Great call: Network to feature Al Michaels
MLB Network will spend Monday celebrating Al Michaels, one of the most versatile broadcasters in sports history -- and the subject of the next installment of MLB Network's new series "The Sounds of Baseball."
From the gridiron to the hardwood to the ice -- and yes, the baseball diamond -- Michaels has been at the mic for countless unforgettable moments over the past half-century. Though it's hard to top his unforgettable call for the "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Winter Olympics, Michaels' broadcasting resume also includes baseball, basketball, football, horse racing and boxing.
"The Sounds of Baseball," co-hosted by MLB Network’s Bob Costas and Tom Verducci, will relive the greatest moments and calls from Michaels’ baseball broadcast career, which included play-by-play roles with the Reds and Giants, as well as eight World Series -- including the earthquake-interrupted Game 3 of the 1989 Fall Classic. Michaels, whose first baseball gig came with the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders from 1968-70, was also the lead announcer on ABC's Monday Night Baseball from 1976-89.
Preceding the airing of “The Sounds of Baseball” at 7 p.m., MLB Network will rebroadcast a trio of games that featured Michaels in the booth (all times ET):
7 a.m.: Bobby Grich's walk-off hit for the Angels in Game 4 of the 1986 ALCS
10 a.m.: Braves defeat Reds in extras in Game 2 of the 1995 NLCS
2 p.m.: Mets stage ninth-inning rally vs. Giants on July 8, 2011
Michaels called that Mets-Giants contest in 2011 alongside Costas, marking the first time that the duo had called an MLB game together. It was also Michaels' first MLB game as a primary broadcaster since the 1995 World Series.
The one-hour program, which will reair at 11 p.m., will feature Costas and Verducci providing anecdotes and commentary on several of Michaels’ iconic calls, including his unforgettable coverage when the Loma Prieta earthquake interrupted Game 3 of the 1989 World Series between the Giants and Athletics. The show will also highlight Michaels' call of Johnny Bench’s ninth-inning home run and Bob Moose’s wild pitch to end Game 5 of the 1972 National League Championship Series, as well as Game 6 of the 1985 World Series (better known as the "Don Denkinger game") and key moments from both the 1986 ALCS and 1988 NLCS.
Michaels, a 2013 inductee to the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, is the fourth sportscaster to be featured on "The Sounds of Baseball" series since it launched in June. Fellow Hall of Famers Vin Scully, Jack Buck and Bob Uecker were highlighted in previous episodes.