that it was the first time in the history of Major League Baseball that any team had come from a three games to none deficit to eventually win the series.  Red Sox fans will revel in re-living every hit and every out right to the last as they watch this game any time they want in its entirety, sans commercials.

The history of Major League Baseball is loaded with moments that are favorites for fans of all ages.  And the games listed here are without a doubt some of those unforgettable moments in time.  And as already ntoed, they are only a small portion of what makes this set a must have for any true baseball fan and sports historian.  There are seven other equally momentous games that fill out the set.  And as the ones listed here, they are ones that will live on forever for many more generations to come, thanks now to A&E TV and MLB Productions.  Fans can get this set for their favorite sports fan online now at amazon.com or via MLB.com at http://shop.mlb.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=706121&cp=2366583.

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141.  Fans can also keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

A&E Home Video, MLB Productions let Reds fans re-live history with 1975 World Series Collector’s Set

Major League Baseball has seen more than its share of great moments since its inception in 1869.  Many of those moments are ones that every sports fan knows.  And then there are moments that while fewer people know about them, still qualify as Major League Baseball’s greatest moments.  The 1975 World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox is one of those latter moments.  It may not get the coverage that perhaps Yankees World Series wins get, despite being named by ESPN as one of the top two world series in MLB history.  But it is still one of the greatest moments in the history of both Major League Baseball and the Cincinnati Reds.  Now, Reds fans nationwide and worldwide can re-live one of the Reds’ greatest World Series wins ever thanks to the complete seven-game series Collector’s Edition.  The series is presented thanks to the good people at A&E Home Video and Major League Baseball Productions.

The 1975 World Series Cincinnati Reds Collector’s Edition is more than simply a look back at this amazing series.  It’s an archive of one of the greatest moments in both Reds history and sports history as a whole.  From the outer box of the set to the inside of each disc’s slipcase, to the discs themselves, fans are fully immersed into this amazing back and forth seven-game series between two powerhouse clubs with this set.  The front of the box gives fans the final score of all seven games in the series.  This sets the tone for the series before audiences even slip the very first disc into their dvd or blu-ray player.  The slipcase for each disc helps even more to set the tone for the matchup.  Each case presents a detailed box score both outside and inside.  It could be argued that they serve as programs which fans can use to follow every inning of every game from the ceremonial first pitch to the last out of each game.

Having a guide of sorts to follow the games is only one part of what makes this box set such an enormous joy to watch.  The presentation itself is just as much of a joy.  Each game in the series gets its very own disc.  And each game is presented exactly as it originally aired on NBC that year.  A disclaimer before each game is presented concerning the quality of the footage.  But as has been noted before in many reviews in Reel Reviews, having the game presented as it originally aired brings back a wonderfully warm sense of nostalgia.  It takes viewers back to that time when they first saw the series.  Had the game been spit shined for this box set release, it might have taken away a certain amount of joy.  Rather, it was restored simply back to its original state.  And no fan could possibly ask for more. 

Whether one is a fan of the Cincinnati Reds, the Boston Red Sox, or any other team, the 1975 World Series Cincinnati Reds Collector’s Edition is an amazing addition to any baseball fan’s home library.  Reds fans will love to watch it and celebrate over and over again.  And despite having lost the war, fans of the Red Sox have nothing to be upset over in watching this matchup.  Both teams put up one heck of a fight.  So fans on both sides will have plenty to celebrate in watching this series.  It’s one of those series that no matter how many world series come and go, the 1975 World Series will forever remain one of the league’s best.  And thanks to this massively immersive box set, fans on either side will get to relive the magic of the series over and over again whenever they want.